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

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

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?"

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Warriors' Biedrins Sidelined By Sprained Wrist

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.


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Warriors' Biedrins Sidelined By Sprained Wrist

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.


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Raptors F Kris Humphries Out With Broken Leg

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.

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Bucks' Bogut Misses 4th Straight With Back Spasms

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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Heat To honor 3 Olympic Gold Medalists

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.


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NBA-Best Magic Get Another Shot At Champ Celtics

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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Nuggets' Jones Out With Separated Right Shoulder

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.


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Bulls' Gooden, Hawks' Horford And Williams Sit

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.

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

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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Grizzlies Sign Miles To Second 10-Day Deal

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.

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Thunder Making Push To Shed NBA's Worst Record

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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