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After Kobe's 61, Now It's LeBron's Turn At MSG

2009-02-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) -- The scoring record at Madison Square Garden lasted more than 24 years, even withstanding a famous challenge from Michael Jordan.

Now LeBron James can seize it from Kobe Bryant after just two days.

Of course, he'll need to score 62 points to do it.

"We set the bar up high for him. He'd have to play really well," New York coach Mike D'Antoni said Tuesday.

Still dazed from Bryant's 61-point performance, the Knicks brace for a visit Wednesday from James, who loves playing in the Big Apple just as much and authored his own 50-point masterpiece here last season.

The NBA's two best players, appearing two nights apart on basketball's biggest stage. Even James, perhaps the MVP front-runner at midseason, will have a tough time matching Bryant's act.

"Last night Kobe made a lot of tough shots," Knicks center David Lee said. "I'm sure LeBron will probably do the same thing and we're going to need to play our best ball."

James, though, promised he won't be gunning for Bryant's mark.

"Hey, man. I just go out and play my game," James said after leading Cleveland to a 101-83 win over Toronto on Tuesday. "I'm not a video game where you can just expect me to go out there and score 60 or 70. I play the game to win the game. I'm not into individual accolades. Kobe Bryant's performance was unbelievable. I watched every second of it. It's not about individuals in this league.

"I'm not trying to outdo Kobe or anybody on their team."

Bryant shattered Bernard King's record of 60 points at the present Madison Square Garden, set on Christmas 1984. Jordan had the top performance by a visiting player, scoring 55 points in 1995 shortly after ending his first retirement.

James also is on the list of 50-point scorers at the Garden, finishing with 50 in Cleveland's 119-105 victory over New York on March 5, 2008. Like Bryant, he was treated to raucous ovations and "MVP!" chants during that game -- along with a fan coming on the court to meet him when James exited for good in the final minute.

And just like Bryant, he always talks about his passion for "the world's most famous arena."

"Every time I come here, it's like a warm feeling just because you know the history," James said in November, before his first visit this season.

"It's not just basketball, everything that ever went on. Concerts, boxing, I mean everything that ever went on at Madison Square Garden. Being a basketball junkie like myself, how could you not love it being in this building?"

New Yorkers still cling to hope that James will someday make it his permanent home.

He could be the marquee free agent in a stellar class in 2010, and the Knicks have positioned themselves for a run at him by clearing salary cap space for that summer. The Knicks still hope to get far enough under the cap to offer maximum deals to two superstars, hoping they can convince a Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade to join James in New York.

"That's a long ways off, so that's not our focus," D'Antoni said. "Our focus is to win that game."

James had only 26 points in his November visit, but he sat out the fourth quarter of Cleveland's 119-101 romp. He's less likely than Bryant to have huge scoring nights because he tries to do so many other things -- he had 10 assists and eight rebounds in his 50-point game here -- but his size and strength could make him a more difficult matchup for the Knicks.

"LeBron can do the same things and he does it with a 6-9, 260-pound body," D'Antoni said. "He not only can get 61, he can hurt you doing it, and that's not good."

D'Antoni has said that if a player wants to be MVP, it helps to play well in New York. Bryant, last season's winner, did his part with the greatest scoring performance Madison Square Garden had seen.

Now it's James' turn, in a place he reveres.

"It's the one remaining building that still has the history," James said. "You think all the way back to Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Willis Reed and all those guys who came through that building, all the way to Patrick Ewing and the great teams they had. To be able to be on the same court that the greats have been on is an honor for me."

source : NBA.com

Bryant's 61 Sets Record For Most Points At MSG

2009-02-04T17:17:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (AP) -- Pau Gasol wasn't looking a couple of times when Kobe Bryant attempted a free throw. So when the Madison Square Garden fans cheered, Gasol assumed that meant his Los Angeles Lakers teammate missed.

But on this record-setting night, even the opposing crowd wanted to see history.

In the 41 years since the current Garden opened, no player has scored more points than Bryant did Monday. He finished with 61, breaking Bernard King's mark of 60 for the Knicks on Christmas 1984 against New Jersey.

Bryant shot 19-of-31 from the floor and made all 20 foul shots as the Lakers beat the Knicks 126-117. He surpassed King's total by hitting two free throws with 2:33 left.

"When he came to the bench in the second quarter, he kind of had this dazed look on his face," teammate Lamar Odom said. "Some call it the zone. He was just in another world. I don't think it probably mattered what shot he took or how he took it. It probably would've went in."

Bryant is often mischievous when he has one of those in-the-zone nights, smiling after shots, joking with opponents. But in the Lakers' first game since losing center Andrew Bynum to a knee injury, Bryant wasn't goofing around.

"I noticed that, too," coach Phil Jackson said. "I noticed his mood was very determined, very somber about him."

Jackson also was the coach when Michael Jordan set the previous Garden record for most points by an opponent with 55 for Chicago on March 28, 1995. He recalled that Jordan was playing in just his fifth game in 22 months.

"He wasn't really totally himself as a player yet," Jackson said. "We just stuck him in the post."

He added, "Both remarkable performances."

Bryant said he didn't know Jordan owned that record.

"But I watched the game, actually, when he had that game," he said, "just oohing and aahing and just marveling at the performance, as I'm sure we all were."

Bryant left to a standing ovation with 1:48 to go. The many Lakers fans in the building -- or maybe they're just Kobe fans -- made their presence felt the whole night, chanting "MVP!" when he shot free throws.

"I was totally surprised," Jackson said.

The Knicks played their first game at the current Madison Square Garden, known as "Garden IV," in February 1968.

Bryant's night quickly became the talk of the league.

"I've never had a night like that," said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who scored 32 in Miami's win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. "You could tell, just watching the highlights, he had a pep in his step and he was on a mission. With Bynum out, he's going to have to do a little more, and I think he understands that. I mean, 61 points, that's Kobe -- that's all you can say."

Hearing Wade, Heat rookie Michael Beasley became wide-eyed.

"Kobe scored 61?" he asked. "You serious?"

source : NBA.com

Warriors' Biedrins Sidelined By Sprained Wrist

2009-01-21T23:13:00.001-08:00

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Golden State Warriors center Andris Biedrins was held out of Wednesday night's game against Oklahoma City with a sprained left wrist.

Biedrins, averaging 13.7 points and 12.0 rebounds, complained of a sore wrist during Tuesday's practice but hoped to play against the Thunder before he was ruled out by Warriors coach Don Nelson. He is listed as day-to-day.

The 6-foot-11-inch center became the latest Golden State player to get hurt. Backup guard Marco Belinelli (sprained right ankle) and forward Brandan Wright (partially dislocated left shoulder) were also unavailable to play against Oklahoma City while guard C.J. Watson was questionable with turf toe.

source : NBA.com

Warriors' Biedrins Sidelined By Sprained Wrist

2009-01-21T23:13:00.000-08:00

Raptors F Kris Humphries Out With Broken Leg

2009-01-21T23:12:00.000-08:00

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Toronto Raptors forward Kris Humphries is out indefinitely with a broken leg.

The Raptors said Wednesday X-rays showed his right fibula was fractured.

Humphries was kicked in the leg Sunday against the Phoenix Suns, missed the following game and Wednesday's matchup against the Detroit Pistons. He is averaging 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 9.1 minutes this season for the Raptors.

source : NBA.com

Bucks' Bogut Misses 4th Straight With Back Spasms

2009-01-21T23:11:00.000-08:00

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Andrew Bogut could only watch his Bucks teammates struggle with rebounding during their recent West Coast swing. Bogut can't play because of back spasms that have wiped out most of the 7-foot center's month.

"That was the most demoralizing thing to me, waiting up (late) and watching it on TV," said Bogut, averaging 11.8 points and a team-high 10.4 rebounds a game. "I was bored out of my brain. The last five days I've been inside -- going to treatment and going back sitting inside on the couch or in bed. It's been pretty frustrating."

Bogut says he's "day-to-day" but Bucks coach Scott Skiles hinted his center won't travel to Atlanta for Friday's game and may not play until Monday against Minnesota.

On their most recent trip, the Bucks finished 1-2, losing to the Clippers and getting outrebounded 58-30 in a loss to Portland that was hailed as rookie Greg Oden's coming out party after he scored a career-high 24 points and added 15 rebounds. Of course, Oden didn't have to bang against Bogut, a former No. 1 pick in 2005.

"I know that's something I could help the team in," Bogut said of the rebounding disparity. "I definitely could've helped, at least get 10, maybe get that margin closer to even and helped us stay in the game."

There's been little joy for Bogut in recent weeks. He's played in three of the past 11 games and initially hurt his back more than a month ago on Dec. 17 against Philadelphia. Doctors have said there's nothing structurally wrong, but the pain has been intense.

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source : NBA.com

Heat To honor 3 Olympic Gold Medalists

2009-01-21T23:10:00.000-08:00

MIAMI (AP) -- Dwyane Wade's Olympic banner will be swaying from the ceiling of the Miami Heat's home arena soon. So, too, will one for Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning.

The Heat will raise two banners at halftime of their Jan. 31 game against the Dallas Mavericks: one for Wade, who was part of the 2008 U.S. gold medal team in Beijing, and the other for Mourning and Hardaway, who helped the Americans win gold at the 2000 Sydney Games.

They will be displayed alongside the Heat's division, conference and NBA championship banners.

Wade's banner was unveiled during a ceremony shortly after he returned home from the Olympics in late August, but the Heat opted not to raise it to the rafters until such a time that one also could be presented to honor Hardaway and Mourning.

source : NBA.com

NBA-Best Magic Get Another Shot At Champ Celtics

2009-01-21T23:07:00.000-08:00

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Jameer Nelson believes the Orlando Magic are close to commanding almost as much respect as the Boston Celtics.

Really close, in fact.

"They're a great team. We're a good team," said Nelson, the Magic point guard. "We're trying to get to where they are."

A quick glance at the standings shows Orlando is rapidly closing whatever gap exists between the teams. When the Magic wake up Thursday morning, they'll have the best record in the NBA. Better than LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Better than Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Better than any team, period.

Finding a way remain on that perch into Friday morning, well, that'd be a neat Magic trick.

It's only one of 82 regular-season contests, yet there will be a distinct big-game feel for the Magic on Thursday night when the reigning NBA champion Celtics visit for a matchup of teams jostling for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference as well as the league's overall best record.

Forgive Magic coach Stan Van Gundy if he wants no part of the inevitable hyperbole.

"I've said all along, and I honestly think it's true: If they'll give us two wins for the Boston game, then I'll make it bigger than the other games," Van Gundy said. "Otherwise, it's not."

At 33-8, Orlando has matched its franchise record for best 41-game start, has won seven straight games and is coming off a road trip where it beat all three division leaders in the Western Conference. No slouches themselves, the Celtics took a 34-9 record and five-game winning streak into Miami on Wednesday night.

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source : NBA.com

Nuggets' Jones Out With Separated Right Shoulder

2009-01-21T23:04:00.000-08:00

DENVER (AP) -- Denver Nuggets guard Dahntay Jones suffered a separated right shoulder in pregame warm-ups on Tuesday and was out of the lineup for the game against the Sacramento Kings.

The Nuggets said Jones injured the shoulder in a collision in a pregame workout but the X-rays were negative for a clavicle fracture. Renaldo Balkman will start in his place.

Jones, in his first year with the Nuggets, is averaging 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and one assist a game.

source : NBA.com

Bulls' Gooden, Hawks' Horford And Williams Sit

2009-01-21T23:03:00.000-08:00

CHICAGO (AP) -- Drew Gooden was sidelined for Chicago's game against Atlanta with a strained left groin, and the Hawks were again without injured forwards Al Horford and Marvin Williams on Tuesday.

It's the second time in the past week that Gooden has missed a game because of the groin problem. The forward also missed eight games recently with a sprained right ankle.

Horford missed his sixth straight game with a bone bruise in his right knee and Williams (concussion) sat out his second in a row, leaving the Hawks with only one healthy regular up front -- Josh Smith.

source : NBA.com

Magic's Nelson And Hornets' Paul Named Players Of The Week

2009-01-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK -- The Orlando Magic's Jameer Nelson and the New Orleans Hornets' Chris Paul today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Jan. 12, through Sunday, Jan. 18. Nelson and Paul also shared Player of the Week honors for the week of Dec. 15.

Eastern Western
Jan. 19 G Jameer Nelson, Orlando Chris Paul, New Orleans
Jan. 12 F Dwight Howard, Orlando G Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
Jan. 5 G Rodney Stuckey, Detroit F Al Jefferson, Minnesota
Dec. 29 F LeBron James, Cleveland G Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
Dec. 22 G Jameer Nelson, Orlando G Chris Paul, New Orleans
Dec. 15 F Al Harrington, New York F Tim Duncan, San Antonio
Dec. 8 G Dwyane Wade, Miami F Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Dec. 1 G Devin Harris, New Jersey G Brandon Roy, Portland
Nov. 24 G Dwyane Wade, Miami F Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Nov. 17 F LeBron James, Cleveland G Chauncey Billups, Denver
Nov. 10 F LeBron James, Cleveland F Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix
Nov. 3 F Chris Bosh, Toronto G Chris Paul, New Orleans

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source : NBA.com

Grizzlies Sign Miles To Second 10-Day Deal

2009-01-21T22:48:00.001-08:00

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward Darius Miles to a second 10-day contract.

Memphis waived Miles on Jan. 7 and re-signed him three days later. That came two days after the Portland Trail Blazers threatened possible legal action against any team signing the free agent.

Miles is back from major knee surgery. His return put Portland on the hook for the $18 million and two years remaining on his deal.

After signing his first 10-day deal on Jan. 10, Miles played three games and averaged 8.3 points and three rebounds.

source : NBA.com

Thunder Making Push To Shed NBA's Worst Record

2009-01-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Clay Bennett was lauded as a civic hero when he brought Oklahoma City its first major-league sports franchise.

The NBA's arrival in town was something to celebrate, the unveiling of the Thunder nickname a long-awaited event that packed the lobby of a downtown building with anxious fans.

"That was only the beginning," Bennett, the Thunder chairman, said Monday. "Little did I know."

After six months in Oklahoma City, the infrastructure for the Thunder is still being built. The wins have been slow to come. But there are signs of progress.

Oklahoma City is coming off its most impressive stretch yet, playing .500 basketball over the past 10 games to go from league laughingstock to mere mediocrity. No longer is the franchise a shoo-in to have the worst record in the league -- and, along with it, the best odds to emerge from the draft lottery with the No. 1 pick.

The Thunder, once on pace for the worst record in NBA history, have pulled even with the Washington Wizards with a league-worst eight wins and are within striking distance of moving out of last place in the Western Conference. That distinction could be on the line Friday night when the Thunder visit the Los Angeles Clippers, who are 9-31.

"Every day, we're heading in a better direction," Bennett said after announcing that a health care company would sponsor the team's temporary practice facility and a new $25 million training center due to be finished before the 2010-11 season.

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source : NBA.com

Howard Leads Magic Past Wizards

2008-11-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Wizards	21	18	19	23	81
Magic	27	31	26	22	106

ORLANDO, Fla.(AP) Dwight Howard had a season-high 31 points and 16 rebounds and also blocked three shots to help the Orlando Magic win their fourth straight game, 106-81 over the winless Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

Howard, who leads the NBA in blocked shots, hit 11 of 13 shots and nine of 14 free throws. Mickael Pietrus added 18 points, and Keith Bogans had 13 for Orlando (4-2).

Nick Young had 20 points for the Wizards (0-5), the only team in the Eastern Conference without a victory this season.

The Magic led by as 19 points in the second quarter and 29 in the third.

The Wizards played their reserves backups in the fourth quarter, while the Magic kept many of their starters in the game.

The Wizards are playing without Gilbert Arenas (left knee) and Brendan Haywood (right wrist) and neither is expected back anytime soon.

Caron Butler, the Wizards' leading scorer this season, left the court late in the second quarter with a bloody cut over his left eye, sustained when he hit heads with Pietrus. Butler returned for the second half wearing a bandage. He had 10 points.

The Magic never trailed, opening with a pair of 3-pointers from Pietrus and Hedo Turkoglu. They led 58-39 at halftime after shooting 59 percent.

Notes: The Wizards opened 0-5 last season and still reached the playoffs, becoming the 13th team in NBA history to lose its first five and still finish in the playoffs.

source : NBA.com

Granger Scores 23 To Help Pacers Beat Nets

2008-11-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Nets	27	24	15	14	80
Pacers	32	17	25	24	98

INDIANAPOLIS(AP) Danny Granger scored 23 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 98-80 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night.

Granger shot just 6-for-17 from the field, but made 10 of 12 free throws for the Pacers (2-3). He entered the game as the NBA's No. 2 scorer.

Indiana guard T.J. Ford nearly had a triple-double, but settled for 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Troy Murphy had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Jeff Foster added 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Pacers.

Vince Carter led New Jersey (2-3) with 31 points.

New Jersey guard Devin Harris missed the game because of a sprained left ankle. He had a career-high 38 points Friday night in New Jersey's win over Detroit. His replacement, Keyon Dooling, scored 17 points on Saturday.

Indiana held New Jersey to eight field goals in the second half and outscored the Nets 49-29 after halftime.

The teams combined for nine 3-pointers in the first quarter, and the Pacers led 32-27 at the end of the period.

New Jersey shot 50 percent in the first half and led 51-49 at the break. Carter scored 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting in the first two quarters.

The Pacers led 53-51 when Josh Boone couldn't quite gather himself on an alley-oop attempt. Indiana rebounded and pushed the ball down the floor, and Murphy made a 3-pointer to give the Pacers a 56-51 lead.

Granger then stole the ball from Yi Jianlian at the top of the key, drove and split two defenders for a layup and a chance for a 3-point play. His free throw made it 59-51.

New Jersey's first points in the second half came with 7:40 left in the third quarter, but the Pacers maintained control. A 3-pointer by Marquis Daniels increased Indiana's lead to 66-55 midway through the period, and the Pacers led 74-66 at the end of the quarter. New Jersey shot 4-for-20 from the field in the period, and Carter was held to four points.

Indiana started the fourth quarter on an 8-1 run, with all its points scored by Granger, to take an 82-67 lead. The Nets didn't make a field goal in the period until Dooling scored with 5:55 to play. Indiana's Jarrett Jack answered with a 3-pointer to give the Pacers an 86-70 lead.

Notes: Foster surpassed his season high for points with eight in the first quarter. ... Boone had an airball on a free throw with 1:15 left in the first half. ... Indiana G Mike Dunleavy sat out because of a sore right knee, and Pacers C Rasho Nesterovic missed his third straight game because of a sprained right ankle.

source : NBA.com

Rookie Brown Lifts Kings Over Thunder

2008-10-11T00:48:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Thunder	18	21	25	21	85
Kings	26	29	14	25	94

Sacramento 94, Oklahoma City 85
SACRAMENTO, Oct. 10 (AP) -- Rookie Bobby Brown scored 22 points and the Sacramento Kings beat the Oklahoma Thunder 94-85 in a preseason game Friday night.

An undrafted point guard who played 11 games last year in Germany, Brown was instrumental in Sacramento holding on to its fourth-quarter lead. Brown scored 12 points in the quarter, including two 3-pointers.

Spencer Hawes had 21 points and seven rebounds for the Kings (1-1), while John Salmons had 16 points and Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia both had eight. Shelden Williams added seven points and 11 rebounds.

Jeff Green led Oklahoma, formerly the Seattle SuperSonics, with 19 points, including eight in the fourth quarter when the Thunder pulled within one point. Damien Wilkins had 14 points, Desmond Mason scored 10 and Johan Petro added eight points and 10 rebounds.

Looking like a team with something to prove following a poor effort earlier in the week in their preseason opener, the Kings scored the game's first points and never trailed in defeating the Thunder (0-2).

It was Hawes, a second-year post player, who had the biggest impact in helping the Kings build a 55-39 halftime lead. Scoring on several smooth inside moves and hitting from the perimeter as well, Hawes had 16 points and five rebounds in 13 first-half minutes.

With the Kings sputtering on offense, the Thunder outscored Sacramento 25-14 in the third quarter to pull within 69-64.

Playing without veteran starters Brad Miller and Kevin Martin, the Kings shot 29 percent in a humbling a 110-81 loss to Portland on Tuesday.

Oklahoma City gave Kevin Durant, last year's NBA's rookie of the year, the night off. He is expected to play Saturday night when Oklahoma City travels to Golden State.

source : NBA.com

Randolph Triggers Trail Blazers? Win Over Hawks

2008-10-11T00:43:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Hawks	20	19	25	16	80
Trail Blazers	22	25	26	29	102

Portland 102, Atlanta 80

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 10, 2008 (AP) -- Shavlik Randolph was 9-for-9 from the field and scored 19 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 102-80 preseason victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Portland rookie Greg Oden, the first pick in the 2007 draft who didn't play last season after having knee surgery, finished with 11 points and five rebounds. He picked up his fourth foul with 2:30 left in the third quarter and did not play the rest of the way.

Randolph scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to help the Trail Blazers (2-1) pull away.

"He can play,'' Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said of Randolph. "I knew that from watching him in training camp. He's tricky with the ball and is smart. Tonight he was knocking down his shot.''

Rookie Jerryd Bayless, a first-round pick out of Arizona, scored seven of his 15 points in the final quarter to give the Trail Blazers five players in double figures. LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy each added 14 points.

The Hawks (2-1) had four players in double figures with Acie Law and Josh Smith each scoring 12 points, while Joe Johnson had 11 and Flip Murray 10.

The Hawks shot only 37.7 percent from the field and missed 12 of 15 three-point attempts, while the Trail Blazers shot 58.1 percent from the floor.

"I didn't like anything about this game,'' Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "We were too lethargic. We really have got to hold ourselves accountable night in and night out, come out and play with a lot of heart and come out to play to win. Tonight we just really seemed down and own.''

The Trail Blazers (2-1) jumped out to a 15-6 lead midway through the first quarter with Oden scoring five points, including a dunk off an offensive rebound. Portland led 73-64 entering the third quarter and quickly ballooned it to 83-67 as Randolph and Bayless took over in the fourth.

Guard Rudy Fernandez, who led Portland with 15 points Wednesday in a loss to Golden State, was on the inactive list with an ankle injury. The Hawks played without Mike Bibby and Zaza Pachulia, who were both with their wives who had babies this week. They will rejoin the team Sunday for a game against Charlotte.

The game at the new Sprint Center drew 12,457 fans and was the first NBA preseason game in Kansas City since 2001.

source : NBA.com

Smith Lifts Nuggets Past Timberwolves

2008-10-11T00:41:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Timberwolves	21	18	22	34	95
Nuggets	26	33	19	40	118

Denver 118, Minnesota 95

DENVER, Oct. 10, 2008 (AP) -- The Denver Nuggets' preseason opener was a breeze.

Next, they'll face a gust.

The Nuggets dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-95 on Friday night, as reserve J.R. Smith finished with 21 points and Chris Andersen grabbed 11 boards.

Now, they're off to Indian Wells, Calif., to play the Phoenix Suns on Saturday in the NBA's first outdoor basketball game in more than 35 years.

The forecast is calling for windy conditions -- better keep those jump shots low.

"I can't wait,'' Smith said. "I have not played outside in a while.''

The exhibition game will be played at the 16,000-seat Indian Wells Tennis Garden, a venue that will be converted into a hoops playground.

However, the outdoor court there won't resemble the type Nuggets coach George Karl played on growing up -- cracked cement courts with drooping baskets. The game won't be played with a lopsided rubber ball like Karl did and will be minus the metal clank after a swish through a chain-linked net.

Still, Karl is intrigued by the idea. The contest follows in the footsteps of the NHL's successful outdoor game on New Year's Day in Buffalo, N.Y.

"It's going to be interesting,'' Karl said. "For me, the playground is a very integral part of American basketball -- from Harlem to the streets of Pittsburgh. That was fun, going to certain courts and the wind blowing and you can't shoot jump shots, so you have to shoot off the backboard. There's all sorts of adjustments you make because of the wind.''

Allen Iverson likes the concept, but won't be launching any floaters into the breeze. Iverson planned to stay behind to get treatment on his swollen left knee, an injury that flared up as he sat on the bench in the fourth quarter.

"I want to be a part of it, I want to play in it,'' said Iverson, who had nine assists in nearly 23 minutes Friday night. "But I can't start off the season struggling with an injury.''

The last time the league staged an outdoor game was when the Suns beat the Milwaukee Bucks in a preseason contest on Sept. 24, 1972, at a baseball stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

"It will be fun,'' Karl said.

Denver (1-0) led by as many as 25 points in the third quarter, before the Timberwolves went on a late spurt, climbing within 13 points midway through the fourth. Andersen's 3-pointer put an end to the rally, and the Timberwolves' two-game preseason winning streak.

Andersen, a fan favorite nicknamed "Birdman,'' was making his return to the Nuggets. He was reinstated by the NBA in early March after being kicked out on Jan. 27, 2006, for violating the league's drug policy. Andersen played five games for the New Orleans Hornets last season.

"He's been anxious, having been out of the game for two years,'' Karl said. "I think he wants to recreate his career. He has impressed me with not making as many mistakes as I thought he would make.''

Al Jefferson grabbed 11 rebounds and scored 10 points for Minnesota (2-1), while Corey Brewer had 13 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter.

Brewer said he spent the majority of the summer working on getting his shooting touch back. This was a step in the right direction.

"I should get a lot of open shots this year and I have got to knock them down,'' he said.

Rookie Kevin Love turned in a nine-point, 11-rebound game, while reserve Blake Ahearn finished with 17 points and Randy Foye chipped in 16.

"They were a little fatigued,'' Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said of his team. "We played a little bit more their style than our style. We got caught up in their game.''

The Nuggets were without Carmelo Anthony, who bruised his left ring finger in practice Thursday when he had the ball slapped out of his hand. The hand was wrapped in a bandage at a shootaround Friday, but the team said X-rays were negative.

"It's getting better,'' Anthony said after the game.

For as much as he wants to play in the outdoor contest, he doesn't want to risk further injury.

"I'll be a part of it though. I'll be there,'' Anthony said.

He paused, glancing at his hand.

"But I might change my mind,'' Anthony said, grinning.

source : NBA.com

Allen's 25 Points Pace Celtics Over Cavs

2008-10-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Cavaliers	37	18	24	15	94
Celtics	28	22	23	23	96

Boston 96, Cleveland 94

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Oct. 10, 2008 (AP) -- LeBron James only needed two preseason games to get back into a groove.

The Cleveland star scored 12 points in the first quarter, finishing with 15 in 13 1/2 minutes on Friday night to help the Cavaliers open an early lead before the Boston reserves took over and led the NBA champions to a 96-94 victory.

"It was good. I got out there and got a good rhythm," said James, who played just eight minutes and failed to make a basket in Cleveland's first preseason game. "We got into a good rhythm, and we played well."

Tony Allen scored 25 points, and Leon Powe hit two free throws with 13.6 seconds left to put Boston ahead just as Jed Lowrie's sacrifice fly gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the AL playoffs against Tampa Bay.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers checked on the baseball score with reporters sitting courtside. Updates were also played on the arena scoreboard, and fans begged Rivers to call a timeout down the stretch, so they could watch more of the baseball game.

Allen made 13 of 16 free throws.

"He's going to get to the line," Rivers said. "He attacks off the dribble, he's aggressive, and he's tough to guard."

It was 94-all when Tarence Kinsey missed a jumper with 15 seconds left, and Lorenzen Wright fouled Powe going for the rebound. Powe's free throws gave Boston a 96-94 lead, and Bill Walker blocked Jawad Williams' shot at the buzzer.

The Cavaliers thought he was fouled, but no one really wanted to see a preseason game go into overtime, so no one really complained.

The Celtics are making the rounds in New England this exhibition season, visiting Amherst, Mass., on Wednesday before dropping down to Rhode Island and then up to New Hampshire. The crowd of 9,444 was about 1,000 short of a full house even though the game was up against the opener of the AL championship series.

None of Boston's "Big Three" played more than 9 1/2 minutes, all in the first quarter. Paul Pierce scored eight points, Ray Allen had five and Kevin Garnett scored four.

"I really hadn't planned on playing Kevin and those guys at all tonight," Rivers said. "But I thought because we're right here down the road the fans needed to see them a little bit. And they got a chance to see the other guy, LeBron, who is pretty good, too. I thought they got their money's worth."

After spending his summer at the Olympics helping the United States win the gold medal, James played just eight minutes in Cleveland's exhibition debut on Tuesday, a 104-84 loss to Toronto.

Rivers is also wary of his players' workload, even though none of them played in Beijing. Boston's season didn't end until June 17 after an 82-game regular season and 26 playoff games, including the seven-game victory over Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The budding rivalry might have explained an unusual burst of effort for an exhibition game, with the Cavaliers taking a 37-28 lead after one quarter of All-Star game-style play.

"We scored a lot," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "But I didn't see much defensive intensity out there."

Celtics center Kendrick Perkins did not play because of surgery for the left shoulder injury he sustained in Game 4 of the NBA finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Rivers was back after missing Wednesday's exhibition opener, a 98-92 loss to Philadelphia, to attend to a family matter in Orlando, Fla.

Cavaliers guard Sasha Pavlovic did not travel with the team to Providence to continue treatment on his right ankle. He experienced a mild sprain during practice Wednesday and is day-to-day.

source : NBA.com

Lee Powers Knicks Past 76ers

2008-10-11T00:35:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Knicks	22	38	27	23	110
	38	13	26	27	104

New York 110, Philadelphia 104

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 10, 2008 (AP) -- David Lee had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the New York Knicks to a 110-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in a preseason game Friday night.

Chris Duhon added 19 points and Zach Randolph had 18 to lead six Knicks players in double figures.

Elton Brand led the 76ers with 24 points, Andre Iguodala added 16 and Andre Miller had 12 points and 12 assists.

After struggling in his first preseason game, Brand was dominant in the first quarter, scoring 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting to give Philadelphia a 38-22 lead at the end of the quarter.

The Knicks opened the second quarter with a 23-6 run to take the lead with 4:41 remaining and built a 60-51 edge at halftime. New York extended its lead to 87-77 after three quarters and built an 18-point lead in the fourth.

Sixers starting forward Thaddeus Young left the game late in the third quarter with a left-eye corneal abrasion and Lou Williams left in the fourth with a lacerated chin that required three stitches. Neither returned.

New York played without several key players, including first-round pick Danilo Gallinari (lower back), Allan Houston (quadriceps) and Eddy Curry (coach's decision).

source : NBA.com

New-Look Clippers Surge Past Lakers

2008-10-10T04:12:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	T
Clippers	36	23	16	32	107
Lakers	30	18	17	15	80

L.A. Clippers 107, L.A. Lakers 80
FRESNO, Oct. 9 (AP) -- Rookie Mike Taylor was 9-of-12 from the field and scored 20 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 107-80 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

It was the Lakers' worst preseason loss since a 31-point defeat to the Golden State Warriors in 2005 and it kept the Lakers (0-2) winless this preseason. Lakers star Kobe Bryant played 24 minutes and finished with 12 points and three assists. He left midway through the third quarter and did not return.

Baron Davis, who signed the Clippers in the offseason after spending the past three seasons with the Warriors, played 17 minutes and finished with 12 points and seven assists.

Ricky Davis had 17 points for the Clippers (1-1), who led by as many as 13 points in the first half and began distancing themselves again early in the fourth after the Lakers got as close as 79-74 on Jordan Farmar's 3-pointer. Farmar, who finished with 12 points, was one of five Lakers in double figures.

Reserve forward Vladimir Radmanovic led the Lakers with 14 points.

Ricky Davis, who signed as a free agent with the Clippers in the offseason after playing for the Miami Heat, scored 13 points in the first half and was 3-of-5 from behind the arc.

A predominantly Lakers crowd came out to see a rare NBA game in the central San Joaquin Valley. It was the first time the Lakers lost in Fresno, where the team also played in 2004 and 2006.

Taylor led the Clippers' charge in the second half, scoring 16 points. He played with the Idaho Stampede in the NBA Development League last season. Clippers reserve forward Steve Novak was 4-of-6 on 3-pointers and finished with 12 points.

The Clippers were assessed three technical fouls. Clippers reserve guard Jason Hart and the Lakers' Radmanovic were called for a double technical late in the first quarter. Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy received a technical foul in the third quarter.

And rookie DeAndre Jordan was called for a technical after hanging on the rim and yelling after completing a monstrous one-handed dunk in the fourth quarter.

Clippers center Marcus Camby, acquired in a trade with the Denver Nuggets in the offseason, traveled with the team and was in uniform, but did not play. Camby has been recovering from flu-like symptoms during training camp.

source : NBA.com

Barnes Scores 21 Points to Lead Suns over Jazz

2008-10-10T04:10:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	T
Suns	23	25	25	23	96
Jazz	23	20	22	24	89

Phoenix 96, Utah 89
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 9 (AP) - Matt Barnes scored 21 points and Alando Tucker added 19 as the Phoenix Suns beat the Utah Jazz 96-89 on Thursday night.

The Suns, who didn't make a 3-pointer in their opening loss to Atlanta on Wednesday, went 9-of-21 from beyond the arc against Utah (1-1) and didn't trail after the opening minutes of the first quarter.

Raja Bell scored 11 points for Phoenix (1-1).

Kyle Korver scored 16 points and Mehmet Okur had 12 points and eight rebounds for Utah, which opened with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

Deron Williams, a U.S. Olympian this summer, had nine points and five assists as he played the entire first and third quarters.

Boris Diaw added nine points and eight rebounds for Phoenix, which outrebounded Utah 45-35, the second straight time Utah was outrebounded by double figures.

Phoenix led by as many as nine points in the third quarter and pushed the lead to 14 points late in the fourth quarter, largely because of Tucker. The second-year forward from Wisconsin scored 11 points in the final quarter.

Barnes, an offseason free agent signing, scored eight points in the final quarter for Phoenix, which shot 48.6 percent from the field.

Guard Morris Almond scored 10 points and forward Paul Millsap had a team-best 11 rebounds for Utah.

Both teams struggled from the free throw line, making just 61 percent. Phoenix's Shaquille O'Neal missed his first three free throws and finished with five points.

The Jazz played without All-Star forward Carlos Boozer, who missed his second consecutive game resting a sore left hamstring. The Suns were without Amare Stoudemire (torn iris in right eye) and Leandro Barbosa (family reasons) for the second straight game.

source : NBA.com

Green Scores 18 as Mavericks Hold Off Bulls

2008-10-10T04:02:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Mavericks	36	26	20	28	110
Bulls	22	22	26	32	102

Dallas 110, Chicago 102

CHICAGO, Oct. 9 (AP) -- Gerald Green scored 18 points to lead six Dallas players in double figures, helping the Mavericks beat the Chicago Bulls 110-102 in a preseason game on Thursday night.

Bulls rookie Derrick Rose, last spring's No. 1 draft pick, played nearly 27 minutes and scored 10 points in Chicago's preseason opener.

Dallas (2-0) never trailed, using an 11-1 run in the first quarter to establish an early edge. Josh Howard scored six points during that span and finished with 10.

The Mavs' lead ballooned to 19 points by halftime, then slipped to seven after the Bulls opened the second half with a 12-0 run. Rose had a pair of long-distance jumpers during the surge, which ended with Dallas guard Gerald Green's 20-foot field goal at the 6:59 mark.

Chicago trailed 82-70 after three quarters but rallied to within six points with 1:56 left.

Luol Deng, Aaron Gray and Darius Washington paced the Bulls with 14 points each, while Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes each added 11.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 15 points for the Mavericks, Antoine Wright and Jose Barea each had 11 and Brandon Bass added 10.

Rose had a slow start in his NBA debut. The former Memphis guard missed his first four field goal attempts before scoring on a right-handed layup with 6:45 left in the second quarter.

Four Chicago players - including regulars Joakim Noah and Ben Gordon - sat out with injuries.

source : NBA.com

October 2008 Transactions

2008-10-09T04:42:00.000-07:00

NBA Transaction

Wed,
Oct. 8 L.A. Lakers waive Dwayne Mitchell.

Cleveland waives Lance Allred and Michael Dickerson.

Sacramento waives Zhang Kai.

Mon,
Oct. 6 New Jersey waives Awvee Storey.

Philadelphia waives Andre Emmett, Maureece Rice and Cory Underwood.

Sat,
Oct. 4 Atlanta waives Olumide Oyedeji.

Miami waives Matt Walsh.

Fri,
Oct. 3 Miami signs Shaun Livingston.

Denver signs Juwan Howard.

Wed,
Oct. 1 Chicago re-signs Ben Gordon to a qualifying offer.

Golden State signs Dan Dickau.

Sacramento names Shareef Abdur-Rahim assistant coach.

San Antonio signs Charles Gaines and waives Brian Morrison.

Warriors Stop Trail Blazers in Portland

2008-10-09T04:37:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Warriors	26	23	28	33	110
Trail Blazers	27	26	25	17	95

Golden State 110, Portland 95 (F)

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 8 (AP) -- Kelenna Azubuike scored 18 points, all in the second half, and Brandan Wright added 16 points and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 110-95 Wednesday night.

Portland center Greg Oden, the first pick of the 2007 draft, scored 14 points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. LaMarcus Aldridge also scored 14 points for the Blazers while Jerryd Bayless had 13.

Azubuike, who didn't play during the first half, hit 7 of 10 shots during the second half as the Warriors (1-1) rallied from a four-point halftime deficit.

Golden State, which trailed 78-77 after three quarters, outscored Portland 33-17 during the fourth quarter to pull away. Azubuike scored 11 points during the fourth quarter.

Wright scored 10 of his 16 points during the second half, and tied a team high with five rebounds. Corey Maggette added 15 points for Golden State while Andris Biedrins scored 13.

Portland guard Rudy Fernandez played 36 minutes before leaving the game late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Fernandez hit 5 of 12 shots from the field and led the Blazers with 15 points.

Portland (1-1) was nowhere near as sharp against Golden State as it was during Tuesday's preseason opener, an 110-81 win over Sacramento in which the Blazers had an array of dunks and highlight-reel passes.

Portland committed 25 turnovers and shot just 36.9 percent from the field against the Warriors.

Portland took a 53-49 halftime lead during a ragged first half. Oden did most of his damage during the first half, scoring 10 points while grabbing nine rebounds.

Golden State raced to a 76-66 lead, but the Blazers came alive during the final three minutes of the quarter, outscoring the Warriors 12-1 to take a 78-77 lead into the fourth quarter.

Golden State took command of the game early in the fourth quarter, as the Warriors went on a 15-2 run to establish a 94-83 lead with seven minutes remaining.

Prior to the game, the Trail Blazers announced that guard Martell Webster suffered a left foot injury during Tuesday's game against Sacramento. An MRI confirmed that Webster has a stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal. The team said it would announce a course of treatment, which could include surgery, and a timetable for Webster's return Thursday.

Joining Webster as inactive for Wednesday's game were Steve Blake (hamstring) and Channing Frye (ankle), while guard Brandon Roy was rested and didn't play.

source : NBA.com

Hawks Stage Rally to Defeat Suns

2008-10-09T04:35:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Hawks	12	25	36	27	100
Suns	21	23	26	26	96

Atlanta 100, Phoenix 96
PHOENIX, Oct. 8 (AP) - Marvin Williams scored 19 points, Josh Smith had 18 and the Atlanta Hawks spoiled Terry Porter's debut as Phoenix coach, rallying to beat the Suns 100-96 Wednesday night.

It was the second victory in two exhibition games for the Hawks, who also defeated Orlando on Monday.

Williams and Smith got lots of offensive support. Ex-Sun Joe Johnson scored 14 points, Flip Murray had 13 and Al Horford and Acie Law 10 each.

Shaquille O'Neal topped the Suns with 21 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. Alando Tucker scored 14, Matt Barnes and Louis Amundson 12 apiece, and Grant Hill 10.

The Suns, playing without Amare Stoudemire (torn iris in right eye) and Leandro Barbosa (personal reasons), showed off their newfound defensive prowess in the first quarter. They held the Hawks to 12 points, just two in the final six minutes, on 29.4 percent shooting (5-for-17). During the period, they also limited Atlanta's reserves to two shots and no points in a total of 19 minutes.

With the subs on the floor for most of the second quarter, the pace picked up and so did the scoring. At halftime, Phoenix led 44-37 as reserve Tucker led the way with 10 points and newcomer Amundson had nine. Starters Williams and Johnson each scored nine for Atlanta. Overall, the Suns' second team outscored Atlanta's No. 2 unit 24-3.

Surprisingly, the Suns, one of the league's most prolific 3-point shooting teams in the league last season, failed to hit from long range, missing all three of their attempts, and they had only four fastbreak points, another sharp contrast to a year ago when they frequently pushed the ball up court under Mike D'Antoni.

Phoenix quickly broke its 3-point drought in the second half, making their first two, one each by Steve Nash and Raja Bell. But with the starters playing most of the minutes in the third period, the Hawks solved the Suns' defense, outscoring Phoenix 36-26 for a 73-70 lead by the end of the quarter. Smith was the catalyst, scoring 10 points, while Zaza Pachulia added eight.

They hung on in the fourth period, building an eight-point lead, 91-83, on a basket by Williams - who also had two 3-pointers in the quarter.

Notes: The Suns will be playing three exhibition games in four days, most unusual for the preseason. Thursday night, they will be at Utah and Saturday they will face Denver at Indian Wells, Calif., in the NBA's first outdoor game in the modern era. ... The Hawks and Suns will meet again Oct. 15 at Atlanta. ... Atlanta guard Speedy Claxton missed Wednesday night's game with a pulled hamstring.

source : NBA.com

McCants Sparks Timberwolves Past Thunder

2008-10-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Thunder	13	28	22	19	82
Timberwolves	24	16	20	28	88

Minnesota 88, Oklahoma City 82
BILLINGS, Mont., Oct. 8 (AP) - Rashad McCants scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Rodney Carney and Ryan Gomes hit consecutive 3s to help Minnesota spoil the Oklahoma City Thunder's debut with an 88-82 victory Wednesday night.

The exhibition game was the Thunder's first since the team moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City during the offseason.

The Thunder led 71-62 with 9:54 remaining, but McCants scored 11 of Minnesota's next 14 points, tying the score at 76 with a dunk with 4:45 remaining.

Two more free throws by McCants and the consecutive 3s by Carney and Gomes gave the Wolves an 84-78 lead with 2:23 remaining.

A basket by Chris Wilcox pulled the Thunder to 84-80 with 2:11 remaining, but Sebastian Telfair made a basket and two free throws to finish the scoring for Minnesota.

Al Jefferson added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Wolves (2-0) and Corey Brewer finished with 11 points.

Damien Wilkins led the Thunder with 19 points. Wilcox had 17 and Russell Westbrook 13.

Oklahoma City led 41-40 at halftime.

source : NBA.com

Webster Out At Least Eight Weeks With Foot Injury

2008-10-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

The euphoric aftermath of the Trail Blazers' electric start to the exhibition season was dealt a somber dose of news Wednesday when Martell Webster, the front-runner to start at small forward, was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot

Webster, who unbeknown to the Blazers had been experiencing discomfort throughout training camp, finally told the team Tuesday night after playing a painful 26 minutes against the Sacramento Kings. The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter had X-Rays taken Tuesday night and underwent magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography testing on Wednesday, which revealed the injury to his fifth metatarsal.

Webster is expected to miss at least eight weeks -- and potentially as many as 20 or 25 games -- but an official timetable for his return will be determined Thursday after he undergoes further examination. The team has not yet determined if Webster will undergo surgery or simply rehabilitate his left foot.

"We lost a piece of this team and I think an important piece," coach Nate McMillan said. "He was one of the guys this year who could help us spread the floor and take some of that pressure off the low-post game and (we were) hoping he would have a big year. We'll have to make adjustments."

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source : oregonlive.com

Lakers Keep An Eye On The Beasts In The East

2008-09-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

Western Conference playoff contenders and hopefuls readily acknowledge that the conference is so competitive that the least little slip up can be quite damaging, and with mere minor tweaks of the roster, teams can go from being non-playoff participants to powerful foes in one year.

But the teams in the west also must be wary about what challenges the Eastern Conference could present.

In one brief synopsis – Can the Big Three lead the Boston Celtics on another championship ride?

What will the hiring of head coach Michael Curry do for the talented but self-imploding Detroit Pistons?

Will the Cleveland Cavaliers get over the hump now that superstar LeBron James has a new sidekick in guard Mo Williams?

Do the Philadelphia 76ers figure to be a new player in the mix, now that Elton Brand has left the west for the east?

Or is the Orlando Magic, behind the growing domination of Dwight Howard, posed to reign in the Eastern Conference?

Certainly, the Lakers will have an eye on the east throughout the 2008-2009 season.

Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all are likely headed for the hall of fame, once they concluded their NBA careers. Each had been an adversary of each other for years.
That is until last summer, when a pair of blockbuster trades by Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge brought Garnett from Minnesota and Allen from Seattle to join Pierce, forming what instantly was dubbed, The Big Three, a moniker that head coach Doc Rivers knew was inevitable.

Skeptics insisted that this trio would not be able to coexist peacefully in the locker room or mesh smoothly on the court, the egos supposedly being too grandiose to allow that.
But the doubters were wrong.

And ever since that late June evening when they were pummeled into submission by the Boston Celtics, it has been on the Lakers’ minds to exact comeuppance for that humiliating loss in the NBA Finals and wrest that championship crown from Beantown that they feel rightfully should have been theirs.

In one of the most remarkable one-year turnarounds in professional sports, the Celtics went from a team that failed to make the playoffs and finished with the league’s second-worse record the previous season, to a team that ended the 2007-2008 season with a NBA-best 66-16 record.

How the Celtics did it was a tribute to the coaching and leadership exhibited by Rivers, who had personal loss to deal with during the season, the death of his father. The Big Three’s role in the success boiled down to each of them unselfishly submitting their personal goals for the team’s good.

Prior to last season, Allen had averaged 21.5 points per game, over his 11-year career. He was Boston’s third-leading scorer last season, at 17.4 points.

Garnett had put together a prolific streak of nine consecutive seasons averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Last season, he averaged 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds.
Pierce, who had put up gaudy numbers for mainly pedestrian Celtic teams in previous years, had a streak snapped of seven consecutive years of averaging over 20 points per game.

But Pierce was more than happy with his team-leading 19.6 scoring average since it culminated in the championship that he previously thought he’d never get.

So, here we are, a year later and the Big Three are a year older. Allen is 33. Garnett will be entering his 14th season at the age of 32. Pierce, who idolized the Lakers while growing up in Los Angeles, will turn 31 next month.

Is there enough bounce left in those thirty-ish legs and sufficient mental drive for the Big Three to be the guiding force in a successful defense of their NBA title?

There is ample support to back that trio. Point guard Rajon Rondo played a pivotal role for Boston last season and is growing more confident in directing the offense. The Celtics’ center, Kendrick Perkins, is not counted on to score but he, Leon Powe and Glen Davis relish playing a bruising, physical style.

Key second-unit players Eddie House and Tony Allen are back, and Coach Rivers most certainly will push the development of second-year guard Gabe Pruitt, formerly of USC and rookie swingman Bill Walker.

One of the most intriguing stories for the Celtics going into training camp will be what former Golden State Warriors draft bust Patrick O’Bryant has to offer, and whether former Clipper Darius Miles can resurrect his career, after missing the past two seasons recovering from micro-fracture knee surgery.

When asked whether he expected the Celtics to be a formidable challenge again for the Lakers this season, Lakers coach Phil Jackson’s snappy reply was, “I don’t care about them. I care about us.’’

But it was evident that the Lakers’ Game 6 loss and elimination at the hands of the Celtics still weighed heavily on Jackson’s mind.

During that series, the Lakers were unable to control Garnett on either end of the floor, Pierce was a force offensively and in key situations, played superb defense on Kobe Bryant and overall, the Lakers got outmuscled by the Celtics.

At a pre-training camp session with the media, Jackson scoffed at a suggestion that perhaps the Lakers were too soft as opposed to the Celtics, who plainly were aggressive in the Finals.
“You don’t get to where you are by being a soft team,’’ Jackson said. “Boston was tougher than we were in the last the last game. They deserved it. They got it.’’

source : ocregister.com

WIZARDS NOTES: Thomas Making Up For Some Lost Time

2008-09-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

RICHMOND | Late in the Washington Wizards' first practice of training camp, an errant shot ricocheted off the backboard and in an instant, center Etan Thomas exploded upward, snatched the ball from the air and then looked for an outlet.

Saturday's start of the preseason represented the completion of a full circle for the 6-foot-10, 260-pound Thomas. A few days shy of a year ago, the seven-year veteran lay on an operating table, having a leaky aortic valve repaired while his Wizards teammates tipped off camp.

Thomas found himself a helpless bystander last season, even after doctors cleared him to resume running and lifting. A slow-healing sternum prevented Thomas from subjecting himself to contact. In February, Thomas took part in noncontact drills with hopes of returning to help the Wizards down the stretch of the regular season and playoffs. But by the final week of March, the bone was only 50 percent healed.

Finally in June, Thomas received a clean bill of health and readied himself for the start of training camp. He scrimmaged with the Wizards' summer league squad to regain conditioning and polish his skills.

And so when the Wizards headed for Richmond on Friday, Thomas was perhaps the most eager player on the team to begin camp.

"It's just great to be back. I know I'm going to be a little overly excited," Thomas said on Friday. "I think I can make a big difference. I just want to come out and play hard. Be a presence down low, physical, that's what I bring."

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source : washtimes.com

Lakers Get Some Rest And Relaxation

2008-05-20T07:24:00.001-07:00

Kobe Bryant took his daughters to see a movie then splashed around with them in the swimming pool, spending a quiet weekend at home.

"We had a blast," he said.

Lamar Odom said he did nothing but "chill-ax." He didn't even watch his beloved New York Yankees lose twice to the New York Mets in the Subway Series.

"I just took my feet off the ground and got some rest," he said.

Pau Gasol and Sasha Vujacic went to the beach, spending a couple of hours on the sand while escaping a Southern California heat wave.

"It was great," Gasol said. "You don't know how happy we were to close the last series in six games and not go to Game7. It gave us a couple of extra days to prepare ourselves, to disconnect and freshen up."

The Lakers returned to the practice court relaxed and recovered Monday, appearing energetic and fit after taking the weekend off following their victory Friday over Utah in the Western Conference semifinals.

"It was a fun practice," said Bryant, the league's newly crowned MVP. "We got up and down (the court). There was a lot of energy to it."

Then the Lakers made plans to meet for dinner and watch the New Orleans Hornets and San Antonio Spurs battle in Game 7 on Monday night.

The Lakers will face the Spurs, a 91-82 winner in the series finale against the Hornets, in the Western Conference finals starting Wednesday night at Staples Center.

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source : dailynews.com

Pistons And Celtics Making History

2008-05-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

Teams have a storied past against one another, but this is a new generation

This isn't about history. This isn't about Bird and McHale, Laimbeer and Thomas. This is about right here, right now.

And right now, there is no real history between these Celtics and Pistons. Three regular-season games and six months of anticipation don't make for much history.

"We will start our history (tonight)," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.

This Eastern Conference finals is about the two best teams in the NBA -- Detroit and Boston -- fighting for a chance at the game's biggest prize. It doesn't have to be any more dramatic than that.

"We haven't been there (NBA Finals) in so long," Pistons guard Richard Hamilton said. "It kind of feels like we've never been there. But this is a new chapter in our book, and hopefully we can make it a good one."

You have the Pistons, the established conference power, playing in their sixth straight conference finals, yet playing to prove their 2004 title wasn't a fluke, playing to validate their status as one of the great teams in history.

Two straight losses in the conference finals have put a cloud over Detroit's legacy that only another ring can dissipate.

"We want the chance to win another NBA title," guard Lindsey Hunter said. "That's the only reason we are here. This matchup is good for the league and it's a historical battle and all of that. But we're trying to make our own legacy. We are trying to get another title so we will be considered a dynasty."

Then you have the Celtics, a constellation of three stars (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen), each with the same gap in their resume -- no NBA title.

"Detroit has been at the top for the last four or five years," Pierce said. "They have something that we want."

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source : detnews.com

Spurs Kick Hornets And Advance To West Finals

2008-05-20T07:18:00.002-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Spurs	23	28	20	20	91
Hornets	20	22	14	26	82

San Antonio 91, New Orleans 82

NEW ORLEANS, May 19 (AP) -- A title defense endures for the playoff-savvy San Antonio Spurs.

Manu Ginobili scored 26 points, hitting four free throws in the final minute, sending the Spurs to the Western Conference finals with a 91-82 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Monday night in Game 7 of their second-round series.

Tony Parker added 17 points, including a crucial jumper in the final minute, as the Spurs held off a late rally to become the first team in this series to win on the road.

"We really believed we had a chance to win on the road here,'' said Spurs forward Tim Duncan, who had 16 points and 14 rebounds. "It's just a lot of confidence. A lot of games under our belt.''

With a nucleus of Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler, the Hornets appear destined for greater things, but now is not their time.

"One thing I want them to remember when they start working out next season is how they feel right now,'' said Hornets coach Byron Scott, adding he was proud of his team, which did not make the playoffs last season, for pushing the Spurs as far as it did.

"You have to go through some things before you can really understand how good it's going to feel when you get to that next level,'' Scott continued. "You don't go from not making playoffs to winning a championship. It just doesn't work that way. ... We're headed in right direction.''

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source : NBA.com

Jazz’s Millsap to Have Thumb Surgery

2008-05-20T07:18:00.001-07:00

SALT LAKE CITY, May 19 (AP) -- Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap will have surgery Thursday to repair his left thumb, which was injured during the Western Conference semifinals.

General manager Kevin O'Connor says Millsap has a torn ligament. His recovery time won't be known until Friday.

Millsap's injury occurred last Friday when the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the Jazz. He scored 15 points.

Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes Celebrates 80th Birthday

2008-05-20T07:17:00.001-07:00

May 19, 2008 - He is the most unassuming superstar you’ll ever meet but his play loomed large. For 15 seasons, Dolph Schayes starred for the Syracuse Nationals and was one of the most consistent scorers and rebounders in NBA history. The 6-9 forward-center averaged more than 17 points and 12 rebounds for nine straight seasons.
Schayes joined the NBA in its third year of existence and along with George Mikan, Bob Cousy, Bob Davies, Bob Pettit and Bill Sharman, helped spur the league’s growth in the ’50s.

Schayes led the Nats to three Finals appearances and one NBA title, a grueling seven-game classic versus George Yardley and the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1955. The series produced one of the greatest and most underrated moments in Finals history – the George King steal in Game 7.

Syracuse’s favorite son and Hall of Famer turned 80 today and reflected on the Nats rabid following, King’s steal, the 24-second shot clock innovation, the greatest player of all time and his favorite current NBA player.

NBA.com: The 1955 Finals between the Syracuse Nats and Fort Wayne Pistons seems to be one of more underrated series in Finals history, especially the George King play in Game 7.

Schayes: Obviously, that series was overshadowed because it was between two of the smallest franchises in the NBA and it wasn’t covered universally. There is very little footage of that series and probably the newspapers didn’t go crazy for it. But it was big in Syracuse.

An interesting thing happened in that Fort Wayne didn’t play any games in Fort Wayne during the Finals. The building was being used by some other venue and they played in Indianapolis. In fact, that forced the Fort Wayne Pistons into Detroit because Fred Zollner, the Pistons owner, was so angry he told the mayor of Fort Wayne, “We’re getting out of here. We’re a major franchise in this city, part of the NBA, and we can’t even play in our building.”

Probably a contract was signed years before and they knew at that time they wouldn’t have the building. But still. They had to go to Indianapolis and they played well in Indianapolis. But they didn’t draw because the following was more in Fort Wayne. And they used to play at North High School in Fort Wayne. Then they built the Allen County Memorial Coliseum for the Fort Wayne Pistons. It was a wonderful building. They had an NBA All-Star Game there. But Fred Zollner, who would be the equivalent of a billionaire today, provided pistons for the automobile industry. That was the excuse for moving to Detroit.

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source : NBA.com

Celts Survive LeBron Score 45-Point Onslaught

2008-05-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Cavaliers	13	27	28	24	92
Celtics	18	32	23	24	97

Boston 97, Cleveland 92

BOSTON, May 18 (AP) -- Paul Pierce hit a shot. Then LeBron James answered. Pierce hit another and so did James.

It was like that all game long, two of the NBA's best trying to carry their teams to the next round. Pierce and the Boston Celtics succeeded, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 97-92 on Sunday.

Twenty years earlier there was another thrilling shootout in another seventh game of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Boston -- Larry Bird vs. Dominique Wilkins.

And the result was the same: a narrow Celtics victory that sent them to the conference finals against Detroit.

Pierce scored 41 points, James had 45 and Boston remained unbeaten in the playoffs at home, where the first two games against the Pistons will be played Tuesday and Thursday night.

"It is a great feeling," Pierce said. "We knew this was going to be a tough, tough series."

In a seven-game series in which the road team never won, the Celtics had many green-clad fans on their side. Lucky the Mascot held up a sign reading, "ROCK THE GARDEN!" and the crowd roared. Pierce got the loudest ovation when he was introduced with his nickname, "The Truth."

And when the game started, one fan bellowed, "Not today, LeBron!"

It wasn't Wilkins' day on May 22, 1988, even though he outscored Bird in Boston's 118-116 win over Atlanta at the old Boston Garden. Wilkins finished with 47 points, with 16 in the fourth quarter, and Bird had 34, with 20 in the final period.

"I'm very aware of the game," Pierce said. "They don't ever let you forget it when you look up to the jumbotron."

James has seen plenty of highlights of that mano-a-mano tussle.

"We both tried to will our team to victory and, just like Dominique Wilkins, I ended up on the short end and the Celtics won again," he said. "I think the second round of the postseason, Game 7, these fans will finally have an opportunity to forget a little bit about what Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins did and remember what Paul and LeBron did.

"This will go down in history."

Pierce hit 13 of 23 shots and James went 14-for-29.

Celtics executive vice president Danny Ainge, who played in that 1988 game, called Sunday's shootout "an epic battle."

The Celtics have won 14 straight games at home and have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. They are 0-6 in the postseason on the road.

"Before the year our goal was to be there in Game 1 at home [in the conference finals] and that's where we are," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "So we're exactly where we should be."

Home teams are 22-2 in the second round of this season's playoffs. The Celtics never trailed Sunday, but they never were safe until the final seconds.

Pierce hit two free throws with 7.9 seconds left for the final points, then James missed a 3-pointer on the last shot of the game with 4.4 seconds to go.

"I had it going, LeBron had it going and we just didn't let up," Pierce said. "Neither one of us wanted our teams to lose."

Sasha Pavlovic's 3-pointer made it 95-92 with 8.6 seconds left and the Cavaliers immediately fouled Pierce. His first shot hit the rim, hung in the air, then fell through as the crowd roared. Pierce said team patriarch Red Auerbach, who died in October 2006 at age 89, had something to do with that.

"The ghost of Red just looking over us," Pierce said. "I think he kind of tapped it in the right direction. It sort of put a smile on my face."

Pierce's second free throw was much smoother, making it 97-92.

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source : NBA.com

Celtics Top Game 7 Scoring Performances

2008-05-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

May 18, 2008 -- Paul Pierce racked up the second most Game 7 points in franchise history on Sunday with 41 as the Celtics edged the Cavaliers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Pierce's extraordinary scoring performance countered LeBron James'. LeBron recorded 45 to keep Cleveland afloat throughout the decisive contest.

The classic showdown between Pierce and LeBron was very reminiscent of when Sam Jones (47 points) outdueled Oscar Robertson (43) in Game 7 of the 1963 East Finals and when Larry Bird (34) went toe-to-toe with Dominique Wilkins (47) in Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

source : NBA.com

Debate of NBA Draft: Who's No. 1?

2008-05-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

Kansas State's Michael Beasley and Memphis' Derrick Rose are poised be the top two picks in the NBA Draft. But who will be No. 1 is up for debate.

Frank Martin and John Calipari can respectfully agree to disagree on which dynamic young player should be the top pick in next month's NBA Draft: Kansas State's Michael Beasley or Memphis' Derrick Rose.

Understandably, both coaches are a bit biased in this escalating debate.

But Calipari, the University of Memphis' coach, and Kansas State's Martin hold mutual admiration of the franchise-altering impact the other's prized pupil could have in the NBA.

Calipari, who spent three seasons coaching the New Jersey Nets, calls Beasley ``a translator.''

''With my background, I don't care how good you are in college,'' Calipari said. ``I want to know what transfers -- what translates. Does what you do here translate up there to the NBA? With Mike, oh yeah. I'm telling you, the kid is good.''

Martin believes Rose can be a once-in-a-generation type of floor leader.

''Derrick Rose is special,'' Martin said. ``When you've got a point guard who's got what he's got, you're playing for championships.''

The stakes will be just as high at the other end of the spectrum Tuesday in Secaucus, N.J., when the Heat will be among 14 teams at the draft lottery looking for ping-pong balls to bounce the right way and put two lucky teams in position to land one of these top phenoms.

There is Beasley, a 6-10 forward who averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and rewrote the Big 12 record books with one dominant stroke of a season at Kansas State. There is Rose, an explosive 6-3 guard who led Memphis to the title game in his lone college season and has drawn early comparisons to elite NBA point guards Jason Kidd, Deron Williams and Chris Paul.

And then there are the rest of the projected lottery prospects, which include Arizona guard Jerryd Bayless, Southern Cal guard O.J. Mayo and Stanford center Brooke Lopez.

The Heat enters the random-but-weighted lottery essentially in pole position. After finishing an NBA-worst 15-67, tying the franchise record for futility, the Heat has a 25 percent chance to land the No. 1 pick and a 46.5 shot at a top-two selection. Under NBA rules, Miami is guaranteed to fall no lower than fourth in the selection order for the June 26 draft in New York.

But there is another set of numbers that is disturbing to the Heat. Only twice in 14 years under the current format has the team with the worst record won the lottery's top pick.

INTERCHANGEABLE

Fortunately, many NBA and college executives, coaches and analysts said the value of this year's lottery grand prize and top consolation parting gift might be interchangeable.

It is not often that two clear-cut franchise-changers headline a draft class, but it has happened two seasons in a row. The energy surrounding Beasley and Rose -- or Rose and Beasley -- is just as strong as the hype entering last year's draft, when center Greg Oden and forward Kevin Durant, the NBA's Rookie of the Year, went first and second to Portland and Seattle, respectively.

''The top two [prospects] this year would be somewhat comparable to last year, which was considered extraordinary,'' said Sporting News senior college basketball writer Mike DeCourcy, who wrote Legends of College Basketball, a book that ranks the top 100 players in history. ``I don't think these two are going to have to take a backseat to many one-twos at all.''

That is considered extremely lofty praise when looking back on recent high-lottery pairings, including Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor in 2004, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in 2003 [although Darko Milicic was drafted second], Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby in 1996 and Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning in 1992, among others.

Heat general manager Randy Pfund is among a group of executives with lottery teams who believe Rose and Beasley initially offer more of a No. 1 and No. 1-A option on the board rather than distinguished prospects with a clear amount of separation.

''For most people, that's fairly accurate, that's the early line,'' said Pfund, who estimates the Heat's candidate pool with a top-four pick includes as many as eight prospects beyond Rose and Beasley. ``With one of those two guys, you're going to get a player who will have an immediate and tremendous impact.''

NO FAVORITE

Pfund would not say which of the two the Heat favors at this point if it acquired the top pick. For now, his daydreams alternate with Beasley posting up or Rose running the point in transition alongside Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion and Dorell Wright.

If there was any difference that could be detected in Pfund's recent breakdown of Rose and Beasley -- any hint which one he would prefer -- it was difficult to discern.

He spoke in waves about Beasley's ability to score and rebound in a potential inside-outside tandem with Wade.

''That image is a nice one,'' Pfund said.

``[Beasley] can be a very nice guy for Dwyane to drive and dish to, or he can post and find Dwyane.''

But Pfund, at times, could barely find the words when trying to describe the potential of a Rose-Wade backcourt pairing, specifically with the Heat's need for a point guard this offseason.

''Rose, to me, in the open court, for me, the possibilities for a player with his quickness, his size, his strength, boy, it's like having a quarterback that can do it all,'' Pfund said. ``The image I have of Rose, with the ball in his hands, pushing it up the court with Wade, Dorell and Marion, that creates a whole new option for you.''

So which option do you take with the top pick? Beasley, a 6-10 forward and first-team All-American who led the nation in rebounding and was third in scoring? Or Rose, a third-team All-American with an upside the size of Mount Everest?

It is still too difficult a call, some say.

But that perception could change once more poking and prodding is done at the NBA's predraft camp this month and subsequent individual team workouts next month.

''A lot of teams will be going through that debate to get into that first position,'' said Portland Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard, whose team wrestled with a similar decision last year before selecting Oden over Durant. ``It's a little bit of a unique phenomenon -- two players, back to back, looked at heavily for the top two spots. There wasn't a day between the lottery and the actual draft that there weren't media involvement and interviews. You can really, really drill down very deep on two players.''

BANKING ON ROSE

DeCourcy believes Rose will emerge.

''The first thing you want to do is draft a star -- a guy who is going to play in multiple All-Star games,'' he said. ``You want a guy to change the talent level of your team. Rose and Beasley fit that. The difference is, I believe Rose is the most physically gifted point guard to ever play the game. I think he's the most complete athletic package we've ever had.''

source : NBA.com

Lakers’ Ariza Out 8 Weeks; Mbenga Signs

2008-01-22T03:34:00.001-08:00

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 21 (AP) -- Lakers forward Trevor Ariza will be out about eight weeks because of a broken right foot, joining center Andrew Bynum on the sidelines.

Ariza fractured a bone in his foot at practice Sunday, and was examined Monday by foot specialist Dr. Ken Jung, who set the timeline for his return. Ariza has averaged 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 24 games since being acquired from Orlando on Nov. 20 for Brian Cook and Maurice Evans.

"It's just another obstacle in the road, but it happens on every team,'' the 22-year-old Ariza said before Monday night's game against Denver. "I think our team has enough character to where we can pull through this time, and I'm sure we'll find a way to win.

"It's definitely tough for anybody who wants to help their team to sit out. But I can't be bitter about it. I can just take the punches as they come, play my part, and just cheer my team on.''

Bynum injured his left kneecap Jan. 13 against Memphis and isn't expected to return before the middle of March. The Lakers also have been playing without center Chris Mihm (sore right Achilles' tendon) and forward Vladimir Radmanovic (sprained right ankle). The Lakers hope both will be back in the next few weeks.

"We'll just have to work our way through this,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said . "Trevor was playing really well and he's going to have to sit out a couple months.''

While lamenting his team's latest injury, Lakers forward Lamar Odom said that sort of thing is part of the game.

"Every time we go out there, that could be the last time,'' Odom said. "Hopefully these guys heal fast and get back out there. It's tough, sometimes it takes the breath out of you, especially when you're playing so well. We have to find some way to recover.''

The Lakers entered Monday night's game having won 17 of their previous 21 games, having split two games without Bynum.

Hoping to compensate for the absence of Bynum and Mihm, the Lakers signed free-agent center DJ Mbenga to a 10-day contract. The 7-footer from the Congo was released by Golden State on Jan. 6.

Mbenga was averaging 1.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, 0.63 blocked shots and 8.1 minutes in 16 games with the Warriors. He spent three seasons with Dallas before being waived Oct. 30. He was limited to 21 games last season because of a left foot tendon strain and a torn right anterior cruciate ligament.

source : NBA.com

Anthony Leaves Early with Ankle Sprain

2008-01-22T03:33:00.001-08:00

L.A. Lakers 116, Denver 99

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 21 (AP) -- A year ago at this time, the Los Angeles Lakers were flying high after a 100-96 victory over the Spurs at San Antonio, raising their record to 26-13.

That's when a series of injuries and other misfortunes contributed to a slide in which the Lakers lost 27 of their last 43 regular-season games before being eliminated 4-1 by Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs.

While the timing of significant injuries to Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza in a week's time and a difficult upcoming schedule might be a cause for deja vu, the Lakers are determined to avoid a similar collapse this season.

That being the case, they considered a decisive 116-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night a most important win.

"Absolutely. You have Andrew go down, you have Trevor go down, you get that vibe that, 'Here we go again,''' said Kobe Bryant, who had 17 points and a season-high 11 assists.

"This was a win we really needed to get some momentum back going on the road,'' said Derek Fisher, who shot 10-for-16 including 6-for-7 from 3-point range in scoring a season-high 28 points -- one off his career high.

Jordan Farmar scored 19 points and Lamar Odom added 15 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers (27-12), who outscored the Nuggets 31-8 to finish the third period and start the fourth to take a 108-87 lead.

"It's a good win for us,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We just can't make too much out of anything and stay really close into what we're trying to do -- try to force every game to be an opportunity to win, don't give anything away. We know we're going to have to work hard to get some wins.''

The Nuggets played the final 2 1/2 quarters without Carmelo Anthony, who sprained his left ankle midway through the second period. Team spokesman Eric Sebastian said X-rays of Anthony's ankle were negative, and the 23-year-old forward was to be re-evaluated Tuesday in Denver.

Anthony, the NBA's fourth-leading scorer with a 25.8-point average, made a jump shot with 5:58 left before halftime before landing on Bryant's right foot. Anthony dropped to the floor, grabbing his ankle in pain. He left with 13 points and four rebounds.

"It's hurting. We'll see,'' Anthony said. "I don't like to sit out. I'm going to do a lot of rehab, but I don't really want to rush this. We feel like we can't get a break with injuries. Hopefully we can get them all out of the way right now.''

Denver coach George Karl said it was "a substantial sprain.''

"But if Melo comes back quick, we're hopeful for this weekend,'' Karl said. "I don't think he'll play Wednesday, but hopefully we'll get him for the weekend on Friday or Saturday.''

Allen Iverson led Denver (24-16) with 24 points and seven assists. Linas Kleiza added 21 points, Marcus Camby had 18 points and 12 rebounds and Kenyon Martin added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who lost their fourth straight road game.

The Lakers, already without center Bynum until at least the middle of March, got more bad news before the game, learning forward Ariza would be sidelined about eight weeks because of a broken bone in his right foot - an injury he sustained Sunday in practice.

But they had more than enough to complete a sweep of the season series with the Nuggets, winning the three games by an average of 16.3 points per game while moving within one game of the Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns.

Bryant attempted only seven shots, making five.

"You've just got to make the defense pay, do what's necessary to win the game,'' he said.

Lakers guard Coby Karl played the final 3:19 to become the third player in NBA history to go against his father, Denver coach George Karl.

"It's the best,'' the elder Karl said of coaching against his son for the first time. "I wish it would have been under more interesting circumstances. I don't have any words for it. He's a tremendous story for the game of basketball.''

Father and son are both cancer survivors.

"It's special playing in the NBA, period,'' said the younger Karl, who scored one point. "Having dad watching you on the sideline and being up by 20 is really good. When the game started, I wasn't even thinking about it -- it was just another game.''

Camby scored 10 points during a 22-10 run to start the third quarter, giving the Nuggets a 79-77 lead. But three 3-pointers by Fisher and another by Farmar sparked a 14-3 spurt that put the Lakers ahead 91-82 entering the final period.

A 17-5 run to open the fourth quarter gave the Lakers their 21-point lead.

Kwame Brown, booed every time he touched the ball during a difficult third quarter in the Lakers' previous game, was cheered early in this one, especially after a pair of dunks in the opening 3 1/2 minutes.

Brown, Bynum's replacement at center, had seven points and a season-high 11 rebounds.

source : NBA.com

Mourning Hasn’t Decided If Retirement Is Official

2008-01-22T03:32:00.001-08:00

MIAMI, Jan. 21 (AP) -- Leaning on a long red crutch as he spoke outside the Miami Heat locker room Monday night, Alonzo Mourning made two things very clear.

One, he has not retired.

Two, any path to another comeback will be an extremely long one.

Speaking in specifics about the season-ending injuries to his right knee and right leg suffered last month in Atlanta, Mourning revealed Monday that Heat team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick was originally concerned simply about his prospects of walking again. Mourning tore the patella tendon and quadriceps muscle in his right leg on Dec. 19 -- ironically, the fourth anniversary of his life-saving kidney transplant.

But his recovery is going well, even though Mourning still cannot drive or work out the way he used to.

"Sounds like somebody is communicating to me,'' Mourning said. "It really does. I hope I read the sign right and make the right decision. But right now, I feel a little helpless sitting on the sideline, because I see so much I can do to help. That's what hurts more than anything.''

The Heat entered Monday night's game against Cleveland with an 8-31 record, worst in the Eastern Conference.

Mourning -- who turns 38 on Feb. 8 -- entered this season saying that this would be his farewell campaign, insisting repeatedly that nothing would change his mind.

Now, he's not exactly talking in absolute terms when the notion of retiring comes up.

"Right now, my focus is just to get healthy,'' Mourning said. "I haven't really thought about if I'm going to retire or not. But my focus is getting healthy, being able to run and walk, and once I overcome that hurdle I'll be prepared to let you know if I'm going to play again.''

Heat coach Pat Riley said he hasn't talked with Mourning about the prospects of the 2008-09 season.

"He's coming to games so we're chatting a little bit, but there's no discussion about that,'' Riley said. "I think you've got to leave that with him. ... But actually, his scars look pretty good. I can't believe how good his knee looks.''

Mourning's kneecap was completely displaced when he tumbled awkwardly to the court in Atlanta, and he also tore the top and bottom of the quadriceps muscle, plus sustained some other injuries.

Mourning, who because of the kidney transplant cannot take anti-inflammatory medication or painkillers other than aspirin -- and suffered for two weeks after this surgery because of that -- said Selesnick told him he'd never seen an injury like it before.

But things are slowly beginning to heal, and Mourning's spirits are high.

"I'm happy and I'm focused right now on my recovery,'' Mourning said. "I really haven't thought too much about basketball.''

source : NBA.com

Wizards’ Thomas Eager to Get Back After Surgery

2008-01-22T03:31:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (AP) -- Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler did double-takes the other day, unsure if that really was Etan Thomas they saw walk by in the locker room.

Then the two All-Stars did what came naturally: They went over to welcome their Washington Wizards teammate with hugs, a little more than three months after he had open heart surgery.

"It's good to be back. It was a long process,'' Thomas said Monday before sitting on the sideline in a three-piece suit and tie during Washington's 102-84 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. "But it definitely feels great just to be back with my teammates, to be back on the road to coming back to playing.''

He showed up at practice Saturday to say hello and check in with everyone, although he still is waiting for team approval to return to action. Thomas never had any doubt that he would OK, healthwise, and he harbors no doubt that he will wear a Wizards uniform and be out on the court during a game before this season ends.

"I understand when you hear 'open heart surgery,' that doesn't sound like an ankle surgery or anything like that. It sounds really serious, but you just have to really know all the facts,'' said Thomas, a father of two, including a daughter born in December. "If I couldn't come back safely, it wouldn't even be a thought. I love the game of basketball, but I love life, too.''

The 29-year-old Thomas had known since middle school that he had a heart murmur and that it likely would be something he would need an operation for. But he also figured he'd be in his 50s or 60s when that time came.

Instead, it was during a routine preseason physical that he was told surgery now would be a good idea. These days, Thomas said, the largest concern is his sternum, which had to broken as part of the 4 1/2-hour operation in October to replace his leaky aortic valve.

"We're going to give him all of the time in the world he needs to get back to being part of our top guys,'' coach Eddie Jordan said.

What neither Jordan nor Thomas would do is discuss a specific timetable for practicing or playing. As Thomas pointed out repeatedly Monday, it's not up to him; it's up to the Wizards' doctors to determine when he'll be able to do either of those.

"That was the first question I had: Can I safely play? Can I safely practice? Can I safely do all the things that I want to do in returning to the game that I love? And they told me 'Yes,''' Thomas said. "They told me that wouldn't be a problem.''

So now it is a matter of waiting.

He walked out to the court early in the third quarter Monday, greeted by fans with fist bumps and high-fives and warm applause. He sat on the last folding chair on Washington's sideline, then stood on the periphery of the huddle during timeouts, his hands in his pockets.

Thomas is the team's longest-tenured player, having played six seasons for the Wizards. He started a career-high 32 games last season, averaging 6.1 points and 5.8 rebounds, dividing minutes at center with Brendan Haywood.

Their competition for playing time spilled off the court, though, leading to at least two fights. Thomas was suspended by the Wizards after one brawl.

Thomas called that animosity "water under the bridge.''

"No one wants to see anybody in that situation; you're real cold-blooded if you can't feel for someone in that situation,'' said Haywood, who has flourished this season, entering Monday with career-best averages of 10.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.

A moment later, Haywood was asked about playing time and team chemistry and how things might change once Thomas is ready to play.

"Right now we have a pecking order -- myself, then Andray Blatche, then whoever,'' Haywood said. "And at some point, if he works his way into that, then so be it. But right now that's how it's established, and I think that's how it'll continue to be.''

Timberwolves Top Warriors to End 16-Game Road Skid

2008-01-22T03:30:00.001-08:00

Minnesota 109, Golden State 108
OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 21 (AP) -- As soon as Al Harrington's tip-in attempt rolled off the rim and the buzzer went off, the Minnesota Timberwolves ran off the court and celebrated in an opponent's arena.

That was a feeling that had been a long time coming.

The Timberwolves snapped a 16-game road losing streak behind Ryan Gomes' career-high 35 points and 11 rebounds Monday, beating the Golden State Warriors 109-108.

"We were excited as you could tell on the floor,'' coach Randy Wittman said "It's been a long time coming, on the road especially. It's been a trying season. ... So hey, maybe we're growing a little bit. Tonight was the first night I didn't see the shyness of trying to make a play. We were aggressive all the way to the end.''

Al Jefferson added 21 points and 12 rebounds and Marco Jaric had 16 points, 10 assists and eight boards for the Timberwolves, who won just their second road game of the season and first since a 103-94 win at New Orleans on Nov. 26.

"We were just desperate to get a win, on the road or at home,'' Jaric said. "We know we're a better team than our record shows but nobody cares about that. At the end of the day people will say this Minnesota team won only so many games. We want to show down the stretch that we are a better team than the numbers show right now.''

Gomes hit two free throws with 54.5 seconds remaining to give the Timberwolves a 109-108 lead. After Baron Davis missed a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left at the other end, Golden State got one last chance following Jaric's missed 3-pointer with 8.8 seconds to go.

Davis then missed a driving layup and Harrington couldn't tip in the miss at the buzzer, giving Minnesota just its second win in the past 15 games.

"I just can't believe I missed that layup,'' Davis said. "That's all I can say. We weren't tired. Fatigue had nothing to do with it. You have to give them credit. They played hard.''

The Warriors began a stretch of 13 home games in 16 contests with a disappointing loss to the NBA's worst team. Monta Ellis led the way with 28 points, Matt Barnes added 20 and Stephen Jackson had 18.

"I'm pretty disappointed with our performance tonight,'' Nelson said. "There didn't seem to be much energy, much passion, or much urgency to the game. ... We've been playing very well but we laid an egg tonight. What can I tell you.''

Davis finished with 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting and missed five free throws as well, including one with 1:07 remaining and Golden State up by one. Gomes drew the foul at the other and converted both free throws to give Minnesota the win.

Gomes repeatedly took advantage of the smaller Warriors, posting up both Davis and Jackson to get some easy points. Wittman said he called the same play for the final 5 minutes, running the offense through Jefferson and Gomes in the post.

"Coach called a few sets for me and they kept going and I kept playing,'' Gomes said. "I've been posting up a lot of smaller guys. It works to my advantage.''

Davis spent Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where his documentary on gang life in South Central Los Angeles, "Made in America,'' debuted.

The Warriors made only one field goal during a nearly 6-minute span midway through the third quarter, turning an eight-point lead into an 85-80 deficit heading into the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves built the lead up to 11 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter before Golden State rallied.

Barnes sparked a 10-1 run by scoring five points to pull the Warriors to 93-91. But the Timberwolves didn't back down, getting a key 3-pointer from Antoine Walker to end the spurt.

Gomes got going late in the first period, scoring Minnesota's first eight points of a quarter-ending 13-2 run that gave the Timberwolves a 33-23 lead after one. Golden State then went on a 15-2 run early in the second quarter capped by Barnes' steal and dunk. The Warriors led 52-49 at the half.

source : Nba.com

Jazz’s Big Fourth Quarter Helps Cut Down Clippers

2008-01-22T03:29:00.000-08:00

Utah 109, L.A. Clippers 93

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 21 (AP) -- The Utah Jazz overwhelmed the Los Angeles Clippers at both ends of the court and came away with a rare road victory.

Deron Williams had 18 points and 13 assists, and six of his teammates also scored in double figures for the Jazz in Monday's 109-93 win. It was just their second win in their last 13 away from home.

"We're obviously a better team when we're balanced like that,'' reserve forward Matt Harpring said. "The last couple of games we've been like that. Hopefully, we can continue to do that because it makes us so much harder to guard when you have six or seven guys that can score.''

Harpring scored 17 points for the Jazz, who got their eighth victory in 10 games after losing 11 of their previous 14.

"We ran and pushed the ball up the floor more than we should have instead of just walking it - because we hadn't put a lot of pressure on the defense until today,'' coach Jerry Sloan said. "That's what we have to do on the road. We can't just sit back and wait.''

Harpring shot 7-for-10 in a season-high 27 minutes. It was his first game since team orthopedic specialist Dr. Lyle Mason lifted the ban that limited Harpring's minutes from 16 to 18 per game. The 10-year veteran missed the entire preseason after undergoing surgery on his right knee for the third time in his career.

Corey Maggette scored 23 points for Los Angeles and Chris Kaman added 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Clippers, who beat New Jersey 120-107 in overtime Saturday night, haven't won consecutive games since starting the season 4-0. They are 8-25 since then.

The Jazz were never seriously threatened in the fourth. After Cuttino Mobley's 3-pointer and rookie Al Thornton's two free throws put Los Angeles within nine with 9:04 to play, the Jazz responded with a 20-6 run that opened up a 107-84 cushion with 2:24 left.

"It was definitely a good win, especially with the effort we got and the help we got from the bench,'' Williams said. "It was good to set the tempo early. We were active on defense and got some good steals and deflections.''

Both teams had eight turnovers in the first quarter. Utah finished with 19 and Los Angeles had 20, the fifth time this season that the Clippers had 20 or more.

"You just have to look at one stat line. Our 20 turnovers led to 29 points for them, which tells the story of the game for us,'' coach Mike Dunleavy said. "There were too many easy baskets because of our turnovers. They established a style of play and played a more physical game than us.''

Thornton hit a 3-pointer with 4:17 left in the third quarter, capping a 12-2 run that sliced Utah's 14-point lead to 66-62. That was as close as the Clippers got the rest of the way. The Jazz regained their double-digit lead in the final minute of the quarter on a layup by Harpring, who scored seven points in a 2:43 span during Utah's game-deciding run.

"It's not just mistakes and turnovers. It is being outworked,'' Clippers forward Tim Thomas said. "It is disappointing for them to have their way in Utah, then come in here and win.''

The Jazz, who came in with the league's second-best field goal percentage (48.9), shot 59.3 percent in the first half and led 54-43 at intermission. They did it for the most part without Andrei Kirilenko, who got into early foul trouble and picked up his third with 9:28 left in the second quarter.

Kirilenko, who went to the bench for good after getting his fourth foul 7:46 left in the third, did not attempt a field goal during his 9 1/2 minutes on the court. It was the first time this season that he played in a game without taking a shot.

Kyle Korver had 13 points, including a pair of 3s in the fourth quarter. Utah is 8-2 since obtaining him from Philadelphia in a trade that sent disgruntled Gordan Giricek to the 76ers. Korver, who set a 76ers franchise record for 3-point baskets in a season with 226 in 2004-05, has converted 12 of 39 attempts since joining the Jazz and is averaging 9.9 points since taking over the backup shooting guard spot from C.J. Miles.

Miller, Gay Help Grizzlies Corral Bulls

2008-01-22T03:28:00.000-08:00

Memphis 104, Chicago 90

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan. 21 (AP) -- Rudy Gay thinks the Memphis Grizzlies might finally be finding their identity.

For the second straight home game, Memphis jumped out to a big lead before halftime then coasted to an easy victory. On Monday, it was a 104-90 win over the Chicago Bulls.

"We played our game, and we didn't settle for less,'' Gay said. "When we come out and want to play fast, and we don't settle for anything else, I think we're pretty good.''

Gay and Mike Miller each had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies. Pau Gasol added 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Mike Conley had 10 points and a career-high 10 assists.

Ben Gordon led the Bulls with 25 points, and Andres Nocioni had 16 points. Luol Deng added 13 points and Kirk Hinrich had 12 points and six assists for Chicago, which shot just 36.5 percent from the field while Memphis connected on 52 percent of its shots.

"It was nice to see a strong, passionate defensive effort,'' Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni said. "It was good to see our defense step up. There were a lot of deflections and a lot of activity.''

The Grizzlies built a 17-point lead in the second half and maintained the double-digit advantage the rest of the way, winning for the second time in three games.

The Bulls are 0-17 in games where their opponents score 100 points.

The Bulls pulled to 82-72 with 7:20 left, but Memphis made eight of its first 10 shots in the fourth quarter to hold off Chicago, never allowing the Bulls to cut the deficit under 10 in the final period.

None of the Bulls had a good shooting night. Gordon hit eight of 20 shots, while Nocioni was 5-of-16 and Hinrich was 5-of-14. Joe Smith and Thabo Sefolosha both missed six of nine shots.

"We wanted to come out early and be aggressive. Really set the tempo and play our style of basketball,'' Conley said. "We really had it going up and down the court, moving it around and getting them uncomfortable.''

Chicago was coming off a 97-81 win Saturday over the Detroit Pistons, the Central Division leader, and expected to be more competitive.

"We haven't been consistent effort wise, and our record is indicative of that,'' Bulls interim coach Jim Boylan said. "We can't have just one, two or three guys giving effort. We have to have all five. Even the teams that don't have great records are coming to play.

"Memphis just outplayed us in every area effort-wise.''

The Bulls trailed 36-35 with 3:33 left in the first half but Memphis closed out the second quarter with 12 unanswered points to go into the break with a 48-35 lead.

Miller scored 11 points, and Gay and Conley added 10 points apiece in the half.

Chicago shot 33 percent in the first half as Nocioni missed all five of his shots and Sefolosha missed five of his six shots.

Chicago made a dent the lead in the early stages of the third as Memphis committed four turnovers in the first 2 minutes, leading to a 7-0 run by the Bulls to open the half. But Chicago still couldn't improve its shooting touch, and after the early mistakes, Memphis found its rhythm and took a 74-62 lead into the final period.

"I really think we kind of ran their legs out a little bit,'' Conley said. "We're used to getting up and down, and I think we really wore on them in the fourth quarter when it came to crunch time. They started missing some of the shots they normally make.''

source : NBA.com

Pioneer Reflects On History

2008-01-22T03:27:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK - Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be celebrated across the NBA today, including at the Celtics-Knicks game. And while the nation commemorates the slain leader of the civil rights movement, Hall of Famer Earl Lloyd will surely reflect on his belief that the Celtics ultimately opened the door for him to be the first African-American to play in an NBA game.

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"I truly believe this, that if the Celtics did not draft Chuck [Cooper] in the second round, you could not tell me that the Washington Capitols in 1950 were going to make me the first black player to play in this league. No way . . . The Boston Celtics had a tremendous influence on my acceptance in the NBA," said Lloyd in a recent phone interview.

Lloyd, Cooper, and the Knicks' Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton became the first African-Americans to play in the NBA during the 1950-51 season. Boston made Cooper, a former Duquesne star, the first black ever drafted. After being reminded Cooper was black, then-Celtics owner Walter Brown reportedly said: "I don't care if he's striped, plaid or polka dot!"

Clifton, a former Harlem Globetrotter, was the first African-American player to sign a contract with an NBA team when he signed with the Knicks in 1950. Lloyd was drafted in the ninth round by the Capitols after playing at all-black West Virginia State. The Alexandria, Va., native had never interacted with whites until he made the Capitols at 22 and he signed a contract for $4,500.

"I don't think they purposely picked the three of us," Lloyd said. "They didn't do an extensive look into your background and all that to make sure we were the right kind of people. But they picked three good people.

"They picked three guys who were decent enough guys to play in this league and we [comported] ourselves as gentlemen and decent human beings. There was never any worry to my knowledge about "Sweets" or Chuck or me, none."

Lloyd became the first African-American to play in an NBA game Oct. 31, 1950, in Rochester, N.Y., when the Capitols played the Royals. Cooper made his debut the next day, while Clifton's bow came four days later. Lloyd scored 6 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in the Capitols' 78-70 loss to Rochester.

Lloyd's NBA debut paled in significance to the arrival of Jackie Robinson in major league baseball in 1947. At that time, the NBA had about as much fanfare as the Arena Football League today. The next day, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle didn't mention Lloyd in its game story while the Rochester Times-Union only wrote: "Bones McKinney, the Caps' new coach, injected big Earl Lloyd, Negro Star of West Virginia State, into the lineup (after halftime) and he took most of the rebounds."

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source : boston.com

Russell, Panel Pay Tribute To King

2008-01-22T03:25:00.000-08:00

During Sunday's game, a scoreboard video showed a compilation of Suns players delivering portions of Martin Luther King Jr.'s powerful "I Have a Dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington in honor of Monday's King holiday.

Some Suns fans got another powerful message before the game, when the organization held a King symposium featuring Bill Russell, one of the NBA's legends and civil rights leaders as its first Black coach - or as he put it, "I was the first Black coach I played for."

Russell spoke with King the day before the march. King wanted him to come on stage, but Russell declined in deference to those who worked with King for years.

Six years after the speech, Russell carried out one of several actions in his life that carried on King's legacy.

Russell's Boston Celtics were in Lexington, Ky., when he went to eat and was told the team hotel restaurant did not serve Blacks. Russell went to his room and booked a flight home, and a few teammates followed.

Last year, the president of Prairie View A&M University said he was a junior high student in Lexington at the time.

"You have no idea what impact you had on my life," he told Russell. "That was the first time the community realized everybody wasn't going to let you treat them how you want. It changed the whole atmosphere."

Sunday's panel also included Phoenix City Councilman Michael Johnson, Suns President Rick Welts, former Suns players Truck Robinson and Mark West, Phoenix's director of player programs.

Robinson, who came to Phoenix in 1979, said Black players often noted how the Suns' 1970s rosters were racially balanced, saying, "There is something going on here."

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source : azcentral.com

Doc Rivers to Coach East in 2008 All-Star Game

2008-01-22T03:24:00.001-08:00

NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2008 – Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers will coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, to be played on Sunday, Feb. 17, at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, LA.
Rivers and the Celtics’ (33-6, .846) coaching staff earned the honor to coach the East as a result of their 109-93 victory over the New York Knicks this afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

Head coaches for the East and West All-Star teams are based on teams with the best winning-percentage in each conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 3. Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni and Washington Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan are not eligible to coach in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game because they coached in last year’s All-Star Game.

This season marks Rivers third season at the helm in Boston. In his first Season as Head Coach of the Celtics Rivers led the club to a 45-37 (.549) record as well as the teams first Atlantic Division title since the 1991-92. Rivers is only the fourth coach in franchise history to have earned the NBA Coach of the Year Award, joining Tom Heinsohn (1972-73), Bill Fitch (who won it with Cleveland (1975-76) and Boston (1979-80)) and Red Auerbach (1964-65), for whom the trophy is named. Rivers has guided Boston to an 18-3 home record while also compiling an NBA best 15-3 road record for the first place Celtics.

The All-Star starters for both the Eastern and Western Conference will be announced on Thursday, Jan.24 live on TNT, while the All-Star reserves will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 31.

The NBA All-Star Game will broadcast live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide at 7:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Feb. 17 from New Orleans, LA.

Jamison, Butler Lead Wizards to Season Sweep

2008-01-22T03:23:00.000-08:00

Washington 102, Dallas 84
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (AP) -- Year after year, the Washington Wizards talk about playing better defense. Team defense. Tough defense.

Well, that day finally has arrived, it seems.

Caron Butler had 25 points and nine rebounds, Antawn Jamison added 23 points and eight rebounds, and Washington forced 16 turnovers and held Dallas to 41.3 percent shooting Monday in the Wizards' 102-84 victory over the Mavericks.

"We're being nastier and grittier defensively and our concentration level is up defensively,'' Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. "The theme tonight was, 'Each possession get better': The next possession on defense, get better. The next possession on defense, get tougher. The next possession, get into them tighter.''

The attitude and the effort helped the Wizards earn their first season sweep of the Mavericks since 1996-97 and deal Dallas its biggest loss this season.

It also was the sixth time the 2007-08 Wizards have held an opponent under 85 points, something the club did not do once all of last season. Not surprisingly, Washington is 6-0 in those games.

"They've gotten a lot better defensively,'' Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said. "They're trying to do the right things.''

He did compile 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Josh Howard poured in 32 points. But only one other member of the Mavericks scored more than eight points.

"Usually, the key to our success is always our offense over the past couple of years,'' Butler said. "But now it's been the defense. And to win big games and get quality wins, you've got to play well at the defensive end.''

After going more than a month without beating a team with a winning record, the Wizards have been doing that routinely of late. They have won five of their past six games - including beating the NBA-best Boston Celtics twice - to take hold of fourth place in the Eastern Conference despite playing without star Gilbert Arenas since November.

Butler and Jamison have been leading the team on the court and in the locker room, and they're building strong cases to return to the All-Star game.

Monday provided a perfect example.

It was a fairly even game, notable mainly for Howard's strong showing, when Washington's pair of starting forwards took over in the third quarter. Butler and Jamison combined for 19 consecutive Wizards points during a 6 1/2-minute stretch, helping the hosts turn a one-point lead into their biggest margin of the game to that point, 67-58.

"We know with Gil out that we've got to maximize our forwards' scoring opportunities. We're trying to put them in different situations - 3s, they pick-and-roll, they slash, they post up, they come off of screens,'' Jordan said. "If I have to call 100 plays, 95 of them are for our forwards.''

Butler had five assists and five steals and also went 2-for-2 on free throws to extend his franchise record and NBA season high to 56 in a row at the line.

The Mavericks had won eight of their previous nine games. But they once again were stopped by the Wizards, who add this victory to their 110-98 decision at Dallas on Nov. 26, shortly after Arenas had left knee surgery for a second time.

This time, Washington kept adding to its advantage, leading by as many as 15 early in the fourth quarter. The final margin was Washington's largest of the game, and it came courtesy of Butler's 3-pointer from 33 feet with 16.3 seconds left.

Similarly, at the end of the first half, DeShawn Stevenson made a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to put Washington ahead 46-41 at the break.

"Even when our defense was good,'' Dallas coach Avery Johnson said, "they made us pay.''

source : NBA.com

Duncan Powers Spurs Past Bobcats

2008-01-22T03:22:00.000-08:00

San Antonio 95, Charlotte 86
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 21 (AP) --The San Antonio Spurs are struggling on offense and in third place in their division. They're not too concerned, either.

After the Spurs ended a two-game slide with a methodical 95-86 win Monday over the Charlotte Bobcats, there were chuckles and confident responses to questions about the defending NBA champions' recent struggles.

"For a decade now this has been our period where we get into a little lull,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Hopefully we will be a lot better at playoff time as we have been in the past.''

Popovich has those four NBA titles 11 seasons to prove it may be unwise to abandon the experienced Spurs and hitch a ride with one of the other top teams in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

San Antonio's offense looked as good as it has been in a while against the Bobcats. Tim Duncan had 19 points and 10 rebounds and five Spurs scored in double figures as San Antonio ended a three-game stretch where it failed to reach 90 points.

Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker added 16 points apiece and Michael Finley scored 13 for the Spurs, who shot 49 percent in only their third win in seven games.

The Spurs still trail Dallas and New Orleans in the Southwest Division, but Duncan fully expects San Antonio to be back near the top come playoff time.

"We have the same set of guys. We have the experience,'' Duncan said. "I don't see why not.''

San Antonio kept it simple against Charlotte, executing the pick-and-roll to perfection and clamping down on defense to stymie one of the league's most impressive teams of late.

Emeka Okafor had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Bobcats, whose stretch of five wins in eight games had including victories over Boston, Denver and Orlando. Gerald Wallace added 15 points before leaving late in the game after aggravating a sore left calf and knee.

Charlotte managed only 39 points in the second half. Jason Richardson (13 points) and Wallace combined to shoot 10 of 36 from the field.

"They're a great team, one of the best teams in the league if not the best,'' Wallace said in the training room, where his elevated left leg was strapped to an electronic stimulation machine. "In order to for us to beat a team like that, we have to play a perfect game.''

The Spurs, who missed game-tying jumpers in the closing seconds of two-point losses in their last two games, faced no such pressure this time.

Ginobili's 3-pointer with 9:45 left in the game made it 80-71. Duncan later went to work down low, dunking off a nifty pass from Brent Barry and faking out Okafor for another jam with 3:57 left that made it 90-79.

"I think we did a bad job of playing pick-and-roll,'' said Wallace, who hopes to play Wednesday against Dallas. "They probably ran that, what, 90 percent of the time? That was one of the biggest things that hurt us.''

Charlotte, 0-4 all-time against the Spurs at home, stuck around in the second half, but could never take the lead. Ginobili's runner made it 73-67 San Antonio entering the fourth quarter.

The Bobcats, who made two of 14 3-pointers, couldn't rally despite getting 12 points from reserve Nazr Mohammed.

"This is probably one game that I don't feel bad about losing,'' Bobcats coach Sam Vincent said. "We played pretty well. We lost to a championship team.''

A team that is still feeing good about itself heading into Wednesday's home showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Losses at this part of the season have never really bothered us much,'' Popovich said. "It's a game of mistakes. It's just an educational thing until playoff time comes around.''

source : NBA.com

NBA All-Star 2008 Ballot

2008-01-22T03:19:00.000-08:00

Jan. 21, 2008 -- The starters for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game will be officially announced on Thursday. Here are the players that the one-man Race to the MVP committee feels should be packing their bags and heading to New Orleans next month.

Eastern Conference
Guard - Ray Allen, Celtics: Of course I thought about putting the Heat's Dwyane Wade in this spot, but the sweet-shooting Allen gets the nod based on the success of the front-running Celtics.

Guard - Jason Kidd, Nets: Mr. Triple-Double is enjoying one of the best seasons of his Hall of Fame career.

Forward - Kevin Garnett, Celtics: It doesn't matter if he is in the Western Conference or Eastern Conference, KG belongs on the court when the ball is tipped. The preseason favorite to win the MVP is averaging almost 20 points and 10 rebounds and is the heart and soul for the best club in the league.

Forward - LeBron James, Cavaliers: Pencil him into this spot for the next 10 years. He rebounds like a power forward, passes like a point guard and has emerged this season as the best scorer in the game.

Center - Dwight Howard, Magic: He has been named Player of the Month each month of the season so far and at times has been almost unguardable.
Western Conference
Guard - Chris Paul, Hornets: A case can be made for Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, Tony Parker, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash and Baron Davis, but Paul is having a better season statistically than all of them. Plus the game is being played in his arena.

Guard - Kobe Bryant, Lakers: The All-Star Game is an exhibition and Bryant is the league's biggest star.

Forward - Tim Duncan, Spurs: No All-Star Game would be complete without Mr. Double-Double in the lineup, although you could argue that Carlos Boozer or Carmelo Anthony have played well enough to earn a starting position.

Forward - Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks: The reigning MVP has snapped out of an early-season funk and is playing as well as anyone in the league.

Center - Amare Stoudemire, Suns: Sorry Yao Ming and Marcus Camby, Stoudemire has been the most dominant big in the West this season.

source : NBA.com

Riley Doesn’t Expect Shaq To Return Until Next Week

2008-01-09T04:00:00.002-08:00

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 8 (AP) -- The Miami Heat won't get Shaquille O'Neal back for at least a week while he receives treatment for a hip injury that has sidelined him for six games.

Coach Pat Riley said after Tuesday morning's shootaround that O'Neal is still in Los Angeles, but they are encouraged by the treatment there and "hope he'll be back by next week.''

O'Neal bruised his left hip on Dec. 22 against Utah while diving for a loose ball and crashing into the scorer's table. The injury flared up on Dec. 26 against Philadelphia.

Miami has lost seven in a row to fall to 8-26, the worst record in the Eastern Conference, heading into Tuesday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

While injuries have resulted in the worst statistical season of O'Neal's 16-year career - 14 points and 7.8 rebounds per game - the Heat sorely miss his presence in the paint on both ends of the court.

The once-proud defensive team hasn't given up fewer than 94 points in a game since Dec. 17, and opponents have shot better than 50 percent in four of the past 10 games.

LeBron James, Iverson Named Players Of The Week

2008-01-09T04:00:00.001-08:00

NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2008 – The Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James and the Denver Nuggets’ Allen Iverson today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 31 through Sunday, Jan. 6.
James led Cleveland to a 3-0 week, averaging 33.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.3 steals. James set a franchise record for points in a quarter, tallying 24 in the fourth on Jan. 6 at Toronto in Cleveland’s 93-90 win. James finished the game with 39 points, his second 30-plus point effort of the week. James posted two double-doubles on the week and recorded five steals in Cleveland’s 97-93 win over the Kings on Jan. 4. For the season, James owns averages of 29.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists.

Iverson also led his team to a 3-0 week, as the Nuggets defeated the Spurs, Timberwolves and 76ers. Averaging 33.3 points over that stretch, Iverson shot .531 from the field, .471 from distance and .923 from the foul line, while logging 43.6 minutes per game. The signature performance for the Denver guard came in a Jan. 6 win against his former team, as Iverson tallied 38 points and eight assists in a 109-96 win over the 76ers at Pepsi Center.

Here is a closer look at the week for James and Iverson:

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Jan. 2 vs. Atlanta: Tallied 36 points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block in Cleveland’s 98-94 win over the Hawks.
Jan. 4 vs. Sacramento: Posted a double-double with 24 points and 10 assists and added eight rebounds, five steals and one block as the Cavaliers bested the Kings 97-93.
Jan. 6 @ Toronto: Poured in 39 points while adding 11 rebounds and eight assists in Cleveland’s 93-90 win in Toronto.

Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
Jan. 3 vs. San Antonio: Scored 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting and added three assists in Denver’s 80-77 win over the Spurs.
Jan. 4 at Minnesota: Tallied 33 points, three rebounds and four assists as the Nuggets posted a 118-107 win over the Timberwolves.
Jan. 6 vs. Philadelphia: Poured in 38 points and dished out eight assists in a 109-96 win over the 76ers.

Other nominees for Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Boston’s Paul Pierce, Chicago’s Ben Gordon, Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, Detroit’s Richard Hamilton, Memphis’ Pau Gasol and Mike Miller, New Jersey’s Jason Kidd, New Orleans’ Chris Paul, Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge and Washington’s Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.

Parker Named European Player Of The Year

2008-01-09T03:58:00.000-08:00

ROME (AFP) — Frenchman Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs was Friday named European Player of the Year for 2007.

The award is given by Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, which named Parker as its 29th winner, succeeding Germany's Dirk Nowitzki, winner for the previous five years.

Point guard Parker finished with 128 points to 111 for Dallas Mavericks forward Nowitzki with Russia's Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz third on 85 points.

The jury is made up of 100 writers, coaches and players from 28 different countries.

In the women's category Latvia's Aneta Jekabsone beat Belgium's Ann Wauters to the title with last year's winner Maria Stepanova of Russia in third.

Pierce Driving Force As Celtics Cruise Past Lakers

2008-01-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

Boston 110, L.A. Lakers 91

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30 (AP) -- Paul Pierce scored 33 points and Kevin Garnett had 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists Sunday night to lead the Boston Celtics to a 110-91 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Boston took the lead in the first quarter and never relinquished it. Each time the Lakers threatened, the Celtics would pull away again.

Kobe Bryant scored 22 for Los Angeles, going just 6-of-25 from the floor. Lamar Odom had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The victory in the final of two meetings between the teams this season ran Boston's NBA-best record to 26-3 and extended its winning streak to six straight. It also ended a four-game winning streak by the Lakers, who still have won 10 of their last 13.

The Celtics prevented Lakers coach Phil Jackson from moving ahead of Boston Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach on the career wins ladder. Jackson remained tied with Auerbach for seventh on the all-time list with 938 victories.

Ray Allen added 19 points for Boston and Tony Allen, filling in for Rajon Rondo, had 16.

There obviously was a lot of emotion during the game -- and a lot of jawing at the referees, who called seven technical fouls over the course of the game: on the Celtics' Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Ray Allen and coach Doc Rivers; and the Lakers' Bryant, Trevor Ariza and Kwame Brown.

Odom also was called for a flagrant foul late in the game, with Ray Allen drawing his technical on the same play.

Garnett left the game briefly in the second quarter to get two stitches above his right eye.

Los Angeles, which trailed by double digits much of the game, narrowed the gap to 72-66 with 3:17 left in the third quarter, but Pierce scored 10 points in a row to give the Celtics an 82-66 lead at the end of the period.

Boston was up 53-45 at halftime, with Los Angeles narrowing the gap after falling behind by 17, at 45-28, early in the second quarter.

Pierce had 16 points for the Celtics and Bryant 16 for the Lakers at the break. Bryant made just three of his 15 shots from the floor, but 10 of 11 from the free throw line.

Tony Allen scored 13 first-half points on 4-of-5 shooting while playing in place of Rondo, who sat out because of tightness in his right hamstring.

The Lakers wore throwback, short shorts in the first half, particularly odd-looking in contrast to the Celtics' knee-length, today look.

Garnett and Pierce scored eight points apiece to help the Celtics to a 32-23 lead at the end of the first quarter. Bryant scored nine for the Lakers, but went just 2-of-8 from the floor.

source : NBA.com

Duncan, Spurs Cruise Past Grizzlies

2008-01-04T19:50:00.001-08:00

San Antonio 111, Memphis 87 (F)
SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 30 (AP) -- The San Antonio Spurs were outrebounded and outplayed in the first quarter by the Memphis Grizzlies. And for a team that prides itself on defense, that was not a good thing.

Down by as many as 12 points early, the Spurs turned things around when it counted, beating Memphis 111-87 on Sunday and handing the Grizzlies their fifth straight loss.

"Our group did a good job defensively tonight. After the first quarter they really bore down and allowed 55 points in the last three quarters and for us that's always our fuel,'' said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "We're a good basketball team when we play defense and back it up with rebounding. Everything else flows from that.''

San Antonio finished with a 46-32 advantage off the glass after the sluggish Spurs were outrebounded 10-7 in an opening quarter where the Grizzlies also hit 75 percent from the field.

"Our defense besides the first quarter was really good. First quarter was terrible,'' said Tony Parker, who along with Tim Duncan scored 24 points. "When you play good defense, it creates easy offense, you create fast-break transition and wide-open 3s.''

And just as Parker said, the Spurs did OK in the scoring department, too. Michael Finley scored a season-high 22 points, including five 3-pointers, for the Spurs.

"Every shot I take, I hope it goes in,'' Finley said. "Tonight it was just going in a lot more for me and I think I just had a good rhythm offensively.''

Duncan also grabbed 17 rebounds and Parker had nine assists.

Pau Gasol led the Grizzlies with 19 points and Rudy Gay, whose buzzer-beating 3-pointer earlier this month gave Memphis its only win over the Spurs this season, added 16.

The Spurs secured a 3-1 series advantage over the Grizzlies; the teams will not meet again during the regular season.

The Grizzlies have now lost eight of their last 10 games.

"When we have a lead we think things are going to be easy. I think when you're losing you cannot give up,'' said Darko Milicic, who scored 11 points for Memphis. "We have to get together as a team and play much better defense.''

Rookie guard Mike Conley reappeared for the Grizzlies after sitting out 20 games with the injured right shoulder he got in November. Conley logged 20 minutes and scored six points.

"I was pretty much up to speed. I had to be able to guard a quick guard like Tony Parker. I thought I did pretty well,'' Conley said. "I'm not all the way back, you know, with my wind and things like that. But I think I'm getting there.''

Juan Carlos Navarro contributed 10 points for the Grizzlies.

Matt Bonner added 18 points for the Spurs.

The Grizzlies jumped out to a 32-22 lead after the first quarter before the Spurs started chipping away at the margin in the second quarter with the help of 11 points from Bonner.

After drawing within four points with 3:10 left in the half, the Spurs began a 24-6 run that straddled the second and third quarters and gave them the lead for good. Bonner hit the go-ahead basket for San Antonio, a 3-pointer with 15.5 seconds on the clock in the half that gave the Spurs a 48-46 advantage.

"We let them back in the game in the second half with those 3s of Bonner,'' said Gasol. "We cannot afford to have any letdowns like that.''

Finley's fourth 3 of the evening capped the Spurs' burst, making it 62-48 with 7:38 left in the third. The Grizzlies were able to keep pace late in the quarter by trading baskets with San Antonio, but with the Spurs alternately up by either 20 or 22, it didn't make much of a difference.

The Spurs took an 86-64 lead into the final 12 minutes after outscoring Memphis 38-18 in the third.

Mike Miller's fast-break layup brought Memphis within 15 with 8:14 left in the game, but consecutive baskets by Duncan, followed by his block of Conley's layup attempt, quickly put an end to the Grizzlies' modest surge. The Spurs soon went back up by more than 20.

source : NBA.com

Suns Own Best Road Record In West

2008-01-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

Phoenix 117, Sacramento 102
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 30 (AP) -- Even with an abundance of road games in the first two months of the season, the Phoenix Suns are right where they expected, on top of the Pacific Division standings.

Amare Stoudemire scored 31 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to help the Suns beat the Sacramento Kings 117-102 on Sunday night.

"We've had a tough schedule and after some of those losses it's been emotional in our locker room after games where we have made it sound like desperate times, but it's really not,'' said Raja Bell, who had nine fourth-quarter points.

The Suns have seemingly recovered from a stretch earlier this month where they lost five of eight games, concluding with a loss to the Lakers on Dec. 25. They beat the Clippers in back-to-back games earlier this week and were in control practically the entire game against the Kings.

It was another successful game away from home for Phoenix, which has the most road victories (13) in the Western Conference. The Suns have played 19 of their first 31 games on the road. Five of their next six games are at home, starting Jan. 3 against Seattle.

"We've been a good road team the past few years and this was a tough month for us,'' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We had a lot of away games and were 10-5 (overall), but it only means something later if we take care of our home court.''

Shawn Marion made five 3-pointers and had 25 points, Leandro Barbosa scored 22 points, Steve Nash had 12 points and 15 assists, Grant Hill contributed 12 points and Bell added 11.

After the Kings cut the lead to 99-96 on a basket by Dahntay Jones, Stoudemire followed with a dunk, igniting a 12-0 run by the Suns who went ahead 111-96 with 2:12 left.

Prior to the game, the Kings learned Ron Artest could face possible surgery this week to remove chipped bone fragments in his right elbow. The Kings are 2-8 without Artest in the lineup and went winless in their four-game homestand.

"They are thinking it might be two or three weeks (Artest) will be out, but they are not sure yet,'' Kings coach Reggie Theus said. "I didn't know that he wasn't going to go tonight. I actually thought he was planning on trying (to play). I haven't officially talked to him or anybody about what's exactly going to happen.''

The depleted Kings have also been without leading scorer Kevin Martin (strained groin) the last 12 games and injured point guard Mike Bibby has yet to play this season.

Francisco Garcia scored 30 points for the Kings, who have lost five of six at home where they are now 8-8 this season.

"For some reason Francisco Garcia goes off against us and he had another good game tonight,'' said Stoudemire, who made his first six shots and scored 14 first quarter points. "We wanted to get that win, that's what got us going at the end. But we need to do that consistently.''

John Salmons added 23 points and Mikki Moore had 20 points and 12 rebounds. Brad Miller added nine points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

"We are just going to put this one behind us, we can't get frustrated because we are losing games,'' Garcia said. "We've gotta start making a run.''

Marion hit four 3-pointers and had 16 points in the third quarter when Phoenix led 93-86. He had a quiet opening half with three points.

Barbosa scored 20 points and Stoudemire had 19 to help the Suns build a 64-55 halftime lead.

source : NBA.com

Nuggets’ Seven-Game Win Streak Snapped

2008-01-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Golden State 105, Denver 95
DENVER, Dec. 30 (AP) -- The Golden State Warriors were focused on playing better defense against Denver and it paid off.

Baron Davis scored 28 points and Stephen Jackson added 23 to help Golden State beat the Nuggets 105-95 on Sunday night, ending a seven-game losing streak in Denver.

It was a far cry from the last meeting between the teams which Denver won 124-120 on Friday night.

"We just played better defense,'' Davis said. "We scored fewer points, but we gave up less as well. I'd say that if you do that and it comes with a win, it's more important.''

Carmelo Anthony had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets. Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith added 15 points each for the Nuggets, who saw their season-high seven-game winning streak snapped.

The Warriors limited Denver to 35 percent shooting. They also made a slight tweak in their defense putting Davis on Allen Iverson after having Jackson assigned to him on Friday.

"Jackson doesn't do as well with smaller guards so we went to Davis,'' Golden State coach Don Nelson said. "It helped that Allen wasn't feeling all that well.''

The result was Iverson had only 13 points on 2-for-12 shooting after having 39 points off Jackson.

"Every time I tried to penetrate they would bring a lot of people to me to make me give up the ball,'' Iverson said. "I just missed a couple of shots and struggled the whole night.''

Golden State last won in Denver on Feb. 24, 2003.

The Warriors took a 75-72 lead into the fourth quarter and extended it to 83-73 with 9:23 left. While the Nuggets managed only a free throw by Nene and 0-for-7 shooting, Jackson had a jumper and Davis and Monta Ellis converted layups off steals.

The Nuggets got within 87-83 with 6:27 remaining, but Matt Barnes hit a 3-pointer to begin a 10-4 spurt to put the game away.

The Warriors led 55-51 at the break on a 3-pointer by Al Harrington and free throws by Davis in the last 45 seconds. Denver had used a 9-0 run midway through the second quarter to erase a six-point deficit.

Jackson's two free throws provided Golden State with a 63-57 cushion early in the third, but Denver tied it at 63 with layup by Anthony Carter off a deep rebound ahead of two jumpers from Anthony with 6:51 left. The lead changed hands twice before Golden State pulled ahead 75-68 when Jackson hit a 3-pointer and two baskets.

Denver reduced the lead to 75-72 with four free throws in the final 1:36.

"We consider ourselves lucky,'' Nelson said. "I don't know if you could say it was all of our defense, but we did mix our zone up pretty good.''

source : NBA.com

Results Of 30th December

2008-01-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Bulls	30	20	23	27	100
Knicks	22	21	14	26	83

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Warriors	26	29	20	30	105
Nuggets	21	30	21	23	95

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Suns	32	32	29	24	117
Kings	28	27	31	16	102

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
76ers	16	29	18	9	72
Trail Blazers	21	15	26	35	97

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Grizzlies	32	14	18	23	87
Spurs	22	26	38	25	111

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Celtics	32	21	29	28	110
Lakers	23	22	21	25	91

source : NBA.com

Pistons Repeat Over Pacers for Eighth Straight Win

2008-01-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

Detroit 98, Indiana 92

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 29 (AP) -- Tougher game, same result.

Following a comfortable victory over Indiana on Friday, the Pistons had to work harder against the Pacers on Saturday before extending their winning streak to eight with a 98-92 victory

"They came out tough, and we didn't play quite like we did (Friday)," said Pistons guard Richard Hamilton, who scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter. "It was a really tough game all around."

Chauncey Billups had 17 points, reserve Jason Maxiell scored 12 and Rasheed Wallace finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds to help Detroit (23-7) complete the home-and-home sweep over the Pacers.

"It's not that odd to play a team back-to-back, you get that every once in a while in this league," Wallace said. "You still have to go out there and hoop."

Jermaine O'Neal, who led the Pacers (15-16) with 20 points and 11 rebounds, said playing Detroit two straight nights is a difficult task. The Pistons won 114-101 on Friday.

"That's probably the most difficult back-to-back you're going to see during the season," he said. "You don't get very many opportunities to take advantage of that team."

Trailing by six points entering the fourth quarter, the Pacers got within 86-85 following Danny Granger's 3-pointer with 5:43 left. After the teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, Detroit used a 6-0 run to open a 96-89 lead on Hamilton's 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining.

Mike Dunleavy's 3-pointer cut the deficit to 96-92, but the Pacers couldn't get any closer.

"They made a few more plays down the stretch, but we had our opportunities," said Granger, who finished with 15 points. "We put ourselves in position to win the game, which is what you always want to do."

Billups wasn't surprised by his team's ability to hang on at the end.

"We got everything we wanted in terms of plays down the stretch," he said. "We came together when it really counted."

In a first half that featured nine ties and six lead changes, the Pistons took a 44-40 advantage on Maxiell's two free throws. Indiana opened a 50-48 lead late in the second quarter, but Detroit scored the next four points and took a 52-51 edge into the break.

The Pistons began the third quarter with Antonio McDyess' jumper and Wallace's 3-pointer to go ahead by six. Indiana answered with an 11-2 run to take a 62-59 lead.

Detroit took its biggest advantage of the third quarter, 74-67, following Rodney Stuckey's 3-pointer with 1:32 left.

O'Neal didn't take any solace in keeping the game close.

"There's no such thing as having a moral victory," he said. "They just look at wins and losses in this league."

O'Neal had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Dunleavy scored 18 points and Granger chipped in 15 for Indiana.

source : NBA.com

Butler Leads Wizards Past Tired Wade, Heat

2008-01-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

Wizards 96, Heat 74 (F)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (AP) -- Dwyane Wade was weary, Shaquille O'Neal wasn't around, and the Miami Heat never stood much of a chance against the balanced Washington Wizards.

Andray Blatche scored 18 points, the Wizards led by as many as 30, and they beat the Heat 96-74 Saturday night, Miami's fourth loss in a row.

It was the lowest point total for the Heat - or any Wizards opponent - this season.

Washington is without its share of key players, too - most notably All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas and Antonio Daniels - but has adjusted well.

Caron Butler scored 16 for Washington, and Antawn Jamison added 15 points and nine rebounds.

A night after playing 51 1/2 minutes, Wade looked sluggish at times and finished with 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting, along with seven turnovers, in 27 minutes. He didn't play at all in the fourth quarter and ended his streak of leading the team in scoring in each of the previous eight games.

This time, Ricky Davis put up 22 points for Miami, which is only two seasons removed from an NBA championship yet stands last in the Eastern Conference at 8-23. Reserve Luke Jackson scored 14, meaning Wade was only third on the team in points.

Going into this season, Miami had won 15 of 16 games against Washington, but the Wizards are 2-0 against the Heat this month.

Washington never trailed Saturday, using a 12-0 run bridging the end of the second quarter and start of the third to take control. The Heat went 8 1/2 minutes without making a field goal, and when that drought finally ended on Daequan Cook's running 9-foot bank shot midway through the third quarter, the Wizards were ahead 68-42.

Blatche's layup with 9 1/2 minutes left in the game gave Washington its biggest lead at 86-56. The Heat scored the next 15 points - but they never cut the deficit smaller than 15 the rest of the way.

Both teams were short-handed, both were playing on a second consecutive night and both showed signs of fatigue at times. The Heat, though, looked far more wiped out.

"This is the NBA. It's insane sometimes,'' Miami coach Pat Riley said, "especially when you're going through what we're going through.''

O'Neal missed a second straight game with a hip problem, while another starter, point guard Jason Williams, sat out with left knee tendinitis. Neither traveled to Washington, nor did guards Chris Quinn (left ankle) or Smush Parker, who hasn't played in a month after a confrontation with a female valet parking attendant. Plus, forward Dorell Wright played just under 13 minutes Saturday before departing with an ankle injury.

All the absences put that much more pressure on Wade, who scored 48 points in Friday's overtime loss to Orlando. He looked exhausted Saturday, compiling six turnovers by halftime and putting up an airball late in the second quarter.

Before the game, Riley compared his star to a champion thoroughbred - one that's spent.

"Today he's like Secretariat. He's, like, sore. And that you're going to have to deal with. So we've been rubbing him all day, brushing him down,'' Riley said with a laugh. "He's going to be sore tonight. We've just got to get him loose, and we've got to be conscious of it. I think he's going to go through that for probably most of the year, until his body just totally comes back.''

source : NBA.com

Raptors Drop Fourth Of Last Five

2008-01-04T19:39:00.001-08:00

Houston 91, Toronto 79
HOUSTON, Dec. 29 (AP) -- Yao Ming didn't feel his best Saturday night, but wouldn't let that stop him in the fourth quarter.

Yao scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a 91-79 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Yao has been battling flu-like symptoms recently and though it showed much of the game, as he had a season-high eight turnovers.

Seven of those through the first three quarters.

"I had some problems breathing,'' Yao said. "I felt like I had a lot of fluid in my lungs and in my nose.

"But I know in the fourth quarter you can't make mistakes. I had seven turnovers and I didn't want to get any more. I just wanted to put the ball in the hoop and get the lead and go home and sleep.''

Coach Rick Adelman praised his team's perseverance.

"It was a tough game for both teams,'' Adelman said. "But our guys stayed with it defensively and in the fourth quarter we just tried to go through Yao.''

Tracy McGrady missed his second straight game with left knee tendinitis. He is day-to-day.

"We talked about a way to win without one of our key players,'' said Rafer Alston, who had 18 points and five assists. "We haven't done that this year when Tracy or I were out. So we just want to finally show we have some depth.''

Bonzi Wells had 13 points and 11 rebounds as Houston won its second straight and third in four games.

Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 19 points. Jamario Moon and Jose Calderon each scored 11 as Toronto lost for the fourth time in five games. Calderon, who is sixth in the NBA with 7.9 assists per game, had 10.

"We're trying to figure out why we're not scoring,'' coach Sam Mitchell said. "We normally are top five in scoring but we have to try and get some easy baskets. All of our baskets are grind-out baskets and we're working too hard.''

Bosh and Mitchell had a discussion after the game.

"We had to clear some things up and Coach and I came to a middle ground,'' Bosh said. "I hate to lose and he hates to lose and we just talked about it.

"We need to do a better job of taking it at teams. If we start early and play aggressive, Coach and I feel we can do a better job.''

Yao scored eight in the fourth quarter, including four straight free throws to give Houston an 85-75 lead with 2:29 to play.

With Yao scoring nine and Alston eight in the third quarter, the Rockets led by seven with 2:52 left in the period. But Bosh had eight points, and Calderon and Moon five apiece to pull the Raptors to 68-64 after three quarters.

Both teams struggled in the first quarter, with Houston hitting only 33 percent from the field and Toronto going 7-of-24 (29 percent). They were tied at 19 heading to the second.

The game remained back and forth until Toronto went on a 9-1 run to take a 40-34 lead with 1:36 left in the second quarter. But Houston scored five points the final 5 seconds on Alston's 3-pointer, and a steal and layup by Shane Battier to knot it at 40 at halftime.

source : NBA.com

Mavs Start Hot, Hold On To Beat Hawks

2008-01-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

Dallas 97, Atlanta 84

DALLAS(AP), Dec. 29 -- Jason Terry and the Dallas Mavericks never changed their philosophy, even with their recent shooting woes.

"We know we're a good shooting team,'' Terry said. "Shooters keep shooting.''

The Mavericks started fast Saturday by making their first five shots and got an inside boost from Erick Dampier to lead throughout a 97-84 victory that snapped Atlanta's longest winning streak in eight years.

Atlanta was trying to win six in a row for the first time since late in the 1998-99 season, the last time the Hawks made the playoffs and finished with a winning record. But they were already down 12-0 less than 2 1/2 minutes into the game.

"They hit us on the mouth from the start and we didn't do anything about it,'' Hawks guard Joe Johnson said.

"They established themselves defensively as well as offensively. On the defensive end, they beat us up,'' coach Mike Woodson said. "If we're going to be a playoff team, we have to play them the same way they played us.''

Dirk Nowitzki had 22 points and Josh Howard and Devin Harris each had 19 for Dallas, which was coming off consecutive losses in which it combined to shoot less than 40 percent.

Dampier set the tone with a dunk on the opening possession. He finished with his first double-double of the season: 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting, all before halftime, and 10 rebounds.

"There's no secret that when Dampier scores inside, catches and finishes strong, he's a big force,'' Terry said. "Lots of times, we're busy shooting jump shots and not feeding him like we need to.''

After Dampier's opening slam, Howard and Nowitzki added 3-pointers in that early spurt. And when Dallas had to hold off a late charge by Atlanta, Howard and Nowitzki kept it from getting too close.

Nowitzki ended a wild sequence in which both teams missed layups by making a baseline jumper to put the Mavs up 89-79 with 3:07 left. After an Atlanta miss, Howard had a breakaway layup, and though he missed the free throw after being fouled, Dallas maintained a double-figure lead the rest of the way.

The Hawks were within six with 4:53 left after Marvin Williams converted a three-point play and then got credited with a basket on a goaltending call against Dampier. Atlanta never got closer after that 12-1 run.

Williams led Atlanta with 18 points and Johnson scored 17. Al Horford had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

"Our defense was really good early on,'' Mavs coach Avery Johnson said. "We got a little choppy and the game became interesting there. ... But overall, I liked the focus of our team today. That team reminded me of a team I coached here before.''

Maybe the one that went to the NBA finals two seasons ago.

Or the squad that set a franchise record with 67 victories last season before being upset as the No. 1 seed in the first round of playoffs by Golden State, the Mavericks' next opponent at home Wednesday night.

Dallas made all five of its 3-pointers in the first quarter, and finished 7-of-13 after making only 13-of-46 (28 percent) the previous two games. While they didn't maintain their sharp shooting throughout, the Mavs were improved over the previous losses to Utah and Cleveland at 44 percent (32-of-73) overall.

Nowitzki scored eight straight points midway through the third quarter, ending that stretch with a nifty 8-foot fadeaway jumper he made despite getting fouled. That even prompted coach Johnson to get off the bench for a celebratory hand-slap before Nowitzki added the free throw to give Dallas its largest lead at 66-45.

Another acrobatic three-point play by Nowitzki midway through the first quarter, that one a turnaround jumper, pushed Dallas ahead 25-8.

"Games like this are big for us,'' Jerry Stackhouse said. "We came out with a focus that allowed us to win this game comfortably.''

source : NBA.com

Results Of 29th December

2008-01-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Hawks	21	14	25	24	84
Mavericks	34	20	21	22	97

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Bobcats	29	22	21	23	95
Magic	28	24	25	27	104

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Cavaliers	18	24	15	19	76
Hornets	26	20	25	15	86

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Raptors	19	21	24	15	79
Rockets	19	21	28	23	91

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Timberwolves	30	16	13	31	90
Supersonics	21	36	27	25	109

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Heat	18	21	16	19	74
Wizards	26	32	24	14	96

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Pistons	25	27	24	22	98
Pacers	25	26	19	22	92

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Nets	19	24	22	32	97
Bucks	25	18	20	32	95

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Celtics	28	21	27	28	104
Jazz	29	27	22	20	98

source : NBA.com

Warriors’ Five-Game Home Win Streak Ends

2007-12-29T18:47:00.001-08:00

Denver 124, Golden State 120
OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 28 (AP) -- Shots were flying, both teams were running and defense appeared to be an afterthought for long stretches of the game.

If that seems to be the type of game a great open-court player like Allen Iverson would prefer, think again. Even Iverson would have liked a few more walk-it-up-the court possessions than there were in Denver's 124-120 victory over Golden State on Friday night.

"No, it's not fun playing them,'' Iverson said. "I don't know why you all think it would be fun. It's fun for the fans, but it's not fun for the guys trying to defend the way they play. They just keep coming at you all game.''

Iverson performed just fine playing at the Warriors' preferred frenetic pace, scoring 39 points, including a late jumper that gave the Nuggets the lead for good. Carmelo Anthony added 30 to help Denver win the fast-paced, offensive showcase everyone expected when two of the NBA's top three scoring teams face off.

"I like to run up and down the court, but they make it outrageous,'' Iverson said. "They might run even too much for me, especially on the defensive end. It has to be fun to play that style, but to defend it isn't too nice.''

Stephen Jackson matched his season high with 32 points despite shooting 9-for-27, and Baron Davis added 29 points and 13 assists for the Warriors, but they couldn't quite match the performance from Denver's dynamic duo and lost for the second time in six games.

With both teams preferring an up-tempo style that features quick shots and plenty of fast breaks, Denver hit the 100-point mark on Linas Kleiza's 3-pointer with 1:32 remaining in the third quarter.

Don Nelson's Warriors nearly hit the century mark before the fourth quarter as well, settling for 97 after Jackson hit a 3-pointer that beat the third-quarter buzzer. Davis' 3-pointer on the opening possession of the fourth cut Denver's lead to 102-100.

"They're wild and crazy,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. "That's how they play. I like it because I think sometimes the basketball world thinks you can only play one way. There's a lot of ways to play in basketball and Nellie is one of the best at innovating a style that fits his team. We're a little wild and crazy, too.''

The Warriors, who trailed by 11 points early, kept fighting back but never led after the first quarter. They made their final charge after falling behind by six with less than 3 minutes to go. Davis fed Andris Biedrins for a layup, blocked Anthony's shot to set up a fast-break basket by Monta Ellis and then scored inside to tie it at 118.

Iverson then hit a pull-up jumper to put Denver back in front for good at 120-118 with 1:12 remaining. Anthony Carter stole a pass from Davis at the other end, leading to a pair of free throws by Anthony that made it a four-point game with 53 seconds remaining.

Davis hit a tough shot at the other end and then Golden State forced Anthony into a miss as the shot clock expired, giving the Warriors one last chance with 21 seconds remaining. But Jackson missed a 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining.

"My team relied on me to win tonight and I didn't play well,'' Jackson said. "Point blank I've got to shoot better. We have to work too hard and I've got to play a lot better and the shots I take I've got to shoot better.''

Marcus Camby hit two free throws to make it a four-point game. Camby finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds.

"I thought this would be a game where you pretty much throw the defense out the door, which was pretty much the case,'' Camby said. "Both teams were pretty much scoring at will. It came down to whoever made plays down the stretch.''

The difference turned out to be Denver's ability to get to the foul line in the fourth quarter and Golden State losing its outside shooting touch. Iverson made nine of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter as Denver shot 14-of-16 to thwart any comeback attempt by Golden State.

The Warriors missed eight of their final nine 3-point attempts after their long-range shooting kept them in the game early when they made 13 of their first 27 attempts.

Denver managed to come within one point of matching its season high despite having only 13 assists on the night. It's only the second time this decade a team has scored at least 120 points with so few assists.

"Obviously we couldn't control their two best players,'' Nelson said. "When they score 124 points and only have 13 assists, that tells you that they are doing a lot of one-on-one stuff and the greatness of those two players made it very difficult for us.''

source : NBA.com

Blazers Beat Timberwolves For 12th Straight Win

2007-12-29T18:46:00.001-08:00

Blazers 109, Timberwolves 98 (F)

PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 28 (AP) -- Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan was being cautious, saving guard Brandon Roy for when the team needed him.

With two fouls, Roy sat the entire second quarter Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Then he went on to steer the Blazers to a 109-98 victory for Portland's league-leading 12th consecutive win.

Roy finished with 22 points.

The streak matches Portland's best run since winning 12 in a row during the 2001-02 season, the team's second-longest stretch. Portland's longest streak was 16 games in the 1990-91 season.

"The streak is great, but right now we're doing our best to win basketball games and protect our home court," Roy said. "Tonight was our chance to do that against a team some said we might overlook.

"That is not how this team is playing. Right now we're focused."

Al Jefferson had 22 points for Minnesota, which has the league's worst record at 4-24. The Timberwolves fell to 1-14 on the road.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 points and eight rebounds for the Blazers. Jarrett Jack added 14 points and was among six Blazers in double figures.

Portland, the youngest team in the NBA, started its streak with a Dec. 3 victory at Memphis after going 5-12 to start the season. Nine of the team's 12 wins have come at the Rose Garden, where the Blazers are 14-3 overall.

The Blazers next host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night.

Portland was coming off an 89-79 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Christmas. The Timberwolves were defeated 105-101 by Golden State on Wednesday night.

Portland led by as many a nine points early, but the Timberwolves went ahead briefly in the second quarter, when Antoine Walker's layup made it 31-30.

Jack put Portland back ahead 44-42 with a pair of free throws. That was the start of a 13-4 run to make it 55-46 at the half.

Roy, last season's Rookie of the Year who was averaging 23 points a game during the streak, had a pair of fouls when McMillan sat him for the second quarter. He returned to start the second half.

"The game was close," McMillan said of the decision to hold Roy out. "It was a learning experience."

Minnesota closed the gap early in the second half, narrowing it to 60-59 on Ryan Gomes' 3-pointer. Gomes finished with 16 points, while Rashad McCants had 21.

Portland went up 78-69 on Jack's layup at the end of the third quarter. Roy opened the fourth with six straight points, kicking off an 11-3 run that ended when his jumper made it 89-72 -- and the game fell out of reach for the Timberwolves.

"They lost nine out of 10 leading up to this 12-game winning streak. That should tell you right there it's confidence. All of the sudden boom, boom, boom. It filters down," Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said.

Roy scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, prompting fans to chant "M-V-P! M-V-P!" He has scored 20-plus points in nine of the Blazers' games during the streak, and he has been named the NBA's player of the week twice during the span.

Over the 12 games, Roy is averaging 22.9 points a game.

The Blazers have won four straight against the Timberwolves at the Rose Garden.

"I was anxious to see how we would respond in this position, as a favorite against a team with a poorer record. I was interested in our approach," McMillan said. "Games like this can be dangerous but all season I have felt that this team doesn't let down and overlook our opponents."

source : NBA.com

Suns Get First Sub-100-Point Win

2007-12-29T18:45:00.001-08:00

Phoenix 94, L.A. Clippers 88
PHOENIX, Dec. 28 (AP) -- Yes, it can be done. The Phoenix Suns can win without their usual triple-digit deluge.

Amare Stoudemire scored 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting and the Suns won for the first time this season with less than 100 points, pulling away over the final 1 1/2 minutes to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 94-88 Friday night.

The Suns had been 0-5 when scoring under 100.

"I thought we just gutted it out,'' Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We just weren't really sharp.''

The sluggish victory followed a 108-88 blowout of the Clippers in Los Angeles on Thursday night, marking the first consecutive victories for Phoenix since Dec. 7. Stoudemire had 30 points and 15 rebounds on Thursday.

"We played a lot better than we did last night, which is good for us,'' the Clippers' Chris Kaman said. "Still, it's never fun to lose a game.''

Grant Hill added 22 points and eight assists for the Suns. He scored 10 in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter. Hill took a shot in the chin from Corey Maggette's elbow, resulting in a cut that required six stitches after the game.

Shawn Marion had 18 points and Steve Nash 10 points and 10 assists for the Suns, who won their 21st game, tops in the Western Conference. Phoenix tied a franchise record with 16 blocked shots, four by Brian Skinner and three apiece by Stoudemire and Hill.

"All we need to do is put our mind to it,'' Stoudemire said. "From athleticism to intelligence, we've got it all. Everybody's smart basketball players, we just need to do it. We're on the right track.''

Kaman had 22 points and 20 rebounds for the severely depleted Clippers. Sam Cassell, back in the starting lineup, added 21 points.

"Scoring's never going to be a problem. If I get the minutes, I'm going to score the basketball and get my team basically open shots,'' Cassell said. "We had a chance. That's all you can expect on the road. This game went down to the wire. They showed why they're a good team.''

Cassell's 3-pointer with 1:35 to play cut Phoenix's lead to 87-86. Stoudemire scored inside to make it 89-86, then Kaman put up an air ball on a hook shot.

Stoudemire made a 19-footer as the shot clock expired to put Phoenix ahead 91-86 with 40 seconds to go.

The Suns led virtually the entire game. The Clippers, who stayed close despite shooting 35 percent, had a pair of one-point leads in the third quarter.

Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy liked the defensive effort.

"Overall, we played a lot of things the way we want to play them,'' he said.

Phoenix was up by as many a 36 Thursday night, and they were off to a fast start in this one, too.

Playing their third game in four nights, the Suns led by as many as 14 in the second quarter but were up just 66-65 entering the fourth. Hill scored the Suns' last two points of the third quarter and first seven of the fourth. His three-point play after Boris Diaw's soaring block of Al Thornton's layup put Phoenix ahead 73-67. Diaw followed with a 17-footer and it was 75-67 9:15 from the finish.

Another three-point play by Hill, to the vehement displeasure of Cassell, gave the Suns a 79-69 lead with 7:36 to go. But Los Angeles went on a 14-6 surge to cut the lead to 85-83 on Cassell's turnaround 14-footer with 2:11 left.

After misfiring on several opportunities, the Clippers got their first lead of the game at 63-62 when Kaman made an 18-footer with three minutes left in the third quarter.

Hill's inside basket on a pass from Skinner put Phoenix ahead 66-65 after three quarters.

Phoenix, the NBA's highest-scoring team, scored 15 points in the third quarter, shooting 7-for-22.

source : NBA.com

Bulls?New Coach Debuts with a Win Over Bucks

2007-12-29T18:44:00.001-08:00

Chicago 103, Milwaukee 99

CHICAGO, Dec. 28 (AP) -- Jim Boylan's debut as interim head coach of the Chicago Bulls was a winner because of a major change he made soon after getting the job.

Boylan asked Ben Gordon to give up his starter's role and come off the bench to give the stumbling team an offensive lift.

Gordon, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year during the 2004-05 season, prefers to be on the floor at the start of the game, but made the switch to help the team. He scored 19 of his 31 points in the final quarter Friday night as the Bulls beat the Milwaukee Bucks 103-99.

Boylan, promoted from an assistant's job Thursday to replace the fired Scott Skiles, wasn't surprised by Gordon's performance.

"I didn't want to make any predictions before the game, but I thought he would (respond) because that is the kind of guy Ben is. He told me he would do it, that I could count on him,'' Boylan said. "He came through. I have to applaud him for accepting this role.''

Gordon's big final quarter included 10-of-11 from the free throw line. He said he needed some extra time early in the game to get loose.

"It took me a while to kind of get warm but after a few trips up and down I found my groove,'' he said. "It worked for us and hopefully it will continue to work in the future.''

Luol Deng added 28 for Chicago. Michael Redd paced the Bucks with 34.

Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak was ejected with 1:18 left after picking up his second technical foul when he angrily came on the floor toward official Derrick Collins during a timeout.

The blowup came seconds after Deng's follow shot had put the Bulls up 95-91. Moments earlier, Chicago had been awarded possession after a loose ball scramble. A replay appeared to show the ball went off Chicago's Kirk Hinrich as he was hitting the floor. And Krystkowiak was livid.

"No question it was our ball. Hinrich hit the ball out of bounds. I saw it live and I saw it on tape a number of times,'' Krystkowiak said. "I felt it was our ball and I obviously reacted. ... I would like to go back in time and rewind it, but in the heat of the moment that's what it was. It's rough. We had a six-point lead going into the fourth quarter. I would be lying if I didn't say it stings.''

Gordon made two free throws after the technicals on Krystkowiak to put Chicago up 97-91 and the Bulls hung on, thanks to some shaky free throw shooting from Milwaukee.

Boylan acknowledged some butterflies before his first game as a head coach - albeit an interim one - because it was something he'd waited for during a 14-season stint in the league, mostly as an assistant.

"I feel a certain calmness, too. I've been chasing this for a long time and for it to finally get here, I think I'd be foolish to let my emotions get the best of me,'' said the 52-year-old Boylan.

But when asked after the game about the experience, Boylan had to stop to compose himself as his voice cracked.

"It's funny being out there. I coached the team in the summer, but obviously it's quite different,'' he said. "It was an emotional thing. My family is here.''

Boylan also showed his sense of humor when asked how he did coaching in the frenetic atmosphere.

"I'm a little bit rusty. I have to polish up my delivery and make sure I'm doing everything right out there,'' he said. "I'm a work in progress, too.''

Redd made two of three free throws after he was fouled on a long attempt with 24 seconds left to make it 98-95. After two more free throws by Gordon, Redd again was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made two to cut it to 100-97 with 14 seconds to play.

Milwaukee was only 7-for-15 from the line for the game and missed seven free throws in the final quarter. The Bulls had a whopping advantage, hitting 29 of 33 free throws.

Mo Williams had 15 assists and 11 points for the Bucks, while Andrew Bogut added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Deng shot 12-for-18 from the field and had 10 rebounds.

Redd had seven points, including a 3-pointer, and a nice pass to Bogut for a dunk, as the Bucks opened the second half on a 15-6 run to go up 62-52.

Milwaukee led 76-70 after three quarters. But the Bulls stayed close and finally pulled even on Gordon's three-point play with 7:38 left at 82.

source : NBA.com

Pistons Beat Pacers For 7th Straight Victory

2007-12-29T18:43:00.001-08:00

Pistons 114, Pacers 101

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Dec. 28 (AP) -- Jarvis Hayes can't imagine that food poisoning helped his game Friday night.

He doesn't have a better explanation, though.

Hayes, who has been sick since Detroit's flight back from New Jersey on Wednesday, scored 13 points in the second quarter to help the Pistons post their seventh straight victory, 114-101, over the Indiana Pacers.

"I'm not sure what caused that - it's the best shooting game I've had all month,'' he said. "I got an easy layup when I first got into the game, and it all went right from there.''

Hayes scored 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the first five minutes of the quarter as Detroit moved out to a 20-point lead. He got sick again at halftime and didn't return to the game, but it didn't matter.

"He was hitting everything, so we wanted to keep getting him the ball,'' Chauncey Billups said. "We don't care who is knocking down shots - we're going with the hot guy.''

The Pistons scored a season-high 40 points in the period, and had 69 in the second and third quarters combined.

"When we get it going, we're as good as any team out there,'' Billups said. "We were making the extra pass tonight, and that was getting us a lot of good looks.''

Richard Hamilton led Detroit with 23 points, nine assists and four steals, while Tayshaun Prince scored 15 points and Billups had 14.

"That was one of Rip's best all-around games,'' Detroit coach Flip Saunders said. "We've stressed to him that when he's that active defensively, he's more efficient shooting-wise. He gets a feel of everything.''

The Pacers have the unenviable task of facing the streaking Pistons again on Saturday. Detroit has won 14 of 16, while Indiana has lost three of four.

"Obviously, this is a tough matchup for us,'' said Indiana coach Jim O'Brien. "Prince is tough for any team to defend, and he got the best of Michael (Dunleavy) tonight, and Rip certainly got the best of Danny (Granger).''

Jermaine O'Neal, playing on a sore knee, led the Pacers with 25 and Troy Murphy scored 12, but no other Indiana starter reached double figures. The Pacers committed 13 turnovers in the first half, including four by Dunleavy.

"They are a superior basketball team, and you can't give them extra opportunities by turning the ball over,'' O'Brien said. "Those were really unforced errors.''

Detroit led 64-41 at the half, and only O'Neal's 12 points in the third quarter kept Indiana from being routed.

"You can't give up 40 points in a quarter and expect to be in the game,'' Murphy said. "They're great, but we don't want to think this was our best effort tonight. Hopefully, we can give them our best tomorrow.''

Hamilton's 13 points in the period made it 93-70 going into the fourth, and the Pacers never threatened in a sloppy final period.

source : NBA.com

Nets?Big Three Lead Way to Win Over Wizards

2007-12-29T18:42:00.001-08:00

New Jersey 109, Washington 106

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Dec. 28 (AP) -- The Nets "Big Three'' helped New Jersey pull out a rare home win.

Richard Jefferson scored 26 points, Vince Carter added 24 and Jason Kidd had 20 points and 12 assists, leading the New Jersey Nets to a 109-106 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Kidd fell two rebounds short of his 95th career triple-double as New Jersey earned only its fourth win in the last 14 home games. The Nets are 7-11 overall at the Izod Center.

"Vince really carried us early and Jason was pretty consistent throughout the game by hitting some shots early and pushing the ball the way he normally does,'' Jefferson said. "I was able to get going a little bit in the second half and that allowed us to get a win.''

Rookie Sean Williams had 14 points, including a pair of clutch dunks in the fourth quarter, and 10 rebounds for his first double-double. Bostjan Nachbar had 12 points.

Caron Butler led all scorers with 28 for the Wizards. Antawn Jamison had 27 points and 13 rebounds. Nick Young had 15 points, Brendan Haywood 13 points and Roger Mason Jr. 12.

The Nets took charge down the stretch with six straight points, starting with a dunk by Williams. After Mason missed a 3-pointer at the other end, Williams slammed home another, with Carter assisting on both.

"They were making sure they had two guys on me,'' Carter said. "I told Sean to dive for the basket and look, instead of diving just to take somebody with you. If he wasn't getting the ball, he was sucking guys in, getting other guys shots.''

Butler then turned the ball over on a bad pass and Kidd made a pair of free throws to put the Nets up 107-100.

"We just didn't play smart down the stretch,'' Jamison said. "We didn't get stops when we needed to and we did not get the quality shots we needed. This was a winnable game. We just didn't find a way to get it done and they did all the correct things to win the game.''

Kidd and Carter each had 10 points to pace the Nets to a 30-27 lead after one period.

Kidd was 4-for-6 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers in a strong bounce-back quarter. Kidd went 0-for-8 Wednesday in the Nets' 101-83 home loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Carter maintained focus despite an elbow to the face early in the quarter from Butler that had the Nets guard repeatedly blinking his left eye.

Butler led the Wizards with 12.

Washington closed out the half on a 15-8 run to take a 59-53 lead into the locker room. Butler got the run going with a 21-foot basket and Jamison, who had 10 points in the quarter, followed with a layup and a jumper to trigger the spurt.

New Jersey battled back to take an 87-86 lead after three quarters as Jefferson got untracked. After scoring only five points in the first half, Jefferson had 21 in the quarter, shooting 6-for-9 from the field.

source : NBA.com

Jackson Now 7th All-Time with 938th Win

2007-12-29T18:40:00.002-08:00

L.A. Lakers 123, Utah 109

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 28 (AP) -- Phil Jackson pulled even with Red Auerbach in regular-season victories, 5 1/2 seasons after tying the Boston Celtics coach for the most NBA championships won.

Kobe Bryant had 31 points and seven assists before sitting out the fourth quarter and the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 123-109 Friday night, giving Jackson his 938th career win and a share of seventh place on the career list.

"The longer you stay here, the more wins you're going to accumulate,'' Jackson said modestly. "But I've never really followed that stuff, you know? I think the night that made the most sense to me, in terms of numbers of wins, was when I got my 500th and Bill Fitch was coaching on the other side. He was my college coach, and he came over and shook my hand after the game.''

As fate would have it, Jackson will get a chance to pass Auerbach when the Lakers host the Celtics on Sunday night in the 177th regular-season meeting of the NBA's greatest rivalry. They've faced each other 10 times in the finals, with Boston winning the first eight and the Lakers prevailing in 1985 and 1987.

Jackson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sept. 7, has won nine league titles as a coach. Three of them came with the Lakers and the other six with the Chicago Bulls - who won 72 games with Jackson at the helm in 1995-96.

"Fortunately, I've had really good teams and they've accumulated a lot more wins in a short period of time. But still and all, it's really just longevity and it speaks for hanging in there,'' Jackson said.

Auerbach's final season as an NBA coach coincided with Utah coach Jerry Sloan's rookie season as an NBA player with the Baltimore Bullets. But he found it difficult to compare Auerbach and Jackson.

"They didn't have the same people. If they coached all the same guys, maybe you could compare them. But they've both been blessed with great players, and that gives you a chance every night,'' said Sloan, whose 1,051 victories are fourth on the career list. "Phil's always done a great job coaching his teams. It's one thing to have great players, but it's another to be able to coach them and win with them.''

Lakers special assistant coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's career scoring leader, agreed with Sloan.

"Their eras are so different, it's difficult to make a comparison,'' Abdul-Jabbar said. "Phil coached in an entirely different era, and I really don't think it translates. It's kind of like comparing somebody like Joe Torre to Connie Mack.

"Phil always seems to get good mileage out of good players,'' he added. "It involves a lot of patience, and you've got to be lucky enough to find players with the right chemistry. I think a lot of coaches who could have that kind of talent might not have done as well. You'll never know, but I think that has a lot to do with it.''

Carlos Boozer led Utah with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Reserve guard Gordon Giricek, banished to the locker room by Sloan during a timeout in the second quarter of Utah's 98-92 loss at Charlotte on Dec. 19, rejoined his teammates after spending the last three games back in Salt Lake City. He spent the entire game on the bench.

Asked if Giricek's three-game absence could be classified as a suspension, Sloan said: "I guess you could call it that, but there was no fine involved. We just had a little verbal exchange that got a little bit too far out of hand. It's not a big deal, really. We're going to go about our business and see what happens. He's here and I'm here, and that's the way life is.''

The Lakers enjoyed their highest-scoring first half of the season, taking a 75-48 lead with 21 points from Bryant and 13 by Lamar Odom. Andrew Bynum scored eight points in the first 6:20 - including a pair of alley-oop dunks set up by Bryant and Derek Fisher - but went to the bench less than a minute later after picking up his second foul.

Kwame Brown, sidelined the previous 19 games because of ankle and knee sprains, played for the first time since Nov. 18 and was the first player off the Lakers' bench. He replaced Bynum with 5:28 left in the opening quarter, and Los Angeles outscored Utah 19-7 over the next 4 minutes to pull ahead 37-21.

From then on, it was no contest. The Lakers took their biggest lead, 91-57, on a layup by Trevor Ariza with 6:57 left in the third quarter and coasted to their fourth straight victory. They shot 54.4 percent from the field, raising their record to 9-0 when shooting at least 50 percent.

"They beat us about every way you can,'' Sloan said. "They came out and destroyed us that first half. They were so good defensively, we couldn't get anything. We started to think we could beat them one-on-one, and we just didn't have much of a chance to do that, either.''

source : NBA.com

Sixers Beat Kings, Win Third Straight

2007-12-29T18:40:00.001-08:00

Philadelphia 92, Sacramento 80

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 28 (AP) -- Things are going so well right now for the Philadelphia 76ers that they are winning even when they aren't playing well.

Samuel Dalembert had 19 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks for the 76ers, who pulled away in the fourth quarter of a sloppy game for their third straight victory, a 92-80 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Tied after three quarters with the slumping Kings, the 76ers scored seven straight points to build a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter and never trailed again.

Andre Iguodala ignited a 10-0 run with a spectacular dunk off a fastbreak, a driving layup and added a 3-pointer as the 76ers went ahead 88-73 with 3:05 remaining to record their eighth win in 11 games since a Dec. 5 loss at home to Boston.

"Getting this was big, it was an ugly game but we got the win,'' said 76ers point guard Andre Miller, who made all three shots in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 points.

Iguodala scored nine of his 16 points in the fourth quarter when Philadelphia held a 29-17 edge. The victory, which improves the 76ers to 6-7 on the road, was the first game of a six-game trip that concludes Jan. 6 in Denver.

"This was very important for us confidence-wise, it was a game we were capable of winning and we had to take care of it and get it done,'' Dalembert said.

Ex-76ers forward John Salmons scored 22 points for the Kings, who have lost three straight games at Arco Arena since coming home from a successful five-game road trip. Beno Udrih had 19 points and six assists and Brad Miller added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

"I didn't think we were terrible on defense, we just turned the ball over a lot (23 times) and they converted, that was the difference in the game,'' Salmons said.

For the injury-plagued Kings, it was another game without a key player. Ron Artest has a chipped bone in his right elbow and was a late scratch for the game. Starting point guard Mike Bibby has yet to play this season and leading scorer Kevin Martin has been out the past 11 games with a strained right groin.

Artest, who took part in the Kings' morning shootaround and attended the game in street clothes, had an X-ray of the elbow on Friday and will be reevaluated before Sunday's game against Phoenix. The Kings are 2-7 in games Artest has missed this season.

"You have to take advantage of that anytime you have a player like that out,'' Andre Miller said. "That's just how it works sometimes, but it doesn't change the game. You know the other team is going to play harder.''

Kings coach Reggie Theus said missing three-fifths of his starting lineup was a factor, but so were the turnovers.

"Wow, you could probably start this off by talking about being undermanned, but even with that said I don't accept 23 turnovers,'' Theus said. "Regardless of how undermanned you are and things of that nature, you've got to take care of the basketball - it's ridiculous.''

Mikki Moore and Brad Miller, who combined for 49 points in Dec. 14 victory in Philadelphia, were practically invisible in the first half, getting six points between them. Moore finished with six points and six rebounds.

"Anytime you get your butt kicked you look back and see how you can do things differently,'' Dalembert said. "My focus was not inside the paint. When you play against a shooter like (Brad) Miller he has to be your focus. So when he went outside I went with him.''

Scoring repeatedly inside, Dalembert had 14 points and seven rebounds in the opening half when the 76ers led 50-46.

source : NBA.com

Kapono Helps Raptors Soar Over Spurs

2007-12-29T18:39:00.001-08:00

Toronto 83, San Antonio 73

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 28 (AP) -- An hour before Friday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell was asked whether a nearly weeklong layoff might cause his team to be a bit rusty.

Mitchell was unequivocal in his response.

"Why would I worry about it? There's nothing I can do about it,'' he said. "I actually think we needed it.''

After the Raptors stomped the Spurs 83-73 Friday night, Mitchell might have realized just how right he was.

Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak and handed the Spurs just their second home loss of the season.

"They're a good basketball team. They're the defending world champs. And we beat them on this floor,'' Mitchell said.

Jason Kapono scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Kris Humphries added 14 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto. Jose Calderon also contributed 14 points.

Michael Finley led the Spurs with 20 points and Tony Parker added 15. Tim Duncan scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

The Spurs shot as poorly as they have all season (23-of-72, 32 percent) and gave the ball up 19 times as they struggled without super sub Manu Ginobili, who is out with a sprained left index finger.

"We got shots that we usually knock out, and they didn't go out tonight,'' Duncan said.

The Spurs' 73 points were their fewest this season.

"To hold that great a team to 73 points is pretty good defense,'' Kapono said. "To finish out such a quality team, it says a lot about this team and that's something we need to build on.''

Chris Bosh, coming off a career-high 42 points in the Raptors' loss to Phoenix on Saturday, scored 10. Andrea Bargnani added 11 for Toronto.

The Raptors went ahead for good after Kapono's 3-pointer with 1:10 left in the first quarter broke a 16-all tie.

"This place is not an easy place to win in,'' Bosh said. "It's the toughest we played all year.''

Having clawed their way back to a 59-56 deficit heading into the final 12 minutes after trailing by as many as 17 earlier, things started to unravel for the Spurs about halfway through the quarter.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was ejected with 5:59 left as he screamed at officials after no foul was called on a play, and Duncan and former Raptor Matt Bonner, who is in his second season with San Antonio, got technicals shortly thereafter.

Bonner scored 10 points for the Spurs.

"It could have sparked the (Spurs) team,'' Kapono said of the technicals. "We wanted to make sure we held them down and that's what we did.''

Kapono's 3-pointer gave Toronto a 73-62 lead with 4:29 to play. Calderon's layup with 1:44 to go, followed by a jumper from Humphries, made it 83-68 and put the game well out of reach.

The Raptors built a comfortable lead in the first half against the misfiring Spurs, who were just 10-of-34 (29 percent) from the field midway through the game. Parker only got his first basket of the night with 1:34 left in the second quarter.

The Raptors, off a 10-4 run keyed by Bargnani, went up 40-24 with 2:25 to go in the half. Their red jerseys seemed to be everywhere as they pestered San Antonio and outscored the Spurs 25-16 in the second quarter for a 44-32 lead at the break.

Things looked up for San Antonio in the third quarter. But it was more a function of the Raptors' poor shooting than the Spurs improving theirs. Toronto hit just five of 20 shots in the third. The Spurs didn't fare much better, sinking eight of 21.

But behind Finley, Duncan and Parker, the Spurs went on a 17-4 burst that brought them within 53-49 with 2:48 remaining in the period. A crowd-energizing 3-pointer from Bonner got San Antonio within 57-56 with less than 30 seconds on the clock.

source : NBA.com

Sans McGrady, Houston Gets Balanced Scoring

2007-12-29T18:36:00.000-08:00

Houston 103, Memphis 83
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Dec. 28 (AP) -- Even without Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets were able to easily take care of the struggling Memphis Grizzlies.

For the first time this season, the Rockets won without having one of their regular starters in the lineup as Yao scored 22 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked five shots, and Luis Scola scored a career-high 22 points in a 103-83 victory over Memphis on Friday night.

"I think we need to build a solid team, and be able to win with whatever we have,'' Scola said of playing without McGrady, the league's 10th-best scorer at 22.8 a game. "If we want to do something big, we need to be solid. We need to have four or five people step up.''

McGrady is sitting out about a week to rest his sore left knee, and entering Friday night's game, the Rockets were 0-6 when a starter was missing, including 0-3 without McGrady.

Shane Battier scored 18 points, going 3-for-4 from outside the 3-point arc for Houston. Scola, the 6-foot-9 rookie out of Argentina, was 11-for-17 from the floor.

The Rockets made up for the loss of McGrady's offense with balanced scoring as six players finished in double figures. Bonzi Wells, Rafer Alston and Aaron Brooks added 10 points each.

Yao said a win without McGrady may help turn around the struggling team. Houston entered having lost four of five.

"(McGrady) is hurt some days, and we have to know how to win without him,'' Yao said. "I think everybody played with their full effort and played with discipline and with a passion.''

Pau Gasol led Memphis with 23 points, but the Grizzlies struggled from the field, shooting 36 percent. Darko Milicic scored 12 and Mike Miller added 11 for the Grizzlies, who lost for the 11th time in the last 13 games.

"The shooting was hard to open up,'' Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni said. "We were turning down open shots. It wasn't good for the shooting muscles. When you have a shot, you have to take it. We have no confidence.''

The Grizzlies never threatened after Houston opened a double-digit lead in the third period. Scola's 10 points in the final quarter helped keep Memphis at bay. The struggles are starting to show on the Grizzlies. The team seems to be pressing more as the losses continue to mount.

"The sooner we can turn this around the better because, otherwise, the load just keeps getting heavier and heavier,'' Gasol said.

"I know it looks hard to say right now, but we go on a 10-, 11-game win streak, and we're right back in the mix of things,'' Miller said.

Houston led 50-43 at halftime behind Yao's 10 points. Gasol scored 12 for Memphis.

The Grizzlies' poor shooting started early, as they missed 17 of their 23 first-quarter shots, and they were still under 30 percent early in the second quarter. That helped the Rockets build a 12-point lead. Yao missed only one of his six first-half shots before foul troubles midway through the second period sent him to the bench.

Without the 7-foot-6 center's presence in the middle, the Grizzlies were able to put a dent in the double-digit deficit with 10 straight points.

Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies' leading scorer, was scoreless in the half. He finished with eight points, missing 10 of his 13 shots from the field.

Houston extended the lead to 78-65 entering the fourth, as Alston, Yao and Battier provided the offensive punch.

"I thought we did a great job in the second half when (the Grizzlies) were trying to front-in, and we attacked the other side,'' Houston coach Rick Adelman said. "We got really good opportunities from other people.''

"It's just the growth of our team that the more guys that we get involved, and the more they mature and get a sense of what they can do, it's just going to help us in the long run.''

source : NBA.com

Magic Make Van Gundy A Winner In Return

2007-12-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

Orlando 121, Miami 114

MIAMI, Dec. 28 (AP) -- Stan Van Gundy had seen this all before from Dwyane Wade.

Jumpers that swish with the game on the line. Forcing turnovers. Setting up teammates for big shots.

Van Gundy enjoyed it when he coached Wade and the Miami Heat. He even enjoyed it again Friday night, albeit from the Orlando Magic's end of the court.

Dwight Howard had 29 points and 21 rebounds, Hedo Turkoglu capped his 22-point night by hitting a huge 3-pointer with 11 seconds left and the Magic survived some late-game Miami heroics to beat the Heat 121-114 on Friday night -- giving Van Gundy a victory in his return to South Florida.

"I am just happy to walk out of here with a win,'' said Van Gundy, Pat Riley's former protege who resigned as Heat coach in December 2005 and hadn't been back for a game before Friday night.

Wade matched a career high with 48 points, 20 of them coming in the fourth quarter and all of them in regulation for Miami, which fell to 8-22. He was 16-for-21 from the floor, plus added 11 assists and seven rebounds.

Somehow, it wasn't enough.

"It's a little demoralizing to play my most complete game yet and to really have a feeling that we were going to win this ballgame,'' Wade said. "To lose it in overtime, it hurts.''

Van Gundy ordered the Magic to trap Wade constantly in overtime, and it worked. Wade didn't get a shot off in the extra 5 minutes.

"You can tell Pat and Dwyane, right off the bat next game, we're trapping him the minute he walks out of the locker room,'' Van Gundy said.

He was laughing when he said that.

The Heat found nothing worth laughing about.

Daequan Cook sent the game to overtime with a long 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left in regulation on an assist by Wade, then tied the game again on another 3 with 1:18 left for Miami. But Turkoglu scored the next five points, sealing Orlando's seventh straight win in the series between the Sunshine State rivals.

Rashard Lewis scored 17 points, while Keith Bogans and Carlos Arroyo each had 13 for Orlando.

"It's the good thing about our team,'' Turkoglu said. "No matter what happens, we stick together until the end.''

Ricky Davis and Udonis Haslem each scored 17 for Miami, which played without center Shaquille O'Neal and point guard Jason Williams. Dorell Wright scored 14 points and Cook finished with 11 for the Heat.

Orlando led 84-79 after Evans' three-point play with 9:52 left in regulation, a score set up by a turnover by Wade. So he went to work, as if to make up for the mistake.

He scored eight straight points to stake Miami to an 87-84 lead and, after Lewis made a free throw following a technical against Haslem, Wade found Wright for a dunk that gave Miami a four-point lead. Cook then added a 3-pointer, putting Miami ahead 92-85 and capping a 13-1, 3 1/2-minute run.

Orlando wasn't fazed. Lewis made a 3-pointer, Howard added a three-point play 41 seconds later, and suddenly the Magic were within one. And when Wade stretched the margin back to 98-91, Orlando came back again -- with Lewis' 3-pointer after Orlando controlled a missed free throw by Howard playing a huge role.

"One rebound in regulation is probably what it comes down to,'' Riley said.

Miami had four players log at least 42 minutes, largely because the Heat are wracked by injuries.

O'Neal missed his first game of the season with left hip bursitis and Williams was sidelined by a sore left knee. Miami also played without backup point guard Chris Quinn (sprained ankle), and the Heat aren't sure if any of those three will be ready to play Saturday night in Washington.

That depleted roster didn't hurt Miami in the early going.

The Heat led by as many as nine in the first half, before taking a 54-50 lead into intermission.

Miami stretched the lead to 10 shortly after halftime, but Orlando used a 19-6 run late in the third quarter to erase the deficit and take a five-point lead.

And in the wild fourth quarter, Orlando simply had a little bit more.

"It was kind of fun,'' Arroyo said.

source : NBA.com

Hot Hornets Flying Under Radar

2007-12-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

New Orleans 99, Charlotte 85
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 28 (AP) -- With so many powerful teams in the Western Conference, the New Orleans Hornets get little attention.

After their fourth straight blowout win Friday night, it may be time to take notice.

David West had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Hornets' latest dominating performance, a 99-85 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Quietly coming into the game with the third-best record in the West, the Hornets quickly put away the sleepwalking Bobcats with alley-oop dunks, energized defense and balanced scoring.

Tyson Chandler had 17 points and 17 rebounds, and Chris Paul had 17 points and 11 assists for the Hornets, who made their fourth trip to Charlotte since bolting the city for New Orleans nearly six years ago.

And their current streak of four wins by 80 points is giving the Hornets hope they can contend in the difficult West.

"We can't worry about who's the hottest story,'' Paul said. "The (Trail) Blazers are getting a lot of attention right now. We've just got to keep winning.''

The fourth-year Bobcats, who came into the season thinking they could reach the playoffs for the first time, were never in the game in their third straight loss and fell seven games under .500.

Jason Richardson scored 18 of his 25 points in the second half, Nazr Mohammed added 15 points and 14 rebounds and Gerald Wallace scored 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting for the Bobcats, who again appeared off kilter under first-year coach Sam Vincent.

"We're not aggressive. We're too laid back,'' said Wallace, who played 47 minutes a night before Charlotte visits Orlando. "We're not a good enough team to play like that.''

At times, the Bobcats didn't even have a home-court advantage.

Paul, who grew up 80 miles away in Winston-Salem and starred at Wake Forest, secured almost 500 tickets for family, friends and college acquaintances.

With thousands of Wake Forest supporters in town for Saturday's Meineke Bowl, Paul was perhaps the most popular guy in town. He was seen running through a hallway about 90 minutes before tipoff, late for a meeting with Wake Forest boosters.

About an hour before the game, Paul was in the locker room yelling into his cell phone, "The tickets will be at will call!"

The packed pregame schedule didn't affect Paul or the Hornets early against Charlotte, which has been plagued by slow starts all season.

New Orleans scored on three alley-oop dunks in building a 23-10 lead, with Paul pushing the ball up the floor at every opportunity.

"We wanted to jump on them,'' coach Byron Scott said. "We knew they hadn't been playing particularly well and we've been playing pretty well.''

The Bobcats tied a season low with 14 first-quarter points and fell behind 53-31 when Paul blew past former college rival Raymond Felton for a three-point play with six seconds left in the first half.

Down by 19 at halftime, fans booed the Bobcats off the floor -- minus the Connecticut football fans in town for the bowl game who were chanting for their team during the Hornets' dominance.

"The urgency to start the quarter, to start the game, just isn't there right now,'' Vincent said.

Chandler kept the Bobcats at bay in the third quarter by scoring 10 points, including a thunderous dunk off a nifty feed from Paul.

After the Bobcats got within 11 with under 4 minutes left, West went to work inside for two buckets and two free throws to end the spurt.

It was just like how San Antonio, Dallas and Phoenix put away teams.

"Hopefully, sooner or later you start to get a little bit of notice,'' Scott said. "We want to just keep playing the way we're playing.''

source : NBA.com

Results Of 28th December

2007-12-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Hornets	28	25	28	18	99
Bobcats	14	20	28	23	85

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	Full Time
Magic	28	22	28	29	14	121
Heat	26	28	21	32	7	114

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Rockets	22	28	28	25	103
Grizzlies	15	28	22	18	83

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Raptors	19	25	15	24	83
Spurs	16	16	24	17	73

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
76ers	26	24	13	29	92
Kings	25	21	17	17	80

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Jazz	23	25	26	35	109
Lakers	38	37	31	17	123

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Wizards	27	32	27	20	106
Nets	30	23	34	22	109

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Pacers	19	22	29	31	101
Pistons	24	40	29	21	114

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Bucks	25	22	29	23	99
Bulls	28	18	24	33	103

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Clippers	19	28	18	23	88
Suns	27	24	15	28	94

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Timberwolves	19	27	23	29	98
Trail Blazers	25	30	23	31	109

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Nuggets	39	32	31	22	124
Warriors	32	32	33	23	120

source : NBA.com

Results Of 7th December

2007-12-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Knicks	27	22	18	23	90
76ers	26	27	19	29	101

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Pacers	28	26	30	31	115
Magic	32	30	25	22	109

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Raptors	16	24	15	29	84
Celtics	27	35	29	21	112

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	Full Time
Grizzlies	21	26	33	27	9	116
Hornets	25	30	30	22	11	118

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Clippers	22	19	30	26	97
Kings	28	24	18	17	87

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Bucks	24	25	19	30	98
Supersonics	31	22	20	31	104

Team	1	2	3	4	T
Suns	30	30	40	22	122
Wizards	26	29	21	31	107
Final

Team	1	2	3	4	T
Bulls	23	22	27	26	98
Pistons	17	26	28	20	91
Final

Results Of 6th December

2007-12-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Timberwolves	15	25	27	22	89
Hawks	29	24	8	29	90

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Heat	25	17	31	33	106
Trail Blazers	30	26	21	35	112

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Nuggets	39	25	34	24	122
Mavericks	32	24	36	17	109

source : NBA.com

Results Of 5th December

2007-12-22T21:20:00.000-08:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Suns	33	28	45	30	136
Raptors	28	28	29	38	123

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Cavaliers	21	13	28	24	86
Wizards	22	31	26	26	105

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Knicks	26	25	23	26	100
Nets	18	24	24	27	93

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Grizzlies	20	22	29	21	92
Rockets	24	31	30	20	105

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Lakers	29	33	26	23	111
Nuggets	24	34	30	19	107

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Clippers	17	18	26	27	88
Supersonics	18	25	30	22	95

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Celtics	26	26	31	30	113
76ers	32	25	23	23	103

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Bulls	21	18	14	38	91
Bobcats	21	21	18	22	82

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Pistons	16	28	22	25	91
Hornets	26	16	18	16	76

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Mavericks	24	25	17	29	95
Spurs	18	24	31	24	97

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Bucks	25	11	27	27	90
Warriors	30	27	28	35	120

source : NBA.com

Fantasy, Anyone?

2007-12-05T04:33:00.000-08:00

SECAUCUS, N.J., Dec. 4, 2007 -- I'm not one to brag (wink), but when it comes to fantasy sports, I'm known as "The Blueprint". Send me your e-mail address and I'll get you a copy of my championship-winning resume.

Maybe that is why my brother and his friends decided not to include me in their fantasy basketball league, which drafted this past weekend (yes, a full month after the season began). Is it really that difficult to find 10 people to be in a fantasy league?

Even though I'm not in their league, it got me to thinking. How would the first round of a fantasy draft play out at this point in the season? I'm sure if owners got a do-over, they probably would draft a little bit differently.

LEAGUE BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

No	Team	Selection
1	Team Defending Champs. This owner is the guy who has the championship trophy from last year sitting on his desk in his cubicle.	LeBron James, Cavaliers. Regardless of when the draft is held, LeBron should be the first pick. Before he was injured, he was filling up the stat sheet in ways not seen in the league in a long time.
2	Team Looking For A Friend. This owner knows nothing about hoops, but you needed another person and he needed something to do.	Dwight Howard, Magic. This guy shoots at a high percentage and he is a stud when it comes to getting points, blocks and rebounds.
3	Team Shutup: This owner says "nice pick" after each selection of the draft.	Carlos Boozer, Jazz. The scoring system in my league rewards players for double-doubles and Boozer is a double-double machine.
4	Team Pay Attention: This owner is the guy who always picks someone who was taken two rounds earlier.	Baron Davis, Warriors. Baron is an injury risk, but when healthy, he does it all. So far this season, he has been healthy.
5	Team Adult Beverages: You know the guy who has too much to drink during the draft and ruins his squad.	Yao Ming, Rockets. He didn't mess up here, taking the Rockets big man midway through the first round. How can Kevin Garnett, who has been the first pick of my real league the past five years still be on the board?
6	Team Make Check Payable To. This owner won't be setting his lineup by the midway point of the season. If your league has an entry fee, be sure to get his loot up front.	Kevin Garnett, Celtics. The trade from Minnesota to Boston hasn't hurt KG's numbers that much.
7	Team Stop Calling Me. This owner must not accomplish much at his job because he spends all day on the phone calling owners trying to make a trade.	Jason Kidd, Nets. So much for Kidd slowing down because of age. He is still a triple-double machine, even though the Nets are struggling.
8	Team He's My Favorite Player. Regardless of who is on the board, this owner will take his favorite player or a player from his favorite team.	Allen Iverson, Nuggets. Although he is scoring less, Iverson is still putting up big points and setting up his teammates for buckets. I guess he can share the ball with Carmelo Anthony.
9	Team I Love Kobe. No explanation needed here.	Kobe Bryant, Lakers. I'm sure a lot of people selected Kobe first or second in their drafts this year. Although his numbers are fine, I'm sure more was expected. With KB24, that is always the case.
10	Team Lame Joke. This owner will have something smart to say i.e. "He's still in the league?" after each pick.	Steve Nash, Suns. He is a two-time MVP, who is playing like he is trying to earn a third MVP award in four years.

Results Of 4th December

2007-12-05T04:28:00.000-08:00

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Pistons	33	24	30	19	106
Hawks	26	22	13	34	95

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Suns	38	31	27	25	121
Pacers	29	35	26	27	117

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Jazz	35	21	21	30	107
Kings	27	26	21	43	117

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Nets	19	28	27	26	100
Cavaliers	22	21	16	20	79

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Lakers	30	32	24	30	116
Timberwolves	24	22	22	27	95

Team	1	2	3	4	Full Time
Bucks	18	18	28	23	87
Clippers	26	23	15	14	78

source : NBA.com

Pistons Find Balance Against Hawks

2007-12-05T04:26:00.000-08:00

Detroit 106, Atlanta 95

ATLANTA, Dec. 4 (AP) -- The Detroit Pistons are playing like a dominant team, even when the final score is deceptively close.

The Pistons led by 26 after a lopsided third quarter and coasted to their fourth straight victory, beating the Atlanta Hawks 106-95 on Tuesday night.

The Pistons won with balance, with seven players scoring in double figures, led by Tayshaun Prince's 23.

"It was good, man,'' said Chauncey Billups, who had 10 points and 10 assists. "We got a lot of guys rolling.''

Detroit won with a strong inside presence, taking a 10-0 advantage in offensive rebounds in the first half.

"I was really impressed with the job we did on the glass,'' said Pistons coach Flip Saunders, adding he considered offensive rebounds "the Hawks' forte.''

The Pistons also won with defense, blocking 10 shots and shutting down the Hawks' top scorer, Joe Johnson, who had only five points. Johnson's scoring average dropped a full point from 21.7 to 20.7. It was the low total for Johnson since he had five at Memphis on April 2, 2006.

Johnson called the Pistons "a great team'' but added he also had a bad game.

"I'll give them credit, maybe a little bit of both,'' Johnson said. "It's just tough fighting against double teams.''

The Hawks couldn't come close to matching the Pistons' scoring depth. When Johnson was shut down, the Hawks had no backup plan. Josh Smith was held to 13 points, four below his average.

"Our main core guys, they just didn't have it tonight,'' Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "There are nights like that in the NBA. I just hope we don't have many more nights like that.''

Saunders credited Richard Hamilton with leading the defensive effort on Johnson.

"Rip has done a pretty good job on some people lately,'' Saunders said.

Johnson and Smith sat out the fourth quarter.

The Pistons put away the game by outscoring the Hawks 30-13 in the third quarter after leading 57-48 at halftime.

"They were able to make defensive stops and get out and push the ball and get easy shots,'' Smith said. They knocked down all their shots.''

The Pistons made 11 of 14 shots from the field and were 6-of-6 on free throws in the third quarter.

"They hit us tonight,'' Woodson said.

"If they hit you, you've got to hit back, and I don't think we did a good job with that.''

Billups made two free throws with 1.4 seconds left in the third period, giving Detroit an 87-61 lead with a full period left.

The Philips Arena scoreboard, perhaps unable to keep up, was blank for the start of the final quarter.

At one point in the third quarter the posted score was Hawks 75, Pistons 0. That fiction was as close as the Hawks came to holding a lead.

Atlanta native and former University of Georgia star Jarvis Hayes had 17 points in 17 minutes for Detroit. Hamilton had 14 and Jason Maxiell added 13.

The Pistons' average margin of victory in the first three wins of their streak was 28 points. They led the Hawks by 28 before turning the game over to his reserves.

"It's good to be able to rest guys in a game like this,'' Saunders said.

Josh Childress, who paced Atlanta with 18 points, led a mini-comeback in the final quarter, when both teams relied heavily on reserves.

Salim Stoudamire had 15 points, all in the fourth quarter. Rookie point guard Acie Law, in his second game back from an ankle injury, and Marvin Williams each had 11 points.

Rookie center Al Horford grabbed the Hawks' first two offensive rebounds on the team's first possession. His second rebound led to his basket.

Prince blocked a shot by Williams and scored on the other end to give Detroit a 64-52 lead, forcing Woodson to call a timeout less than 3 minutes into the half.

Woodson had to ask for another timeout with 4:19 left in the third period after a fast-break layup by Maxiell pushed the Pistons' lead to 73-57.

The Pistons scored eight straight points after the timeout, pushing the lead to 81-57.

source : NBA.com