Coming into this season, Delonte West was expected to play a major role in a rebuilt Dallas Mavericks backcourt that featured new starters at both guard positions. Things went sour just before the start of the campaign, though, with Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle suspending West "indefinitely" after a preseason outburst, reinstating him the next day after hashing things out, only to put him back on ice eight days later for "conduct detrimental to the team." The second shelving stuck, as the Mavs waived West four days later to open up a roster spot for, of all people, center Eddy Curry. (That marriage didn't last too long.)

We haven't heard much from West since; since Halloween, when he laid out his resume for prospective NBA suitors, West has tweeted just once — to share a bulletin about Carlisle threatening other Mavs with suspensions, a sort of "I'm just going to leave this right here" tweet without any added commentary. The quiet on the West-ern front (oof) broke this week, though, with the Memphis Grizzlies reportedly considering a 10-day contract offer for West to fill out their roster following Tuesday's multiplayer deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Wednesday night, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that the combo guard's hedging his bets a bit by entering the player pool for the D-League in the hopes, it seems, of getting back to the league by mending some Lone Star fences:

[...] if the Grizzlies pass, West would be eligible to join the team at the front of the D-League waiver line, which sources say is the Donnie Nelson-owned Texas Legends, Frisco-based affiliate of the Mavericks.

Sources say that West hopes to play his way back into the league just like Mike James did earlier this month, earning a call-up from the Mavericks after a brief but successful stint in Frisco. James is nearing the end of his second 10-day contract with the Mavs and, according sources, is a strong possibility to be signed for the rest of the season next week.

A source close to West told Jeff "Skin" Wade of the Ben and Skin Show on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM that the guard prefers a potential situation with the Legends to the Grizzlies scenario in hopes that a good showing with the D-League team could put him back into favor with the Mavs, who released him before the regular season began.

It's interesting that the 29-year-old St. Joe's product would prefer a minor-league gig in Frisco to a pro opportunity in Memphis. While he didn't end things on terms with Dallas, he is, after all, an eight-year NBA veteran who's proven himself a potential asset to good teams. And while nothing's guaranteed on a 10-day deal, his combination of ball-handling skill, outside shooting accuracy, tough defense on both ones and twos, and hard-nosed demeanor would seem like a perfect fit for a Grizzlies team with a well-established grit-grind culture and, as laid bare in their recent swoon, a desperate need for both floor-spacing and punch off the bench.

Then again, a stint with the Legends — who, as Keith Schlosser notes at D-League blog Ridiculous Upside, have been very friendly to ex-NBA players in the past, with the likes of James and Chris Douglas-Roberts parlaying stops there into appearances with the Mavs this year — might offer West a chance to get things right in Dallas, where they went weirdly wrong very quickly this fall.

The situation was clearly an emotional one for West. After his second suspension, West unloaded like someone with a broken heart, chastising the Mavericks for "kick[ing] me in my ass on the way out the door," saying he loved the city of Dallas and claiming to be writing "sittin here across from the arena wit tear in my eyes [sic]." (Part of what made it so emotional, perhaps, was the repeated insinuation that bipolar disorder — a condition with which West deals, which was a key factor in his 2009 arrest for carrying multiple firearms while riding a motorcycle and about which he has openly talked in the past — had something to do with his preseason "outbursts," a claim West repeatedly denied.)

Prior to the preseason drama, West had carved out a niche as a reliable contributor for the Mavs under Carlisle, and seemed to feel close to the team; upon his reinstatement after the first suspension, he spoke of the Mavericks as "a real family" and jokingly called Carlisle "Uncle Ricky." If West views a trip to the D-League as a chance to, in effect, apologize for whatever went wrong and try to get back to the "family" from which he was excised back in October, and if Nelson's willing to let bygones be bygones for a trial run, then that's great; but if the Legends pass on bringing West in, here's hoping another D-League squad takes the chance and West seizes that opportunity, too. Delonte's too fiery, too competitive, too good and too entertaining to stay out of our NBA (or NBA-adjacent) lives much longer.

Also, we'd like to see Delonte on the Legends because it'd mean pairing him with Rashad McCants, whom Stein reported the Legends were interested in bringing back and whose signing was made official on Thursday morning. That'd be a pretty talented, pretty fun, pretty offbeat backcourt worth checking out on YouTube.

Now that we've let the jokes fall by the wayside — and kudos to you, Twitter, because there were some fine ones — isn't it time to discuss how remarkable it is that Eddy Curry will be starting for a playoff-worthy NBA team Tuesday night as the league tips off?

A calf injury — a preseason favorite that is painful to quickly jump back from — has sidelined Dallas Mavericks starting center Chris Kaman. The long-belabored knee setback that Dirk Nowitzki endured earlier this month has created a lineup flux that won't allow Mavs coach Rick Carlisle to go with Dirk and recently signed Elton Brand up front, which leaves the recently-recently signed Curry to man the middle for Dallas as it tips off against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. "Recently-recently" as in, "Eddy Curry has played just one exhibition game with the Mavericks, totaling 11 points on eight shots with seven rebounds and a surprising three blocks in just 25 minutes of action."

Oddly enough, this will be Curry's second straight NBA start — he actually jumped tip for the Miami Heat's final regular-season game last April — though we're sure the novelty behind this designation will last a little longer than the novelty behind his time keeping the usual Heat starters fresh last spring. Curry is looking to make a lasting impact in Dallas, but he has a long way to go before he is considering anything but a novelty. Because he's always been a novelty. Since the beginning.

Think about it. Though Curry was selected during the prep-heavy 2001 NBA draft, he was the first draftee from that era to be paired with another high school-to-pros prospect in one-time amateur rival Tyson Chandler. Unique, to start; and then you toss in the fact that then-Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause long abhorred selecting Chicago-area players like Curry based on some patriarchal nonsense that led the personnel boss to believe that local players would be too distracted to contribute to the local major-league team. This led Krause to draft Jason Caffey ahead of Maywood, Illinois' Michael Finley in 1995 in an attempt to shore up the lacking Chicago frontcourt. Sixteen years into Krause's tenure, he finally allowed for a local guy to suit up.

The novelty continued as the Bulls continued to build around their two young big men, and coach Scott Skiles (Curry's third coach in four seasons, not counting two interim head coaches between all the firings) began to smartly utilize his young center as a scorer-only in the low post; an NBA rarity to this day. The setup behind Curry's 2004-05 run with the Chicago Bulls was the best-case scenario for both player and organization; Curry was only asked to carry the offense during stretches of the first and third quarters before his conditioning issues set in, and he was surrounded with smart and defensive-minded players in the front and back courts that helped mitigate Curry's complete inability to contribute in any other areas. If that sounds like a slight, it isn't — because Curry helped that squad win 36 out of 54 games after a miserable 2-13 start to the season, before a heart ailment shut down Curry's campaign.

An ailment that added to the novelty. As a restricted free agent in 2005, Curry had a few worried suitors, but most teams were scared by a legitimately fearful diagnosis that has proven fatal to several athletes. The Bulls weren't exactly on the cool side of things when they asked Eddy to submit to a DNA test (which he declined) to see if his genetic history left him pre-disposed to terrible things, but they did slightly hedge their awfulness by offering Curry $400,000 a year for 20 years if the test results put the kibosh on his NBA career. Undeterred, New York Knicks GM Isiah Thomas put together a sign and trade deal that not only aided Chicago attempts to clear cap room (used, unfortunately, on Ben Wallace), but also left them with the second and ninth picks in the 2006 and 2007 NBA drafts.

Curry's 2005-06 season was possibly his best, he managed to up his rebounding to near-palatable levels while keeping his wits about him while the martyr-ish Larry Brown and ridiculous-ish Thomas tried to ruin the team in different ways. Eddy's per-game stats shot up the next season in New York as Thomas took over from Brown as coach, but his defense and rebounding fell once again, and things looked and turned out even worse in 2007-08 when Thomas paired Curry with Zach Randolph. By the time Mike D'Antoni took over the next season, Curry was more or less banished, only to make headlines whenever personal assistants or mortgage companies decided to sue him, only to break basketball waves whenever he showed up for camp horribly out of shape.

From there, The Bounce Around. Throw-ins as expiring trade fodder, camp invites, workouts, and minimum salaried contracts. Curry won a ring with the Miami Heat in 2012 despite contributing absolutely nothing to the cause but bad jokes, and even the notoriously life-changing San Antonio Spurs coaching staff declined to keep Eddy around earlier this month after he signed up for their training camp.

The Mavericks, with few other options outside of pairing Brand with Brandan Wright (something we wouldn't mind seeing, for heavy minutes) are moving ahead with Curry as a stopgap. And, over a decade in, the same limitations are worrying Curry's eighth (again, not counting two interims) NBA coach. From Eddie Sefko at the Dallas Morning News:

"He's doing OK,'' [Mavericks coach Rick] Carlisle said. "He's a force in the paint offensively. We'd like to get him more active defensively and rebounding a little bit more. But his attitude has been good, and he's worked hard to get himself in pretty good shape.''

Curry admitted the defensive end of the court will be his biggest chore.

"Every team has a different scheme,'' he said. "And I've never really been considered a great defender anyway, so it's a constant challenge for me. But it's something I'm willing to work on. I'm still learning everybody's name around here. I think every day it'll get better.''

And this is where you say, "why couldn't it have started getting better, every day, back in 2001? Or during all those chances, with several different coaches and setups and contexts, in the years following?"

Apologies for sounding like a pro athlete, but if any of this is going to last for more than a few weeks Curry is going to have to put this behind him. And this isn't to say Eddy needs to give the defensive side of things the same turned-head and overall inaction he gave the Bulls, Knicks and Heat; but we should point out that Curry is still just 29, and he can contribute to a team if the lineup around him is patched together while fully aware of Eddy's can't-help-it limitations. Few coaches are better at creating perfectly paired five-man lineups like Carlisle, and if Curry is treated like a 6-11 Leandro Barbosa, this can work.

Only if Eddy puts in his own work, though. A combination of scoring touch and tenacity in the paint remain a rare quality in this league, and even in limited minutes while gasping for air in New York and Miami Eddy stood out with those down-low moves. Even if this stopgap merely leads to a part in the rotation in a 42-win team, this is a win.

And an end to the novelty, one would hope.

A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: Sports Illustrated. "There are few sins in pro sports worse than losing your confidence, but admitting that you have is one of them." Chris Ballard, one of the best people alive at writing these kinds of stories, tells us about what's going on inside the head of Golden State Warriors center Andris Biedrins when he steps to the free throw line and attempts not to fail. It is simple, excellent writing about something that is complicated, chaotic and depressing.

PF: San Antonio Express-News. Our man Mike Monroe uses a great joke by the great @netw3rk as an entry point into a great consideration of former lottery pick Eddy Curry's shot at making the San Antonio Spurs.

SF: The City. We know defense is important; we know defense is hard to analyze. Here's a new way of looking at shot defense that passes the smell test — closing out hard with your hand up matters more than just closing out — and shares some more interesting information on levels of contesting.

SG: At the Hive. Rohan Cruyff blogs not only about the New Orleans Hornets, but about the league at large, and in his advanced-stats travels, he's come across a particularly interesting number. In which category should you want your favorite team to be +6, and why?

PG: New York Times. MarShon Brooks says the tendinitis in his right foot won't keep him out more than two days, but the Brooklyn Nets are taking a longer view that could mean he'll miss the rest of the preseason.

6th: Houston Chronicle. Apparently, the Houston Rockets have four plays. Considering Jeremy Lin's their new franchise point guard, I'm guessing at least three of them are high screen-and-rolls.

7th: South Florida Sun Sentinel. "Chalmers is now to the point where his Twitter page has fans announcing they named their child after him." Wait, MARIO Chalmers?!?!?

8th: Eye on Basketball. We're a couple of days late on this, so forgive us, but Matt Moore's feature on Andre Iguodala — on why he didn't really enjoy basketball his last couple of years with the Philadelphia 76ers, on what kind of opportunity his move to the Denver Nuggets affords, on why a player with a skill-set as hard to grab hold of as Iguodala's ought to matter to us — is worth your time.

9th: Dallas Morning News. As he works his way through knee trouble, Dirk Nowitzki has already had his knee drained twice this preseason, which should give Dallas Mavericks fans simultaneous cases of the heebie-jeebies, willies and oh-dear-god-nos.

10th: Chicago Tribune. Eminently lovable center Kyrylo Fesenko "will never, ever stop joking," which makes me about as happy as humanly possible, but is also serious about making the Chicago Bulls, which should make Chicagoans about as happy as humanly possible.

Got a link or tip for Ball Don't Lie? Give me a shout at devine (at) yahoo-inc.com, or follow me on Twitter.

A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: Larry Coon's CBA FAQ. Larry Coon is an Internet legend. When his first collective bargaining agreement FAQ came out following the last lockout season, it helped a whole generation of us burgeoning NBA scribes figure out the following offseason, and the would-be boffo free-agent class of 2000 that followed a whole heap of teams using questioned-about cap machinations to clear space. This is required reading, re-skimming, bookmarking, what have you. You are not allowed to comment on a website, a message board, a blog, or on talk radio until you've gone over it. And this goes for you, professional scribes and TV talking heads. You don't get to just offer the "I don't know if that's cap-legal" caveat, after discussing a hypothetical deal. Now you know. Thank you, once again, Larry.
PF: Hardwood Paroxysm. Curtis Harris on the late Knicks coach Andrew "Fuzzy" Levane.
SF: Meloship of the Ring. Amar'e Stoudemire's late-game defense was pretty happenin' on Sunday.
SG: Washington Post. John Wall is touring the playoffs with Sam Cassell, learning from the top PGs.
PG: Grantland. Jonathan Abrams on the divergent careers of Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, 11 years on.
6th: Houston Press. Jeff Balke on the man inside the Houston Rockets' big bear suit. Cool read.
7th: Wages of Wins. Is the new Warriors GM smarter than your average NBA exec?
8th: Cavs: The Blog. Colin McGowan with an interesting, must-read look at Antawn Jamison.
9th: GQ. Bethlehem Shoals: "Knowledge of Self, From James Harden to Kobe Bryant."
10th: National Post. Eric Koreen on the Mavericks' inability to contain James Harden.

Got a link or tip for Ball Don't Lie? Holler at me at kdonhoops (at) yahoo.com, or follow me on Twitter.

San Antonio 103, Chicago 94

I can't tell you how chuffed I am that the Bulls have a player averaging 25.5 points per game, and shooting well from the floor (48 percent) on his way toward that mark.

This is where I get into trouble with my fellow Bulls fans, but I'm having a hard time caring. The goal for me is wins, not the development of Derrick Rose into some LeBron/Kobe/Paul/Wade-type star. And, I'm sorry, but Rose's mostly-brilliant play just tends to force you to remember the great things (because the way he scores, when he does score, is just so fantastic to watch) while you forget everything else.

The guy took one free throw, all game, and I watched every minute of this one and hardly felt like he was getting a raw deal. After two hot games from long range he's still below the league average on three-pointers despite taking nearly four a game, and his percentages on his jump shots overall (something that constitutes 71 percent of his looks overall) are terrible.

And yet, Bulls fans remember all those awesome makes, but forget how (at times in the second and third quarter of this game) Rose shot the Bulls out of the game. And then you get Ric Bucher (the guy that thought Rose would win the MVP last year) chiding us post game because we tend to use stats and reason and remember the misses as much as we do the makes.

I love Derrick Rose, and he has gotten hot this year when he squares his shoulders while declining to shoot across his body. But he also shoots the Bulls out of games, not because his shooting percentages from long range are so terrible (Dwyane Wade has the same problem), but because he doesn't get to the line enough to mitigate those streaky turns from 19-feet.

Yes, he's having to do so, so much with Carlos Boozer out. But unless he starts to get to the line more, he's not going to justify all these shot attempts. Bulls fans, I'm one of you. Sunny side up, and all that.

But this is a problem. You can't have a guy shooting one free throw for every four field goal attempts. There's no conspiracy. The refs don't hate us. He just doesn't play the NBA-styled game (that stupid game where you dive into the lane only looking for fouls, that icky game that Wade and Kobe play so well) well. That's to be admired, to an extent, but there's also a reason why the Bulls scored just 14 points in 14:34 with Rose on the floor late in the second quarter and throughout the third.

D-Rose busted a little ass single-handedly putting the Bulls back in the game in the fourth, but San Antonio's spacing and options were just too much for a Chicago team that was clearly tired by the end of it. Matt Bonner's +29 was spot on, because he penetrated slightly and provided spacing, while Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were getting into the Chicago lane all night.

Derrick Rose wasn't the reason Chicago lost this game. San Antonio played too well, and Rose's teammates let him down by missing open shot after open shot. But we have to be careful, before launching him into that MVP strata.

***

Toronto 94, Philadelphia 86

I didn't have issues with Toronto's effort on Tuesday night. Though Andrea Bargnani came through with his typical nil rebounds in 49 minutes (something like that), the way the Raps were skunked by Washington seemed to have more to do with terrible instincts and limited relative athleticism. There was bad effort at times, sure, but unless you were a Raptor fan, you didn't walk away (and, really, you should have run away) from that game hating Toronto.

The good-enough effort returned on Wednesday, with a bit of an uptick, and this win was the result. While Philly scoured the rotation for consistent buckets, the Raptors just scored enough and went to Bargnani's two-handed touch enough to pull out the win. Bargs contributed 30 points, making just one three-pointer, and even pulled in seven rebounds. Sonny Weems continued his good play with 25 points and +17 in raw plus/minus on the night.

Evan Turner continues to look the part of someone who might not have the athleticism for this level, but that doesn't explain away the way he contributed in other areas in the loss: 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals.

I picked Doug Collins as my coach of the year not because I thought he'd do the best job coaching this year, but because I thought the media will fall victim to a nice story (Coach Collins running these guys to 45 wins or so) and vote him in. Still, while I didn't expect great things from Doug this year, I didn't think a 2-10 start was in the offing.

***

Miami 123, Phoenix 96

Yes, that's right. Athleticism. The way the Heat can out-run and out-jump just about every rotation in the league. The way it is quicker to the rim. The way that genetic lottery awarded three cherries to three of its starters, along with a good-enough consolation prize to two of the other starters (whoever they are).

Zydrunas Ilgauskas was one of the other starters on Wednesday, and while he didn't play a big part in the win (working under eight minutes), this is a good sign of things to come for the Heat. Also, Chris Bosh did what Chris Bosh should do against a flimsy team like the Suns, touching and pumping his way (that sounded gross) to 35 points. Dwyane Wade started slow but ended his night with 17 points, six boards and six assists, while LeBron James came through with an approximation of what we thought he'd average this year with 20 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.

14 points on nine shots for Channing Frye, but the Suns really didn't have a chance.

***

Boston 114, Washington 83

Speaking along those lines, Boston whupped on the Wizards, too.

The Celtics just rode that usually-exquisite spacing to 32 assists and 60 percent shooting. Worked the weak side while Washington's head was turned, and took in high percentage look after look after look. Without having to expend much energy with the ball in their hands offensively, Boston locked down on the other end, and the Wiz just couldn't compete at Boston's level.

All five C's starters scored in double figures, while Delonte West (12 points, five rebounds, and four assists) seemed to pick up where we'd hope he'd pick up.

Also, Andray Blatche came out of this league straight out of high school, and he still plays defense like he's in his first NBA season out of high school. You can't win consistently with this guy unless he's a sixth man or starter that sits the fourth quarter, and the rest of your rotation is made up of perfect defensively helpers. Not unlike Eddy Curry, on the 2004-05 Bulls.

***

Los Angeles Lakers 103, Detroit 90

And speaking of exquisite spacing, the Lakers allowed themselves chance after chance to score where they wanted to, off a pass or post-up, and this game wasn't as close as the final score would indicate.

Kobe Bryant had 24 points in the first half (33 overall), Pau Gasol came through with 25 points and 12 rebounds, and while Detroit was stuck in a tough situation (that first game home after a long road trip is nasty enough, but against the defending champs), it's hard to see any team in the NBA beating the Lakers on a night like this.

Just five turnovers for Detroit. That's about it.

***

New Orleans 99, Dallas 97

Dallas may have fallen apart in the final minutes, but these two teams have put together two classic contests early in this young season, and I'd like to thank them for their effort.

This was more of a run-meets-run game for these two teams than the game on Monday was, a lot of 12-to-4 trade-offs as opposed to these squads matching bucket for bucket, but that didn't take away from the overall tone nor the excitement behind it. Sometimes it was Chris Paul's turn to dominate. Sometimes it was Dirk Nowitzki's turn to barely touch the net while dropping in an 18-footer.

I'm not passing this along to try to amp up the storyline, but at times in the third quarter, the Mavericks looked like a young troupe of over-actors in a bad horror film. Stuck in a forest, two of their mates already dead, freaking out at the sound of every cracked twig or howl from afar. Constantly wide-eyed and looking over their shoulder for whatever killer (man or beast) was in their midst. Not a joke. Watch the tape, because Chris Paul had these guys FREAKED. Look at the way he had Dallas' head on a swivel.

For good reason, and to no avail. He's Chris Paul, and he came through with the typical ho-hum 20 points (on just 13 shots) and 11 assists. Two turnovers, as the Hornets out-scored the Mavs 33-17 in the 12 minutes following halftime. I appreciated the way the Mavs didn't quit, though, in relying on Jose Juan Barea's penetration and Dirk Nowitzki's touch. This could have (should have, even though I had 10 games to flip through last night) gone to overtime, but Dirk (29 points, nine rebounds) blew some possessions down the stretch.

***

Oklahoma City 116, Houston 99

Houston had no chance against Oklahoma City. The team couldn't stick with the Thunder while on defense, and Houston does not have the horses offensively to match a series of scores with hoops of its own. The Rockets are hurt and lacking in depth at this point, and they seem to only be fitted with players who are either all offense/no-D; or the opposite.

The Thunder moved the ball well, but more importantly they finished expertly from all over. This was a semi-blowout from the start, and though I meant to watch more, there were closer contests on the tube and I only saw snippets of the Thunder pulling away.

21 points with nine free throw attempts, six rebounds and 12 assists for Russell Westbrook.

***

Minnesota 113, Los Angeles Clippers 111

As is the Minnesota way, another pairing with a terrible team turned into a one-possession contest that was highly entertaining.

The Timberwolves nearly gave this one away by going away from Michael Beasley for seven consecutive possessions down the stretch before his game winning pull-up jumper, and the Clippers definitely gave it away with three turnovers in the final two minutes from rookies Eric Bledsoe and Al-Farouq Aminu. Still, that's what happens when you start two rookies. You're looking toward the future, you put up with this stuff, and it usually pays off.

Fun to watch, too, even if you feel bad for the kids. Beasley was great with that pull-up, again, on his way to 33 points on 23 shots. And Kevin Love had 24 and 14 because he's Kevin Love.

It's almost as if you want these two teams to keep playing like-minded, terrible teams, so that they don't give up on a season that still has five months to go.

***

Utah 98, New Jersey 88

It's no fun to waltz into a road arena knowing you're likely outclassed. Then you have to deal with your best player coming out on the wrong end of call after call (though every Brook Lopez foul I saw was legit, they were still all tough whistles) and a go-to scorer seemingly not able to buy one despite solid looks (Travis Outlaw missed 11 of 12 shots), but the Nets hung in there.

These guys couldn't hang in there for the first quarter of a home game last year, much less something like this, and I have to give Avery Johnson his due for getting this team to care, and act professionally.

Utah still had New Jersey's number, though. Just 10 bench points on 5-16 shooting for the Jazz bench, but Jerry Sloan's crew had a "keep ‘em at arm's length" bucket whenever it needed it in the win.

***

New York 113, Sacramento 106

The Knicks didn't want to compete, early in this game, but seemed to all at once determine that they had nothing better to do on a Wednesday night, and started to run their sets properly. Got to their spots, followed through on shots, and nearly put the Kings away.

Sacramento came back. New York (Raymond Felton, especially, geesh) just made too many mistakes in the second half for Sacto not to make a game of this, but nobody was going to make up for Amar'e Stoudemire and Danilo Gallinari's 54 combined points.

Kevin Ding, Orange County Register: "Lakers fans might've been bored, whiling away the six days since the team's last game by straightening their car flags or recounting playoff series that Phil Jackson has won (46, by the way) without a defeat after winning Game 1. Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom showed that it was worth the wait. Bryant posted his 11th career playoff game with at least 40 points, getting there on 13-of-23 shooting from field and adding five rebounds and five assists. The sometimes-passive Odom said he told himself, "I'm not going to wait for the game to come to me," and erased the team's slow start with sore-kneed Andrew Bynum; Odom finished with 19 points and a playoff-career-high 19 rebounds. Bryant sat out the team's recent practices to preserve a sore right knee that has improved steadily since late in the first round - and then shot so well against Grant Hill, Jared Dudley and Jason Richardson that Suns coach Alvin Gentry said afterward: 'You can't do a whole lot about it. Bryant said he used the past week to 'get my legs stronger, get my body strong. It was almost like a training camp all over again. I didn't do much on the court, but I was in the weight room doing what I needed to do.' Bryant also said: 'Now I'm feeling like I have two legs to play with.' With problems in his left shoulder and right knee, Odom said of the layoff: 'It was exactly what I needed.'"

Brian Kamenetzky, ESPN: "'To be honest,' Kobe said, 'they missed a lot of shots that they've been making this entire postseason. We did a good job defensively, we rotated pretty well, but also they missed a lot of threes that they've been making. We've got to do a much better job in Game 2 and the rest of the series.' Kobe undersells L.A.'s defensive effort a little- rare would be the time he'd say they couldn't do better on that end of the floor- but no question, he's right. Phoenix missed some looks they've managed to knock down to this point. But the key word in Kobe's quote is 'threes.' The Suns may be known for their incredible perimeter shooting. After all, they led the NBA in 3-point percentage by a mile (41.2 percent vs. 38.1 for Cleveland, the runner up) and are leading the pack from downtown this postseason. But the Suns didn't become the league's most efficient offense simply on the strength of long range bombs. They also are adept at generating easy looks inside off penetration and the pick and roll. Those are the opportunities the Lakers need to limit if they're to win the series, and Monday they did a good job. L.A. doubled up Phoenix in the paint over the first two quarters (30 to 16), as the Suns stayed close thanks to 19 trips to the line. Aside from Robin Lopez, the beneficiary of a few chippies at the rim, Phoenix wasn't able to get much going in the paint."

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald: "Rasheed Wallace is focused on this stuff. 'In my younger days, it was to the point where I couldn't do a lot of the dirty work because, you know, I was one of the main focal points on the team,' he said yesterday. 'But here with me coming off the bench and having the Big Three, as y'all like to call them - or the Big Four, I should say - I'm not really needed to score. So I have to go in there and do the little things to help the team. If it's fouling somebody hard, I'm going to foul your (butt) hard. If it's screening, I'm going to screen you hard. Whatever. I know I'm not major no more.' It was suggested that he might actually enjoy this wrestler bad guy thing because he is, well, kind of a (jerk). To this, Sheed laughed and reached for his code. 'The difference is, I'm clean with it,' he said. 'You know, some guys who do that, they're dirty with it. They're like walking under you when you're taking a jump shot. But I don't dirty-play. It's just all tough. I don't do dirty play.' According to Perkins, Wallace gets more devious than that. 'I'm straight up just going to be physical with (Howard), a physical presence,' Perkins said. 'Rasheed, he's going to play mind games with him. He may reach right one time or mix it up - front him, pull the chair on him.' The Celtics had fun watching Wallace pull back from Howard, leaving the Magic man of steel to stumble into a traveling call. 'Sheed is a presence,' Garnett said."

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe: "The players shall remain nameless. Two Celtics were staring holes through each other during Boston's Game 1 Eastern Conference finals win over the Magic. They were arguing over a defensive rotation, and neither could let it go. 'We had to call a timeout because they couldn't move past it,' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. 'Three plays later and you could see them still staring at each other. That's what you can't have. It's all right to get angry and it's all right to disagree, but then you've got to move forward.' The Celtics aren't the type of team to hug. Their high intensity level, the stakes of a championship run, and the slim margin for error make internal clashes inevitable. It's also the product of having many strong personalities - established stars and rising stars, starters and sixth men. It's a part of the Celtics' DNA, and it's something they've worked through this season, finding a way to manage whatever problems arise and remain a cohesive unit. 'Teams are just like your immediate family,' Rivers said. 'You have squabbles and for the most part I try to let them say everything they need to say so I know which side to take. Then I try to get in the middle. I encourage conversation. Even if it's heated because I think at the end of the day, it's what you truly feel. Then you can move forward.' Clashes crept up throughout the season. When the Celtics were struggling, family matters seemed like dissension. But in-house issues never reached a self-destructive point, mostly because no matter how heated the battles get, the goals remain the same. Sitting three wins from the Finals, it's easier for the team to see the rewards of patience. 'There was a stretch in the season where we know each other so well, we've been around each other for a couple of years now, that we were becoming less patient with each other,' Ray Allen said. 'When things went awry in any quarter or any game or we lost a couple of games, we were getting on each other a little bit too much. We can take it. But we respected each other.'"

Frank Isola, New York Daily News: "LeBron James has reached out to the Knicks, which may or may not be such a good thing for Donnie Walsh's club. James, according to a source, has contacted Knicks center Eddy Curry about working out together at some point during the offseason. There may be nothing more to it than the fact that James and Curry are represented by the same agent, Leon Rose. James and Curry also have close ties to noted NBA power broker William Wesley, whom the Knicks put in charge of Curry's workouts last summer. But Curry's involvement in the Knicks' recruitment of James is interesting since the veteran center has had a famous falling-out with head coach Mike D'Antoni, which began as far back as D'Antoni's first practice with the Knicks. The crux of their problem is that Curry has rarely been healthy or in shape since D'Antoni was hired. In fact, Curry has appeared in just 10 games over the past two seasons, a number that would be unacceptable to any coach. Curry, however, according to team sources, feels that D'Antoni never gave him a fair chance and that he set him up for failure by pulling him from the lineup in early January just as Curry was attempting his comeback. Curry even elected to have knee surgery during the season rather than wait until late April because he was convinced that D'Antoni wouldn't play him. If James were to ask Curry about D'Antoni, chances are that Curry would not provide a glowing report. Several Knicks complained during the season about D'Antoni's lack of communication over their roles and status. Whether that hurts the Knicks' chances of signing James remains to be seen. There seems to be no doubt that James and 'my team' as he calls his agent, adviser and friends, are doing as much research as possible on prospective teams."

ESPNChicago.com: "LeBron James' first NBA coach didn't believe James would leave Cleveland as a free agent this summer, but after watching the Cavaliers come up short of a championship again, all that has changed. Paul Silas, who coached James with the Cavs from 2003-05, has become a believer in speculation that James will move on this summer. 'I think there's a lot to it now,' Silas said Monday on 'The Waddle & Silvy Show' on ESPN 1000. 'Initially, I didn't because I thought that LeBron had exactly what he wanted in Cleveland. I thought that they would go to the Finals this year, and I had them winning a championship this year. But with the way things played out, I just don't know whether or not he's satisfied with the progress that the team has made. They did a lot of changing with the personnel and nothing seemed to work. I think they have a lot of soul searching to do and so does he.' Silas was fired 64 games into the 2004-05 season, James' second in the NBA. Mike Brown took over the following season and has led Cleveland to five straight playoff appearances, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2007. The Boston Celtics eliminated the Cavs in the second round on Thursday. 'Winning is what's most important to him. Ever since I had him for two years that's all he talked about,' Silas said. 'Because [the Cavs] have not done anything in the last five years, I just think he's given a lot of thought [to leaving]. If he can go somewhere and win the championship ... It's one thing to be called the greatest. The greatest, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, they've won championships. This is what's most important to LeBron.'"

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "When it comes to how the Miami Heat's salary-cap space is going to shake out for the impending free-agency free-for-all that starts July 1, reserve center Joel Anthony will have an unlikely say in that process. The only member of this past season's roster with a player option other than star guard Dwyane Wade, Anthony has a June 24 opt-in deadline. If the team does not hear from him by then, he would become a free agent. While an Internet report over the weekend said Anthony already had decided to test free agency and bypass his opt-in, agent Michael Higgins said Monday no such decision has been reached. 'We've talked about it briefly, but there's been no final decision,' Higgins said. 'I've given him the lay of the land and he's given me his opinion, but we haven't said, "OK, this is what we're doing."' A decision to bypass his opt-in would make Anthony more expensive to the Heat. Anthony has an opt-in for $885,120 next season, after earning $825,497 this past season, his third in the league. However, should Anthony become a free agent, the Heat then would have to extend a qualifying offer of roughly $1 million for 2010-11 in order to match outside offers. In addition, until such a qualifying offer is accepted, Anthony would count at double his 2009-10 salary against the 2010-11 salary cap, depriving the Heat, at least temporarily, of an additional $800,000 in cap space."

Rusty Simmons, San Francisco Chronicle: "The Warriors learn today if they will move up or down from their slotted spot of fourth in the NBA draft. They already know that selecting No. 4 probably won't help them in the 2010-11 season. 'There is no question that there are a few players who could help us next year, but I hate to put a number on it,' Warriors general manager Larry Riley said. 'There are other guys who will help, but they will take some time to develop. As far as guys who can help us next year, there are a few, but the number is not great.' The 2010 draft is widely viewed as a two-player event. That's why the 14 teams participating in the draft lottery are hoping to move up and select either Kentucky point guard John Wall or Ohio State shooting guard Evan Turner."

Kate Fagan, Philadelphia Inquirer: "All signs point toward Doug Collins. The 76ers' coaching search, which is more than a month old and has dwindled to only a handful of candidates, has a distinct front-runner: Collins. According to multiple sources, Collins is the leading candidate, ahead of former Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson and former Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell, although it's possible that Ed Stefanski, the Sixers' president and general manager, will schedule a second round of interviews. One source close to Collins said his camp has been given the impression that the job is his, expressing the belief that Stefanski already has made his recommendation to Ed Snider, chairman of the team's parent company, Comcast-Spectacor. The only thing separating Collins from the job offer, according to the source, is the logistics of timing and due diligence by Stefanski. The source said it wouldn't be impossible to see a job offer before the end of this week."

The Oklahoman: "The Oklahoma City Thunder Community Foundation has made two donations - $3,000 to the Little Axe school district and $2,000 to a family near Chickahsa - to help victims of tornadoes. The family donation was put in a trust for the children of Ricky and Tammy Rider. Tammy, 29, died when a tornado leveled her family's Newalla home. The family has three children ages 9, 3 and 1, who remain hospitalized. The Little Axe donation will be used to help rebuild the middle school's special education center destroyed by the storm.

Bob Wolfley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond faced one of the least stressful tasks he's had during his tenure in Milwaukee. He had to explain Tuesday to a national television audience on NBA TV why the Bucks are 15-2 in their last 17 games. He had to explain why Andrew Bogut is playing so well, why John Salmons is fitting in so well and why rookie Brandon Jennings is giving his team such a lift. Most NBA general managers don't get these kinds of pleasant opportunities. Hammond was asked if in trading for Salmons he was helping set up the Chicago Bulls to land a top free agent, hence making life tougher for the Bucks in the division. 'We talked about it over and over and over again before we made the decision what to do with Chicago,' Hammond said. 'That was a concern for us, but you know what? At the end of the day, we had to do what was going to be right for us. We needed a piece like John. He's fit in for us. It's been worthwhile for us. I'm not going to tell you it was not a concern. It's still a concern. If Chicago can sign one of these major free agents, it's going to be a concern for us and we will have to live with it.' "

Howard Beck, New York Times: "The Nuggets opened the season with championship aspirations. They could be the first team in history to start the playoffs without their head coach. 'This is my 19th year in the league,' said Mark Warkentien, the Nuggets' vice president for basketball operations, 'This is my 31st year coaching ball or running teams. It's just completely uncharted waters.' Karl, 58, found out he had throat cancer on Dec. 30 but kept the information to a small circle of friends and family. He made it public in an emotional news conference on Feb. 16. Karl disclosed then that he had squamous cell carcinoma in his right tonsil, which had metastasized to a lymph node in his neck. He called it 'a dangerous cancer,' but one that was 'curable and treatable.' Karl had surgery for prostate cancer in 2005. His son, Coby, who is currently playing in the D-League, battled thyroid cancer in 2007. 'Someone told me the Karl family is 3-0 against cancer,' Karl told reporters last month, 'and I think in a couple of months it will be 4-0.' "

Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle: "Hampered by injuries to several frontcourt players, the Rockets will call up forward Mike Harris from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their NBA Development League affiliate. It will be the second call-up of the season with the Rockets for the 6-6 Harris. The former Rice star is one of the D-League's top offensive players, averaging 27.1 points per game and 10.5 rebounds."

Jason Quick, The Oregonian: "The scouting report is out on the Trail Blazers: Play a zone defense and wait to see if the Blazers can make an outside shot. The past two games the Blazers were so pitiful shooting the ball, the Wizards and Suns never abandoned what is generally considered a gimmick defense, used only to throw a team off balance for a possession or two. The Blazers shot 32.1 percent against Washington, the lowest field goal percentage in a victory in team history, followed by 36.4 percent shooting in a loss at Phoenix. In that game, the Blazers went 5 for 21 in the fourth quarter, when the Suns played a zone for the final seven minutes. 'The more teams see us struggle with it, the more they will use it,' point guard Andre Miller said."

Marc Berman, New York Post: "Knicks president Donnie Walsh has been on a campaign to alert the team's fans that all the cap room does not have to be filled this July, when the Knicks have space to sign two maximum free agents. If they sign one maximum guy such as James or Joe Johnson and re-sign David Lee, they'll probably be in position to have enough room for another maximum player in 2011, with Eddy Curry's $12M coming off the books after next season. 'We got this thing [cap] down under, and now have to manage our cap to the best of our ability, taking into consideration what could be available to us as we go on [each summer],' Walsh told The Post Tuesday. Walsh admits he's not going to waste money on a free agent he's not crazy about just to fill up their 2010 cap space. 'I won't,' Walsh promised. 'Without in any way encouraging you to write about the names of the 2011 free-agent, class, yes. Of course. We're looking at it over a five-year period.'"

Jimmy Smith, New Orleans Times-Picayune: "It was a rebirth of sorts. When Morris Peterson broke into the NBA with the Toronto Raptors in 2000, he began his career as a small forward because the shooting guard position was occupied by Vince Carter. 'I think the small forward and the shooting guard are pretty much the same thing,' Peterson said after his debut as the Hornets' small forward in Monday night's surprising victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Peterson's mood was surging until someone pointed out that tonight that small forward starting job includes the unenviable task of guarding the NBA's leading scorer, Cleveland's LeBron James. 'Yeah, that's true. I didn't think about that one,' Peterson said, his feet now firmly planted back on the ground as reality set it, knowing that stat line against the Mavericks -- 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range -- could well diminish tonight when the priority will be defending the league's front-runner for Most Valuable Player. But it's all good, Peterson said. 'I think my role on this team, especially now, is to be a defender first,' Peterson said. 'That's what I try to concentrate on. I don't worry about the shots. You're going to get shots with this team. I work on what I have to work on. But I think defensively, that's where I feel my niche can come on this team.' "

ESPNLosAngeles.com: "Kobe Bryant is expected to sign an extension and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers core players are signed into the future. Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson, however, is not under contract next season. In a wide-ranging interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com, enigmatic Lakers owner Jerry Buss delivered some thoughts on the process and addressed recent reports of family tension regarding the re-signing of Jackson for next season. 'If I were to go to him right now and said, "Phil, will you coach next year?" He would say let's wait until the end of the year and see how I feel,' said Buss. 'So, I don't think it causes any tension, I just have to wait until then before a discussion begins [on a new contract].' "

Colin Stephenson, New Jersey Star-Ledger: "Brett Yormark, the Nets' CEO, is normally pretty fan-friendly, sitting with a smile in the front row of every game at Izod Center. But the sight of a fan in the second row wearing a paper bag on his head during Monday night's 99-89 loss to the Miami Heat sent Yormark over the edge, prompting him to get into an argument with the fan. Today, Yormark released a statement to the media in which he addressed the issue, without apologizing for it. 'Our fans have been great and they've stuck with us through a tough season,' Yormark said in the statement. 'I did not agree with the way this person expressed his opinion of our team (Monday) night and I let him know. It's been a frustrating season for all of us, but I will continue to stand up for our players, our fans, and our organization. We have an exciting future ahead and we appreciate all of our fans' support.' "

Ailene Voison, Sacramento Bee: "John Thomas' long and stormy tenure with the Kings has ended. Co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof bought out the final year of Thomas' contract today and announced a restructuring of the franchise's business operations. In the two most significant moves, Kings legal consultant Matina Kolokotronis was named president of business operations and assistant general manager Jason Levien assumes additional duties as the club's general counsel and senior vice-president. Additionally, John Rinehart is promoted to senior vice-president of the business department, while outside consultant Kevin Kaplan is expected to become even more closely involved with ticket sales and marketing. The changes also will reflect the Maloofs' renewed involvement this season in all aspects of the team's business operations and, according to Joe Maloof, reflects their intention to become increasingly engaged in the future. 'We've taken a very active role again,' Maloof said from New York, where he is attending business meetings. 'The basketball side is [Geoff] Petrie's deal. Nothing changes in that regard. This all revolves around business and doing what we can to bring our fans back. The people we're talking about have strong Sacramento ties, and have lived there for years, for the most part.' "

Tim MacMahon, ESPNDallas: "The Dallas Mavericks' appeal of their overtime loss Friday to the Houston Rockets argues that center Erick Dampier was inappropriately assessed a second technical foul. The referees — Ken Mauer, Brian Forte and John Goble — called the technical on Dampier during an eight-minute review of a flagrant foul assessed to Houston's Aaron Brooks. The play occurred with 1:01 remaining in overtime and the Rockets leading by six points. 'What the rule says is, when you review it, the reason it's reviewable is because you want to see if anybody else is involved and make sure that the appropriate penalties are assessed,' said Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who filed the appeal paperwork with the league office Sunday. 'So you look at the review, and just like a Flagrant 2 can be downgraded to a personal foul or can be downgraded to no foul, when you look at that video, you should assess the appropriate penalty, which in this case is none.Because there's no question that not only was that not an elbow above the neck, not only was that not an elbow with an intention to harm, there wasn't even an elbow.'"

Rick Bonnell, Charlotte Observer: "Based on how Stephen Jackson looked and sounded, the Charlotte Bobcats might have lost more than a game Sunday. Their leading scorer left a 98-94 loss to the New York Knicks in the third quarter with back spasms. Though the team initially expected him to return, Jackson was in too much pain, long after the game ended. 'Bad!' Jackson said of the injury. 'I've never had a back problem like this. It locked up on both sides and every time I tried to stretch, it locked up on me. I've never had a back problem in my life — particularly a high back problem. Whatever it is, I do not feel great.' Jackson's injury, combined with the absence Gerald Wallace (severe headaches), left the Bobcats particularly shorthanded."

Mitch Lawrence, New York Daily News: "Maybe Eddy Curry should consider taking three years off and then making a comeback. That approach has worked well for [Jonathan] Bender, the former high school phenom whom Donnie Walsh made a first-round pick in Indiana and who was said to be Larry Bird's greatest nemesis in games of H-O-R-S-E before seeing his NBA career ruined by knee injuries. Sunday night, Bender scored 11 points in 14:42 and basically was the entire Knicks offense for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. 'I'm like Ron, I never thought he'd be back, either,' said Charlotte's Stephen Jackson, who played two seasons in Indiana with Bender. 'It's unbelievable to see him out there.' Bender laughed when hearing how Artest and Jackson thought they had seen the last of him. 'I should have bet them that I'd be back,' he said. He'd have made a killing."

RealGM: "Lakers coach Phil Jackson says that both winning and money will be huge factors in determining whether he returns. Jackson spoke on Saturday night about his future in the wake of rumored contract extensions for Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant. 'They have a great chance to be a very good team for a while, and Drew [Andrew Bynum] is locked in, and that's a great start from the standpoint of putting a great roster together that has some commonality, that has played together, it'll give them a real good basis. They have a couple other things that they have to get done and then I'm going to feel good about it,' Jackson said. He is making $12 million this season, making him the highest paid coach in the league. Jackson said he will not decide on his future until June or July and acknowledged that repeating as champions would improve his chances of staying."

Brian Windhorst, The Cleveland Plain Dealer: "The Cavs are targeting several players believed to be on the trade market. Multiple sources said the team has been in touch about the following: [Anthony Randolph, Antawn Jamison and Troy Murphy.] [...] "Murphy hasn't been on the best terms with the Pacers, who are losing lots of money and still owe Murphy $12 million next year. Murphy is averaging 13 points and nine rebounds this season and the 6-11 big man is a career 40 percent 3-point shooter. Those are good numbers but perhaps not enough for the Pacers, who have a losing record and a $65 million payroll. The downside to Murphy is that he's not a good defender. But he would fit well on the floor with Anderson Varejao or Shaquille O'Neal because of his ability to hit the outside jumper. Plus he's an excellent pick-and-pop player, which makes him a good match to play with James and Mo Williams in halfcourt situations. Murphy may not be the Cavs' first choice, but he's probably going to be one of the best players available and it is something the team is already studying."

Chicago Sun-Times: "Six weeks and a day after surgery to repair a fractured radius in his left forearm, Tyrus Thomas was scheduled to return to full-contact practice today at the Berto Center. If all goes well, the 6-9 forward could be ready for game action as soon as Saturday against the New Orleans Hornets. With their busy schedule and limited bodies because of injury, the Bulls will have only a light practice session today, but likely will match Thomas against rookies James Johnson and Taj Gibson and other bench players for some half-court action afterward. 'Maybe a little two-on-two and see how he feels,' coach Vinny Del Negro said of Thomas. 'He's been doing some non-contact shooting stuff and moving around, but we'll add some contact and see how he feels. After that I'll have a better gauge of what we're thinking.'"

Jonathan Abrams, New York Times: "Nate Robinson says he wants to play for the Knicks. He also wants to play. The goals are clashing, which prompted Robinson's agent, Aaron Goodwin, to request on Saturday that Robinson and the Knicks part ways. On Sunday, however, Robinson spoke hopefully that the situation could be reversed. It was not reversed immediately. Coach Mike D'Antoni did not play Robinson for a ninth consecutive game in the Knicks' 98-94 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats at Madison Square Garden. [...] A day after Goodwin conveyed his message to Donnie Walsh, the Knicks' president, Robinson said that 'this is where I want to be and if this is where I can be and where I can play, then I want to stay.' And if not? 'We'll have to wait and see what happens, honestly,' Robinson said. 'That's how it is. I don't know how everything works. All I want to do is play the game of basketball.'"

Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press: "Pistons coach John Kuester wanted to emphasize before Sunday's game against the Lakers that he has the utmost confidence in point guard Rodney Stuckey. It's obvious that he was clarifying the comments he made after Friday night's loss at Oklahoma City, when it was apparent he wasn't all that impressed by Stuckey's 31-point night. He later said his remarks were meant to emphasize the lack of ball-sharing by the entire team and Stuckey's lack of passion in the second half, but the comments were the first sign that the coach might have been questioning Stuckey's performance. With the injuries that have beset this team, however, and with Stuckey battling through a myriad of ailments, Kuester wanted to let everyone know he's firmly in Stuckey's corner. 'He has done so many wonderful things for our team this year,' Kuester said. 'He has at times played at an All-Star level.'"

Frank Dell'Apa, The Boston Globe: "Rasheed Wallace offered no apologies for his behavior in Friday night's loss to the 76ers. Instead, he said his ejection was another example of how he is victimized by officials. Wallace returned to action last night and had 10 points and four rebounds with three fouls in 20 minutes. Wallace, who has 10 technical fouls and will receive a one-game suspension if he reaches 16, said he found it strange that official Bill Kennedy, who ultimately ejected him, hovered near the Celtics' huddle during a timeout. Officials usually stand on the opposite side of the court during timeouts, but Kennedy was mere feet away from the huddle. 'You tell me,' Wallace said when asked if he was targeted. 'I can say all I want about anybody. If they are standing right near our huddle trying to stick their nose in there, so yeah they are going to hear some stuff. And that's exactly what it was. When have you ever seen a ref stand that close to our bench during a timeout?' When asked if he was angry with himself for being ejected, Wallace said, 'Nah, not really. To answer your question honestly, I wasn't. I still play my game. I ain't changing my game for nobody.'"

Dave D'Alessandro, The Star-Ledger: "This may seem like an odd time to bring this up, but Kiki Vandeweghe is committed to defense. Specifically, implementing new ideas (Step 1: 'Guarding your man'), teaching it, drilling it, and playing it. And yes, he's going to try to do all this with a straight face. For nearly a week, the Nets' coach has eagerly anticipated the practices scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, just so he could wipe the slate clean and give his team a defensive foundation that it has lacked since ... well, hardly anyone can remember. The only question is what he plans to do that Lawrence Frank didn't already try. And Vandeweghe's predecessor learned two things: There were never enough players with defensive mindsets to establish such a foundation. He is not daunted. 'Obviously there are offensive-minded players and defensive-minded players,' Vandeweghe said. 'But rather than focus on more rotations and things like that, we'll focus on guarding your own man. And initially — admittedly — we may get hurt more by that (by removing the) added responsibility. But anyone can learn to guard their own man if you put a focus on that.'"

Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle: "Rockets guard Chase Budinger will be out two to three weeks with a sprained right ankle. Budinger turned the ankle on a drive in the second quarter of Saturday's 95-90 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He underwent an MRI on Sunday. The Rockets are not expected to add a player to their roster with Budinger out. Had forward Carl Landry been out for more than just Saturday's game, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said the team likely would have signed Mike Harris, who is averaging 26.2 points per game for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA Development League."

Down seven at the half, the Bucks probably looked at the in-game box score that was handed out in the locker room. Noticing the names "Rafer Alston," "Trenton Hassell," "Josh Boone," and "Bobby Simmons" among the particulars, the Bucks then likely decided to act their talent-level and start the second half on a 15-0 run.

Then the Bucks, and this much is documented, actually went out and started the second half on a 15-0 run.

The Nets missed 29 of 38 attempts in the second half, and they're just terrible. The team does try, and executes as far as I can tell just up to the point where they have to make a shot. Then they miss the shot. That's not me being flip. This is New Jersey's offense.

The team features one good-to-great player in Brook Lopez, and he can't get the ball. Alston (1-10 shooting, one assist and one turnover in 33 minutes) should be a third point guard right now, at best. Guys like Boone and Hassell are only passable as rotation guys on very, very good offensive teams. Because they're zeroes, offensively.

Instead, they start. And some people still can't understand why the Nets haven't won in 12 attempts. They haven't won, people, because they're terrible. They're not owed a win or two just because they're an NBA team.

Another great night out of Andrew Bogut, who has just been beastly on both ends all season long. 21 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two turnovers, and a block in 37 minutes. The athletic Carlos Delfino also poured in 21, and Luke Ridnour had another good game off the bench with 17 points. Brandon Jennings contributed 19 points and eight assists, but he also turned the ball over eight times.

***

Orlando 108, Oklahoma City 94

Honestly, one of the things I hate about sports is when the completely and utterly lame storyline that any hack columnist could have mused about comes true. Like, you know Brett Favre is going to own the Packers in the return engagement, or that Trevor Ariza and Ron Artest are going to trade buckets toward the end of the first meeting between the Lakers and Rockets. Can't stand it when hackism makes its way toward real life.

Oklahoma City's early-season dismantling of the Orlando Magic didn't exactly make the cable news copy du jour, but it did seem a bit obvious that the Magic would try to win two games in one when the Thunder visited Orlando. You would hope that Oklahoma City would be ready for such an onslaught, that an obvious beat down wouldn't be in the offing.

It was. In the offing, that is.

The Magic jumped on the Thunder early, taking a series of shots that the Thunder didn't expect them to launch, making a series of shots that the Thunder didn't expect to go in. They should have expected it, because the Thunder clearly weren't ready to play this revenge script out, and didn't really show up with much energy from the outset. It was as if they were expecting such punishment.

Which stinks, but the Magic can really play. The ball was moving and the screens were really good in this win. Vince Carter was hot early, Rashard Lewis just missed a triple-double (17 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, two steals) in 33 minutes, and the OKC's kids didn't put up much of a fight. Kevin Durant needed 12 shots to score 12 points, and Russell Westbrook shot 3-10.

James Harden was solid, 24 points, and the Thunder did do well in the fourth quarter (outscoring the Magic by 36 16), but nobody remembers the fourth quarter when the paper's deadline is just 45 minutes after the game ends.

Oh, and to anyone who wanted Rashard Lewis to head back onto the court to get the assist needed for his triple-double?

Anthony Bowie, man. Anthony Bowie.

***

New York 110, Indiana 103

A couple of brief statements, to start.

1). If you can't score more than 34 points in a second half against the Knicks - the Knicks without Allen Iverson - then you don't deserve to win.

2). I would not allow T.J. Ford to run my next scrapbooking workshop, much less an NBA team.

3). The bit about Allen Iverson in the first statement was a joke.

4). The part about T.J. Ford was not. Put down the cherished memories, T.J.

The Pacers completely fell apart in the second half of this loss, and though we appreciated New York's activity on the defensive end, Indiana clearly did this to themselves.

On both ends. New York managed 34 points in the fourth quarter, shuttling in players who dared contribute while others (Chris Duhon is possibly having the worst year of any NBA starter, he missed four of five shots on Wednesday) sat.

Al Harrington worked off the ball and got his rotation right, finishing with 26 points on 13 shots, Wilson Chandler had a sound first half, and Larry Hughes continued his November-styled renaissance with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists off the bench. Off the bench!

Indiana, Larry Hughes just did that to you - not sure if you've heard -- off the bench.

(Of course, as has been noted elsewhere, this could be a fleeting thing for Sir Larry.)

The Pacers were just completely impotent in that second half, and though the team is perhaps allowed some room to swoon due its sound start (winning five of eight games before this loss), the whole exercise feels unseemly.

Ford can be a terrible, terrible point guard. For long stretches. He's been in the league since 2003 and he still makes decisions that would get a high schooler benched, and Indiana has little or no recourse if Earl Watson (who missed all seven of his shot attempts) is playing like Earl Watson usually plays at all points leading up to earlier this month.

Ford missed four of five shots, he had seven rebounds, five assists, and five turnovers. He's averaging 6.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3.5 turnovers in 32.5 minutes per game over his last two contests, on 20 percent shooting.

Brandon Roy has hit fewer than a third of his shots this year, and he's missed 16 of 19 attempts over his last two games against defensive stalwarts from New Jersey and New York. Good god.

Eddy Curry's return (10 points, four rebounds, four fouls, three turnovers in just under 12 minutes) was pleasant, if predictable.

***

Philadelphia 86, Charlotte 84

Some say that Elton Brand is all washed-up. But in my book, you gotta get to White Castle before the weirdos show up!

19 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, one turnover, six blocks, and three steals for Brand in this win. Sure, he used to more or less average this stuff, but you take what you can get in the 2009-10.

Rumors had Brand possibly coming off the bench for this game, and while I don't think EB needs any more motivation, he does need more reps, and more minutes to really get his body back into proper shape. He's not going to come back an All-Star, but nights like these should happen more and more often.

Good effort on both ends. The Bobcats couldn't stop Lou Williams from driving right and finishing, Rodney Carney (just 10 points and eight rebounds, but much needed contributions) seemed to be just what the Sixers begged for off the bench, and Andre Iguodala was his all-around self with 25 points and three steals.

Also, Sam Dalembert picked up two boards, an assist, a turnover, and three fouls in 14 minutes. Zero points. But, yeah, let's sit Brand.

Stephen Jackson played well for the Bobcats, finishing with 26 points, but the Bobcats just didn't have the scorers to compete.

And as it's been for Flip Murray over his entire career, he followed up (fouled up) his 31-point effort from the other night with nine points on 11 shots, as inefficient as Tuesday night's performance was efficient.

***

Atlanta 105, Miami 90

Josh Smith: "It's just beautiful basketball right now."

Agreed, mate. Mainly because of you.

Smith contributed 16 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, four turnovers, two steals and two blocks in this win. He also took his first three-pointer of the season, and while he and I missed it, I'm sure it was sent up after someone told him that an attempted three-pointer would go a long way toward saving the old orphanage on the other side of the tracks from being turned into a bunch of new condos.

For the fat cats.

Atlanta only turned the ball over eight times, Joe Johnson dropped 30 again, Dwyane Wade (with a bum left hand, it should be pointed out) needed 18 shots to score 15 points (with four turnovers), and the Hawks more or less made everyone on the Heat look old and slow. Save for Michael Beasley, perhaps, who finished with 21 and nine rebounds.

I mean, the Hawks picked up 15 offensive rebounds. Just dominant.

10-2. Atlanta is 10-2.

***

Boston 109, Golden State 95

First off, you have to love Don Nelson's explanation for playing the injured Raja Bell during this loss:

"He was going to have surgery anyway."

Just come up with your own combination of cuss words in the comment section. It'll all end up censored anyway, but you have to vent, I know.

Boston made some curious decisions in this loss, on either end of the ball. They weren't exactly toying with the Warriors or taking them lightly, but for about two and a half quarters the Celtics were playing just well enough to win, and little else. Hardly the edge we saw from the team as it roared out of the gate defending its championship last season, or the team that won the championship proper in 2007-08, but I'm going to pass on judging things until June, if you don't mind.

They did win the game, after all, and pretty handily. And Boston knows when it's messing up.

Rajon Rondo was the difference. 18 points on 8-12 shooting (he could have made a few more, actually), 12 assists, seven rebounds and four turnovers. Paul Pierce tossed in 19 points, Kendrick Perkins overcame some miscues on his way to 15 points, and Boston registered 25 assists on 42 field goals.

Same old story with Golden State. The team is small, quick, and can beat you if they don't turn the ball over (21, tonight), and the three-pointers (6-17 tonight) are falling.

***

Minnesota 97, Houston 84

I'm not going to tell you that the Timberwolves should have beaten the Rockets, or any other team they've lost to thus far, but does this really feel like a 1-11 team?

Kevin Love is out, the team is admittedly (re-)rebuilding, Al Jefferson has been a step slow for most of the year and he missed the last two games dealing with a death in the family, and there have been some rotation quibbles.

But with Kurt Rambis, Reggie Theus, and Bill Laimbeer on hand, this team should be motivated. With Dave Wohl on hand as lead assistant, this team should be prepared. And somehow, it's falling short.

Perhaps I'm not giving enough credit to the Rockets, a team that I've rightfully fawned over all year, but Minnesota's Ryan Hollins is better than four points, four rebounds, and two turnovers in almost 23 minutes. The team should know not to be handing 25 attempts to limited chuckers like Oleksiy Pecherov and Sasha Pavlovic (they made seven shots), and the team should know by now that Corey Brewer just isn't helping.

I don't care if Brewer doesn't let his man score a point all night, if you toss out a shooting guard for 29 minutes that puts up seven shots, scores six points off of them, and turns the ball over five times, you're going to lose. No way around it. You're not supposed to average more shot attempts than you do points. The numbers aren't even supposed to come close. And Brewer averages 12 and a half shot attempts a night, which is bad enough, and he scores 11.5 points per contest.

And 2.5 turnovers for someone who plays fewer than 30 minutes, and mainly takes 21-footers off a catch? Way too much. And with free agent space a huge part of the rebuilding plan, I think Minnesota is going to regret picking up Brewer's option. Every cent counts.

Meanwhile, not to beat this weeks-old horse, but Ramon Sessions played only 24 minutes in this loss, contributing 16 and five assists. And it didn't take him 18 shots (Sessions shot 7-11).

Speaking of shooting too much, Trevor Ariza shot 6-19 in the win, 4-13 from behind the arc, and finished with 18 points. Too much. Both teams were quite turnover-prone, but the Rockets were hot from behind the arc, and Luis Scola had a sound game with 20 points and 16 rebounds.

Just 20 free throws in this game. Yikes.

***

Memphis 106, Los Angeles Clippers 91

The Clippers didn't exactly let the Grizzlies push them around, and you can't blame terrible shot selection for Los Angeles (Baron Davis went 8-13 from the field, only taking two three-pointers, making one). Memphis was just more interested, quicker to the ball, quicker to react, quicker to finish.

Meaning, of course, that the Clippers have lost back-to-back games to a Hornets team playing without Chris Paul, and Grizzlies outfit playing in front of what looked like a few thousand fans.

Cue Jim Mora.

Actually, cue Steve Perrin, who lives and breathes Clipper basketball:

"I haven't watched the game. I haven't read the comments on the thread. I have no first hand knowledge of what happened. Maybe I'll break down and watch tomorrow; maybe I won't. Right now, it's just not something I want to put myself through. And frankly, I'm a little pissed off that this team has reduced me to this. I should look forward to watching them play. I shouldn't be miserable about it."

I agree. This is supposed to be fun. The Clippers make it drudgery. It's not that they're bad. It's that they're wrong. These are good guys, save for the despicable owner who we can't say enough nasty things about, but if you can't at least attempt to steal a win in Memphis, then how much do you really care?

Memphis cared. They were quick with their passes - 23 assists, which should be some sort of milestone for a team like this. The Griz ran the floor when appropriate, from what I saw, and genuinely looked to find the best shot available. Again, on a team featuring Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph, this is huge news. I know it was against the Clippers, but Gay and Randolph have played against the Clippers quite a few times now, and they still weren't thinking team-first.

Lionel Hollins has this team thinking team-first. It might not be any good, but there's something going on down in Memphis. Now that the jokers have flown, maybe it's time for a turnaround.

***

Utah 104, Toronto 91

Utah got out to a white hot start because the Raptors just can't guard anyone - anyone - and the Raptors came back to make a game of this mainly because Carlos Boozer can't guard anyone. Anyone. It's amazing what one power forward can do to a team defensively, but Boozer just seems to have a hand in every blown rotation, every open jumper off a pass from a guard who was allowed easy penetration, and every offensive rebound.

Weird, because Boozer had 18 rebounds, 11 defensive, but he was grabbing instead of boxing out, and it allowed Toronto some easy looks. Involve him in a pick and roll, and a few passes later, you have a good look. He's just a problem.

He also dropped 22 and 18, and didn't turn the ball over despite playing nearly 40 minutes. This doesn't excuse the other stuff, but it does make up for it. Some would say it more than makes up for it. I'd probably be among that chorus.

25 assists on 41 field goals for the Jazz, who attacked the Raptors at every given opportunity and took in an aggressive night from rookie Eric Maynor. 15 points, four rebounds, six assists, two turnovers, a steal and a block for Maynor in less than half a game. To get those numbers from a rookie guard - four boards, just two turnovers, good shooting? - off your bench. Huge stuff.

Otherwise, I don't know what Utah's answer is. The team's best player seemed to be Andrei Kirilenko, who came through with 20 points on only 11 shots, with seven rebounds, an assist, two turnovers, three steals, and two blocks. He clearly needs to be a power forward, but he's playing behind two other power forwards, and moving Boozer or Paul Millsap (to a lesser extent) to center for long stretches would have the Jazz giving up 120 points per game.

The Jazz were also +3 with AK out there, and +22 with Boozer on the floor. Could be a small sample size, or it could be our eyes deceiving us. Boozer might not be the problem. Lots to learn, here. So many things to figure out. So many roads.

Chris Bosh (32 points, 17 rebounds, only two turnovers) was predictably brilliant for Toronto.

Unpredictable? Andrea Bargnani got a double-double! Look at you!

***

Washington 108, Cleveland 91

There are words you can't use anymore, at least in esteemed company or on basketball websites, that I miss. Most of these words have taken on other, more lascivious, connotations, so we've had to cease utilizing them altogether.

One of those words rhymes with "loaner," and the application I prefer has nothing to do with a male who is quite obviously interested in his surroundings, rather, but has something to do with screwing up. Not to a massive extent, but still, a pretty big "loaner."

Like, James Watt. He had plenty of "loaners." Cost him his job.

The Cavs, from the coaches to the superstars to the helpers, just had a loaner on Wednesday. Blew a game they could have won by making obvious mistake after obvious mistake.

Sure, Cleveland played on Tuesday night as well, they were without Shaquille O'Neal and the team was on the road, but you got the feeling the Cavaliers didn't take the Wizards as seriously as they should have. Even while down a few points. Strange, considering the history between the two teams.

But there the Cavs went, leaving LeBron James on the bench for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, trotting out big lineups that the Wizards summarily danced around in the second half. And there LeBron went, making the game all about himself, firing up ridiculous shots in the face of DeShawn Stevenson to prove ... that he's better than DeShawn Stevenson?

LeBron, you're better than DeShawn Stevenson. A lot of people are. Most players on DeShawn Stevenson's team are better than DeShawn Stevenson, which is why DeShawn Stevenson averages 20 minutes per game. You won that one, years ago. Like, 24 years ago. And you weren't going to win any extra points on Wednesday by nailing a ridiculous 23-foot two-point fadeaway in his face.

The old habits were all over the place. Mo Williams missed 11 of 13 shots, the two make came on an open runner and a face up shot over Earl Boykins' forehead. The whole team failed to initiate any sort of offensive movement from the second quarter onward, making it easy for the Wizards to load up on whoever was taking the 20-footer. And Cleveland couldn't keep up with a quicker Wizards team that owned this game after the initial 18 minutes.

After watching Antawn Jamison in this win, I'm convinced that every player should develop a cold after deeming themselves ready to return to action. That way, you don't feel as if you're coming right off the shelf, rather, you feel as if you've been waylaid by something else (a cold) that is easily overcome. Jamison fit right in, in his first game of the season, only turning the ball over two times in 38 minutes, pouring in 31 points in various styles and pulling in 10 rebounds (six offensive).

Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas struggled through rough starts, but both managed to finish with 37 points, and Mike Miller gutted his way through a nice night leading the Wizards offense, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Miller is clearly hurt, though, and needs to take a few more games off.

Somebody needs to slap the Cavaliers on the top of their heads, because there is too much hubris going on here for a team that has won absolutely nothing.

***

Portland 87, Detroit 81

Steve Blake hit a three-pointer to seal this game, and he scored an efficient 17 points overall (with two assists to three turnovers), but I just can't help but revert back to 2007 and tell you that this guy should be a bit player. 15 minutes a game or so, mainly because Blake just can't guard anyone.

Point guard defense is possibly the most important aspect of today's game, with no hand checking and cleared lanes, and Blake sometimes single-handedly lets Trail Blazer opponents back into the game. Andre Miller isn't that much better, I admit, but Blake is absolutely terrible on that end these days. And don't look at the stats of the opposing point guard to back me up or take me down - it's all about penetration, and the dominos that fall after that.

Blake was on the floor as Detroit sent out an odd lineup (Ben Wallace, Charlie Villanueva, Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye, and Rodney Stuckey) that came back and nearly pulled out a win for Detroit. Causation doesn't equal correlation, and the Blazers were clearly checking the clock and waiting for the five o'clock whistle in that fourth quarter, but the ability of Stuckey to penetrate despite the less than stellar offensive resumes of the players that surrounded him was worrying.

The Blazers won, though. Greg Oden was a force on the inside, changing shots and finishing with three blocks, though the Blazers continue to look the other way with him offensively. They shouldn't. Ben Wallace loves to think he can guard guards and bigs at the same time, over-hedging even though he's not as quick as he used to be, and Portland should have taken advantage.

Hard to argue with that early Trail Blazer lead, though. Brandon Roy had 20 points on 14 shots, and LaMarcus Aldridge was active offensively with 20 points. There are some other points to LMA's game that worry me right now, I get the feeling he's not as team-committed as he should be in certain aspects, but I'll give him a little longer before I start tossing things out there.

Detroit was just junkly, offensively. 39 percent shooting and 26.7 shooting from behind the arc, bad news for a team filled with shooters. Ben Gordon has missed 31 of his last 43 shots (27.9 percent) over the last three games, and Stuckey needed 21 shots to get his 21 points.

Jerebko can play defense, I like his footwork and athleticism, but overall I can't help but wonder if he's hurting the team. 32 minutes, four points on five shot attempts, five rebounds, four turnovers, and six fouls. Remember, fouls aren't a sign of plucky aggressiveness. Fouls are things that send opponents to the line for easy scoring opportunities. Fouls are second chances for the offense. Fouls aren't to be courted, yessah.

***

Dallas 99, San Antonio 94

To me, the strangest part about Dirk Nowitzki's night is that he could have had so, so much more.

I counted at least eight or nine open-ish, makeable shots for Dirk. Very makeable looks that could have, honestly, seen him toward 60 points in this win. He dropped 41, but I walked away from this game thinking about all the clean looks that spun out or just missed. This is how good his game is, right now.

41 points on 29 shots for Dirk in the win, with 12 rebounds. He didn't turn the ball over once, in 45 minutes. Not once.

That is so, so impressive. This isn't Ray Allen, peeling off a screen to touch the rock for scant seconds before firing. Dirk's dribbling into traffic, through help, turning blindly over his other shoulder. He had the ball in his hands, constantly, and didn't turn it over. Once. Dirk is a marvel, and I'm glad he's still with us, at this level of potency, in November of 2009.

Should San Antonio have doubled Dirk, earlier? Sure. It would have limited Nowitzki's looks and scores in the third and fourth quarter. But it also would have given an immediate bent to Dallas' eventual adjustments, adjustments you don't want to be having to adjust to with a few minutes left in the game. You want those last minutes to be pre-adjustments, with you finally springing the trap and watching as J.J. Barea and Jason Kidd clang open jumpers.

And, really, it wasn't about Nowitzki. The man's a giant, but it wasn't about him.

It was about the turnovers. The ones the Spurs couldn't create (Dallas finished with five in a 53-minute game, glorious), and the ones the Spurs gave up (on 19 percent of their possessions, nearly four times the rate of the Mavericks). Toss in 17 offensive rebounds for the Mavericks, and you have a Dallas team that put up 22 more shots than the Spurs.

Think about that. This game went into overtime. Limit just a few of those miscues, watch that glass with a steelier gaze, and you could have this one. In Dallas. 22 extra shots.

Otherwise, impressive performance from San Antonio. No Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili was out for most of the game, and they still made something out of it. 22 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and four blocks for Tim Duncan. Great defense on Dirk down the stretch from Antonio McDyess. Fine play in spurts from George Hill. Respect.

And turnovers.

Thanks for reading.

At some point tonight, there will be 11 NBA games, in live action. 11 of those suckers. My thumbs hurt, already.

12 games total, and as typical and as orthodox as it may seem, the Mavs and the Spurs always have to be counted on for a good one. They might be older, they might be aging, but they're the Mavs and Spurs. You need to tune in. ESPN, 9:30 p.m. Eastern.

As mentioned, though, 12 games to dive through. Eddy Curry returns to help the Knicks try to take the Pacers on, Golden State brings its mess to Boston, Toronto is in Utah, Orlando looks for revenge against Oklahoma City, and ... yeah, it doesn't seem like that great a night.

But it will be.

(It better be.)

Comment away, below.

Dallas Mavericks: 8-3, 92.5 possessions per game (15^th-most in the NBA), 107.3 points scored per 100 possessions (13^th), 100.4 points allowed per 100 possessions (seventh).

San Antonio Spurs: 4-4, 91 possessions per game (24^th), 111.9 points scored per 100 possessions (ninth), 109.7 points allowed per 100 possessions (22^nd).

All stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com.

Once again back is the incredible ... Ball Don't Lie's NBA previews, outlining offseason moves, projecting win totals, spinning tracks and much, much more. It's a fun, hot mess. On deck, the Phoenix Suns.

2008-09 Record: 46-36, second place in Pacific Division
Head Coach/Facial Hair: Alvin Gentry/None
Key Additions: Channing Frye
Key Losses: Shaquille O'Neal, Matt Barnes, Ben Wallace

Though I've made this preview a bit more complex than it needed to be in terms of preparation, the 2009-10 Phoenix Suns are a pretty quick read.

I don't like this. I wish things were different, I wish Grant Hill were spending his last healthy years on a better team, I wish Jason Richardson fit better, I wish the Channing Frye renaissance were working for a better team, I wish Amar'e Stoudemire was actually going full bore, as he was in 2004-05.

And I wish Steve Nash was still playing, and paying off, as he did in 2004-05. I miss that so much. It was so much bloody fun. It turned this league around.

But we're about two months removed from wishing 2009 farewell. And though Steve took in a contract extension over the offseason, and while he's still a go-to watch 82 nights out, things have changed.

Hell, we're a decade removed from Nash's first full season as a starter. A decade removed from a bit of potential production that wouldn't be mitigated by Kevin Johnson or Sam Cassell or Jason Kidd or Achilles or back issues or some combination of the lot. And we're nine years removed from his debut as an honest-to-goodness healthy NBA player with a starting gig. With only Howard Eisley to beat, as Mark Cuban and two different Nelsons reminded us.

It's 2009, though. And all our friends are gone. And rich relations ...

This will be a fun team to watch. I can't wait to watch catch-and-shoot guys like Nash and Frye and Amar'e and the underrated Jared Dudley pair with Hill and Richardson and Leandro Barbosa.

But the defense? It's so, so poor.

And the offense? It isn't good enough to make up for that anymore.

Put it this way — three starters on this roster couldn't start for the 2004-05 outfit, and the current version of Nash couldn't top that season's model. So why are the Suns expecting to use the same ideal (hopeful defense, league-best offense) to top the charts, when the defense they'll play this season will be much, much worse than the type they trotted out in 2004-05?

Because it's hard to say goodbye to a team like this. And it's hard to say goodbye to a pretty sweet job. I'd do anything I could to remain an NBA executive, as well.

I understand Steve Nash. And, considering the lot he was left with, I understand exactly where he's coming from. With Robert Saver running the team, passive and aggressive and all annoying points in between, it's hard to keep pace. No, the Shaquille O'Neal trade didn't work out. No, he hasn't exactly killed it in all other areas. But his turn hasn't been worth giving a miss.

That said, while I think the Suns can top out in the high 40s, the offense just isn't good enough to carry what will be a terrible, terrible defense. A defense that was actually middle of the road in 2004-05 (17th) and 2005-06 (16th), and ruddy miserable last season (26th in defensive efficiency).

And the organization is such a mess. Despite getting the services of Hill and Barbosa for just $10 million combined this season, the Suns will be paying the luxury tax. And even if Stoudemire splits this summer, and the team declines its option on Alando Tucker, it's going to be only an MLE-chunk under next summer's salary cap.

So, yeah, big shocker. I'm pessimistic. Prove me wrong, Phoenix. A lot of us are sort of hoping for it.

Prediction: 39-43

— Kelly Dwyer

By going up-tempo, can Phoenix return to its elite level of two years ago?

Surely, Terry Porter's decision to focus on defense hampered a team so used to playing fast, and the change in philosophy was arguably the biggest reason the Suns missed the postseason for the first time since 2004. But Alvin Gentry only went 18-13, which is just a notch higher than Porter's .549 winning percentage.

So will Gentry's commitment to playing fast make a difference? Houston should take a step back without Yao Ming and Ron Artest and Utah is in some disarray, giving Phoenix a chance to return to the playoffs. But it's fair to say the Suns are no longer an elite team.

— Frank Hughes, Yahoo! Sports 2009-10 NBA Preview magazine

• Bright Side of the Sun: "There's two basic ways to look at this Suns season. 1) You can choose to see a team trying to recapture the glory years by returning to its running roots but doing so without key players (Marion, Diaw and Bell); with an older core (Nash and Hill); and with whatever Amare may or may not be able to give on a microfractured knee and an eye that almost fell apart. To put it yet another (even more cynical) way, if the Suns aren't moving forward toward a championship and they aren't rebuilding for the long run then they are basically treading water in a desperate and blatant attempt to sell tickets while delaying the inevitable collapse. Or ... 2) You can see a team that is hitting the reset button after making the Big Mistake and promising to return to Phoenix Suns basketball which was exciting and won a lot of games. A team with great chemistry and a promise of consistency (no trades) and a team who will release its Canadian hummingbird from the plastic bag and run like the wind. A Suns team that is getting better defensively and is deeper then at any point since Charles Barkley weighed less than Eddy Curry." [more]

• Valley of the Suns: "Just like in Cleveland, Miami and Toronto, a potential key member of the much-ballyhooed Class of 2010 free agency class resides in Phoenix. The end result of the Amar'e Stoudemire Situation will go a long way toward determining the future direction of this franchise. Phoenix does not want to negotiate with Amar'e before seeing how he returns from a very serious eye injury, and even completely healthy the Suns may be hesitant to give max money to a player who is inconsistent defensively and on the boards at times. After asking for that max extension, Amare sees only a 50-50 chance of returning to Phoenix. The answer to this conundrum will determine whether the Suns build around their 26-year-old, potentially franchise big man or if they will have a few dollars to throw around next offseason to chart a new path." [more]

• The Baseline: "Older, wiser, more self-conscious and with only 2.5 real aggressive players (that would be Amare, Nash and Richardson), I just don't see this renewed commitment to the running game building any buzz. Or, for that matter, working as a sustained means of blowing opponents off of the floor. There is no shock and awe here, no reckless 'what-will-they-do-next' edge. Nothing here but veterans pushing the tempo and spreading the floor. That's almost regressive, considering how much the rest of the league has absorbed the Suns' original lessons." [more]

LCD Soundsystem, "Losing My Edge"

Steve Nash is back. Amar'e Stoudemire's eyeball works now. Alvin Gentry lets them run like the olden days. But it kinda feels like the Suns are just trying to stay relevant. Like, "Hey, guys, remember when we used to be the future of basketball?" And that kind of makes the sadness happen. But they're actually really, really nice.

— Trey Kerby, The Blowtorch

Fantasy owners have anxiously awaited the return of fun-and-gun. Shaq's departure means that things open up for everyone, and this team has the offensive talent to put up some big numbers. Amar'e Stoudemire is the featured player and makes an appearance in the middle of Round 1. While there still is some risk associated with the eye injury he suffered last season, the reward potential is just too great to pass on. There aren't many reasons to expect a drop-off from the 34-year-old Steve Nash, and he's a solid addition to your squad once you get a few picks into Round 2. There isn't a better system fit for a point guard in the league. Jason Richardson wasn't particularly assertive in his stint with the team in 08-09, but that should change now that the reins are off. Target him as early as the fourth round and be looking for guady 3-point totals and solid numbers overall.

Leandro Barbosa will benefit as much as anyone from the team's return to previous form. He was up and down in 08-09 but is just a few seasons removed from a top-25 roto impact, and he's a mid-round steal in drafts this season. Channing Frye's unique offensive skills (he made half of his 3-point attempts in preseason play) will play well in the Suns system and in fantasy, and he's one of the better speculative late-round picks available. Any excess boards, steals and blocks would be gravy for fantasy owners. Magic fans let out a collective sigh when Grant Hill played 82 games for the first time in his career last season — at age 36 — and he delivered an underrated roto impact. Don't underestimate his potential as a late-round glue guy.

— Matt Buser, Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Basketball / BuserSports.com

Sign up now for Fantasy Basketball '09.

SunTzu: Let your offensive plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.
about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

*******

Atlantic Divison: Celtics | Nets | Knicks | 76ers | Raptors
Southwest Division: Mavericks | Rockets | Grizzlies | Hornets | Spurs
Central Division: Bulls | Cavaliers | Pistons | Pacers | Bucks
Northwest Division: Nuggets | Wolves | Thunder | Blazers | Jazz
Southeast Division: Hawks | Bobcats | Heat | Magic | Wizards
Pacific Division: Warriors | Clippers | Lakers

OK, we know the first decade of the 21st century doesn't really end until 2011. We think. But we also know there have been 10 full NBA seasons played since the phrase "Y2K" was on all of our lips (1999-2000), and here at Ball Don't Lie we've decided to use this as an offseason excuse to rank some of the best and not-so-brightest of the 10 campaigns in question. The result? Why, top 10 lists!

Free agent contracts. It's a tricky game and you're bound to get some wrong, despite your best ...

No. Let's just stop, while we have our dignity.

We knew each of these deals were pretty dodgy the day they were signed, so let's not make any excuses. Here follows the 10 worst free-agent signings of the last decade.

10. Rashard Lewis

He's a damn good player. He can turn the tide on any team that doesn't have a forward combination worth mentioning, defensively. When he's aggressive, Lewis can truly change the flow of the game, and he's grown as a defender. Hardly matters. People who own six-year, $118 million contracts are expected to be all-world types, not players who average 17.7 points and 5.7 rebounds on 44 percent shooting. It's not Rashard's fault. He was the same player before he signed the deal in 2007 and after, but that doesn't mean he's worth the dough he'll make.

9. Kenyon Martin

Denver paid a huge price (seven years, $92.5 million) to employ Martin through his prime, and though his injury woes couldn't have been predicted, the team still badly overpaid. And we're serious about the "injury" thing, because while Martin broke both legs during his senior season at Cincinnati and his rookie year with the New Jersey Nets, that has little bearing on the two microfracture surgeries that followed. Denver just overpaid, plain and simple.

8. Andrei Kirilenko

It's hard to criticize AK's six-year, $86 million extension because, let's face it, we were all pretty smitten with his game in 2004; the year of the inking and the inkling. But he was still a huge risk as an All-Star role player. And as Carlos Boozer eased Kirilenko out of Utah's power forward slot, with injuries taking their toll, Andrei was left as a man without a position, along with a hefty price tag.

7. Erick Dampier

He's become a punch line of sorts not only because of his seven-year, $73 million extension, but because Dampier essentially traded cap holds with ex-Mavericks guard Steve Nash, who was allowed to sign with the Phoenix Suns two months before Damp hooked up with Dallas. The burly big man is a fine player who has started nearly every game as a Maverick in the time since, but he's hardly worth eight figures a year.

6. Peja Stojakovic

Most respect Peja's ability to spread the floor and destroy defenses from all angles, and he had just turned 28 by the time New Orleans signed him to a five-year, $64 million contract, but age and back woes left him barely a fringe starter in the third year of his deal, and that's after he missed nearly all of his first season with the Hornets.

5. Ben Wallace

It seemed an awfully curious move at the start. Chicago was coming off a season that saw them ranked 23rd in offensive efficiency, so with a huge gob of cap space, the team's decision to sign the 32-year-old Wallace (a defensive firebrand) felt a bit off. Chicago responded by jumping from seventh to first overall in defensive efficiency with the addition of Wallace and rookie Tyrus Thomas, but Big Ben fell off significantly in his second year with Chicago, before being traded to Cleveland, Phoenix and, ultimately, getting bought out of his four-year, $60 million deal.

4. Larry Hughes

You can carp about how Hughes may have been playing for a contract in 2004-05, but there doesn't appear to be a good explanation for the way the St. Louis product seemed to completely fall apart soon after signing a five-year deal worth around $14 million a year in 2005. Not only did his shooting touch (always suspect) completely leave him, but he embarked on a series of low-percentage looks as a member of the Cavaliers, Bulls and Knicks, enraging fans of each team as he continues to pull up for that 19-footer in transition.

3. Jared Jeffries

It seems like a gimmick, but we swear this wasn't the intention - former Knicks boss Isiah Thomas had a hand in the three worst contracts of the decade. And while types like Wallace and Hughes make more than twice as much as someone like Jeffries, they at least contributed somewhat during the course of their contracts. That can't be said for Jeffries, or the gentlemen that follow.

Signing Jeffries to a five-year, $30 million deal was hailed by some as "the best signing the Knicks have made in years," but there was no reasonable explanation for thinking that an overrated defender (called that merely because he served no other purpose) would learn how to shoot, finish, pass, rebound or hit free throws after four years struggling to do any of that with the Wizards.

2. Jerome James

Seriously, Jerome James? He was 29 years old, coming off a season that saw him average just 4.9 points and three rebounds in 16.6 minutes a game (with 7.6 personal fouls for every 36 minutes he played), and Thomas somehow saw him as some sort of diamond in the rough. He did average 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and more than two blocks a game against the Kings in the first round of the 2005 playoffs, a few months before the signing, against a guy coming off a broken leg. And that should make up for the first 29 years of suck, right?

1. Eddy Curry

Eddy's had some personal problems of late, so we'll lay off the lame jokes, but he shoots to the top of this list for a number of reasons.

Paramount of which is the fact — fact, mind you — that Curry does have a heart condition that could be termed as "life threatening," enough so that the Chicago Bulls were willing to pay Curry a stipend for a couple of decades just to retire and take care of himself. Thomas didn't care about that, nor did he care about the fact that any deal he signed Curry to would be uninsured. Six years, $60 million for a guy who doesn't really enjoy the game. Much less defending, rebounding, blocking shots or passing.

Questions? Comments? Furious and righteous anger at a world, not to mention top 10 list, gone wrong? Swing by later today at about 3 p.m. Eastern for a BDL mini-chat regarding this very list.

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I know I should come over all grain of salt'ish, but really, what does this game tell us that we already didn't know?

First off, the Cavaliers have been a good step ahead of the rest of the East for about three-quarters of the season, if not longer. Some might want to look at this game as the turning point, but Cleveland's point differential suggested they were playing better than the Celtics prior to that, even if the record didn't ably represent just how dominant the Cavs were.

Secondly, the Celtics are passable without Kevin Garnett, but only against teams that don't know what they're doing, and get blown away by all the savvy. The Cavs know what to do with savvy. They make it their own. I have no idea what that means.

Last? Playing in Cleveland is bad, bad news. And because Hue Hollins won't be refereeing any games in Ohio soon, the Cavs are well on their way toward matching Boston's legendary 40-1 mark at home.

So while the final score and the thorough domination could be a bit surprising at times on Sunday, it probably shouldn't have been.

New Orleans 102, Dallas 92

This game was great fun, and while I expected Jason Terry to play up to his usual standards down the stretch (we get typical JET, and we could have had overtime, or a classic gone down to the buzzer), it still was nice to see certain aspects of either team go off.

For Dallas, let's be honest, there was one certain aspect, and the Mavericks acquired him for Tractor Traylor. Dirk Nowitzki, as is his custom, was customarily brilliant, finishing with 29 points on 23 shots with 14 rebounds and (wait for it ...) ZERO turnovers in almost 43 minutes.

That's why Dallas stays in a game like this. Look at this team's box score. Look at the poor shooting from all the players who can't afford to shoot poorly. That's why this was a close one until the final minute, a guy who can score that efficiently without wasting a single possession with a miscue. The man has had a hell of a year.

On the other end, Chris Paul turned it over once. Bastard.

It was on an offensive foul, so no resulting fast break bucket for the Mavs, and Paul was MVP-good all afternoon. Coming on the heels of a 42-point, nine rebound, seven-assist outing against the Mavericks on Friday, Paul went off to the tune of 31 points (on 15 shots), 17 assists, two steals, and nine rebounds in this win. Geez.

In April? With his team on the ropes, Tyson Chandler out, Peja Stojakovic and James Posey mostly out and (save for this game) ineffective? When it's mattered most? Paul is averaging 31.4 points on 55 percent shooting, 12 assists to three turnovers, with 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 steals, and a 46 percent mark from behind the arc (11 makes).

Those are jaw-dropping stats, but because he's been so good for so long, I didn't really notice that he'd taken it to another gear until this weekend. Sadly, some people haven't even a clue that he's been this good for this long. Much less that shift to (we assume) top gear.

I mean, Marc Stein doesn't even have Paul listed on his MVP ballot, which you'd think would be ridiculous to no end, until you see that he chose Chauncey Billups over Paul. We've found another "end," apparently.

18 points per game, 6.4 assists, three rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.3 turnovers on the 6^th-fastest team compared to 23 points, 11.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 steals and three turnovers on the third-slowest (i.e., fewer chances to put up numbers) team in the NBA.

But it's not about stats, Kelly. It's not about stats. It's not about stats.

Well, what is it about, then? I've been obsessing over this game for years ... what the hell am I missing? What am I not getting? What is everyone else seeing that I'm not seeing? How could anyone rank Chris Paul out of the top two or three players in this game anymore? Why aren't these people laughed at when they trot out Kobe or Dwight Howard or ... Chauncey Billups?!?

To say that this guy isn't even in the top five? And these are the people with votes. And these are the people who shape the way you view the game. Because these people didn't know that Marcus Camby was a sieve defensively last season, even though he put up plenty of ESPN-worthy blocks, and somehow Denver's expectations lower, butterfly flaps its wings, and Chauncey Billups is now considered a better player than Chris Paul?

And even if you take the hackneyed, "where would they be without him?" argument, which is pointless for an individual player award, doesn't Paul come out way, way ahead? David West was on fire on Sunday, but this is a sub-20 win team without Paul. The Timberwolves have a better roster surrounding Al Jefferson. Without Billups, the Nuggets would be pretty solid. Maybe not playoffs-solid, but right there.

(Now, I use the "where would they be without him?" argument for Executive of the Year choices, mainly because execs kind of get to pick the players that play on the team in question, while players don't. Sort of a big distinction, to these eyes. Maybe I'm nuts.)

I'll stop. No, I won't. Stein also complained about Brook Lopez's rebounding, so here is a list of players that Lopez has out-rebounded this year in terms of rebound rate (the pace-adjusted per-minute amount of rebounds you pull in per rebounds available when you were on the flippin' floor):

Zach Randolph, Nick Collison, Chris Bosh, Jeff Foster, Anderson Varejao, Pau Gasol, Udonis Haslem, Shawn Marion, Jermaine O'Neal, Nene, Rasheed Wallace, Mehmet Okur, Tyrus Thomas, David West, Amar'e Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Smith, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Jason Thompson.

A solid list, comprised of seven or eight players whose main gig, more or less, is to go out and rebound. And Lopez beat them as a rookie.

Now, I'll stop. BtB is a house of mirth, dammit. Marc Stein is a helluva reporter who constantly breaks stories. He's damn good at his job. I mean that. He's just off, ‘ere.

Miami 122, New York 105

Six three-pointers for Dwyane Wade. So, you spot him those 18 points, you figure he's playing the Knicks at home, and that New York turned a guy named Mike Taylor into a world-beater a few weeks ago. So where does Wade finish? 45? 50? 55. 55 points. This year has been one big "welcome back" for D-Wade, and I've enjoyed every second of it.

Just working on the slight hunch that the Knicks could make a game of it and throw a loss into an April list of expectations that had Miami banking on a win all along, Wade was quite determined. All over the place, really, pulling in nine rebounds and only turning it over three times despite the fast pace and 39 minutes spent on the court.

19-30 shooting, 6-12 from long range, four assists, a block, 55 points. What a year this has been. Easily tied with Paul for the finest undeserved MVP year in NBA history.

Think about that. Think about the times we live in. Two players are going to get royally screwed out of MVPs in the midst of legendary years, and it's not because MVP voters are screwing up. It's because they don't deserve it, because someone's been better. 2008-09, cats and kitties.

28 and 16 for Michael Beasley, and I don't care who gets healthy as the year moves on, you need to start this kid. Play him at point guard, for all I care.

Toronto 111, Philadelphia 104

If the 76ers had the whiff of an overachiever as they threatened for home court advantage in the first week of April ... yeah, it's because the team was overachieving.

Five losses later, here we are. Sixth in the East, threatening to fall all the way to eighth in the conference. The hope here, and it is a reasonable one, is that the Celtics (who Philadelphia plays on Tuesday) and Cleveland (Wednesday) won't have much to gain or lose by trotting out the big guns in the remaining games. In fact, you can be fairly sure that the 76ers will get the B-team on both occasions.

But I've seen nothing from the 76ers over the last week that suggests they'll be able to do much against either squad's B-team, and that's not me overreacting. This team has looked pitiful at times on both ends, culminating in a game that saw them turn the ball over on 21 percent of its possessions against Toronto. The Raptors. Toronto Raptors.

27 assists on 42 field goals for Toronto, and while Andrea Bargnani pulled in just two rebounds in 33 minutes (that's some Eddy Curry stuff, kids), he did block six shots. Six! 17 points on 14 looks for Bargs.

San Antonio 95, Sacramento 92

We can whine about Michael Finley needing a break from the officials and an obviously-wrong call that allowed his late-game three-pointer to go in, but ... well, let's complain about it. It was a horrible call.

But people, I implore you. Look at what the Spurs have become. A week before the playoffs, no less.

They needed a three-pointer that shouldn't have counted to beat the Sacramento Kings, a Kings team playing without its leading scorer in Kevin Martin. So, yell at the Spurs, Kings fans, but also pity them. They've been to the top of the mountain, and now they're running plays for Mike Finley in the final seconds. At least you get to go to, I dunno, Spencer Hawes (24 points, eight rebounds, three blocks).

Los Angeles Lakers 92, Memphis 75

The joke is that, yes, Andrew Bynum made it through a game against the Grizzlies without getting hurt. And it's not very funny. Don't make fun of the joke, though, or Jamie Kennedy will come after you.

The scary bit, for the rest of the league, is that the Lakers took in a little rest and a win and put that up-and-down bench through the paces. 28 bench minutes from Lamar Odom (eight points, five rebounds, four assists, a steal, two blocks, zero turnovers), and while he wasn't offering eye-popping stats, he was bringing the sort of guidance that made him my Sixth Man of the Year for the first few weeks of this season.

Odom does so much for that offense and defense off the bench, but you just have to watch the games to know, because he's often the most important player in a play that won't give him a point or an assist, and help defense doesn't show up in the box score unless he rejects the shot.

The Grizz, meanwhile, were pitiful offensively 85 points per 100 possessions. Just two more games, kids.

OK, they're probably done.

Three games total against the Jazz and Trail Blazers later this week will probably do the Suns in, and while this team's April includes just about the easiest schedule we've seen in years (with the lone exception serving as something that could swing the season in their favor, an ABC pairing against the 8^th-seeded Mavericks), the Suns are still hanging by a thread.

But the team is working. It is turning the ball over, and the squad is attempting to win the thing on extra credit points, but it is working.

Here's what I've come up with. If the Suns turn it over 20 times, but the impetus behind the team's speedy offense doesn't cough it up once in 35 minutes, the team-wide miscues hardly seem to matter. Brilliant.

Now, "hardly" hardly works in a game that was only won by three points, but the fact that Steve Nash was able to ply his usual pre-2008 trade without letting go of the ball a single time was pretty damned important.

The Suns won't go away. They dealt with a flurry of third quarter points (14, in fact, and 29 overall) from Carmelo Anthony but hung in there with good help from bench guys like Jared Dudley (especially late in that third quarter), alongside a throwback game (yeah, Grant used to turn the ball over quite a bit, so that's part of the nostalgia) from Grant Hill; who finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and six turnovers.

Not only was Denver's defense for the birds, the team couldn't rebound to save its life (-13 against the Suns, and Anthony managed only two rebounds in over 38 minutes of a fast-paced game), and it had to feel a little unlucky. Watching Shaq 7-8 go from the line? That can't be easy to watch.

And my hope for a nice little Stro Show in Phoenix is going swimmingly. Three fouls, one turnover, no points, no rebounds for Swift in almost five minutes in the win. INTEGRAL.

Chicago 101, Washington 99

Just as it was in Chicago's last visit to Washington, the Bulls got off to a tepid, uninspired start before making a game of it. Thankfully for a team that looks like it's going to back into a playoff spot despite going out of its way to avoid the postseason, the Wizards just didn't have enough top o' the line help to sustain the lead this time around, and the Bulls pulled it out.

Antawn Jamison was the star of this game, he was a little three-happy (3-10 from long range), but his work on both sides of the ball (seriously, active defense from Jamison in the loss) kept Washington in the game, as did his 15-point fourth quarter (with a whole heap of those quick points coming in the final two minutes).

Still, outside of Javaris Crittenton (18 points, seven rebounds, five assists, great game; but I'm going to see if he adds another one of these sometime this month before paying more attention to it), the Wizards just couldn't shoot straight.

Chicago barely could, either, but they had enough. Only 11 combined turnovers for these two teams, a pretty solid mark for two squads that tend to make copious mistakes with the ball night in and night out.

Atlanta 109, Minnesota 97

For the second day in a row, the Timberwolves had this lost by halftime, tossing this game away by failing to guard ... well, I'm having a hard time thinking of an area of the court they patrolled well in that first half.

Mike Bibby went off, and any time the Hawks wanted to flash someone to the front of the rim, the Hawks had a free throw trip coming, or a high percentage shot to try and connect on.

As it was in Minnesota's loss to the Thunder on Sunday, the Wolves came back in the second half, outscoring the Hawks by 10 over the final 24, but it hardly mattered. Bibby continued to play well, and Joe Johnson tossed in 14 fourth quarter points to "seal" it.

(This is how I Seal it.)

Not the best defensive outing for the Hawks, either, but it wasn't needed as the home team made 53 percent of its shots and 9-23 from long range.

Miami 94, Memphis 82

With five games starting from 7-7:30 p.m. out East, this one was sort of a casualty.

Every flip over in Memphis' direction tended to showcase a play where the Grizzlies (and this has pretty much been the team's three-pronged attack all season) were too inexperienced to know how to act, too uninspired to care, or to small to do anything about it should the smarts and/or inspiration come around.

Jamaal Magloire got the start for Miami, and while he finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds, he also picked up five fouls in 28 minutes, while turning the ball over four times. An OK game, once you pack in the mitigating factors, but he's not going to turn the corner all of the sudden, Heat fans. Don't expect anything more than what you've already seen.

Dwayne Wade finished with 27 points on 23 shots with eight assists, and only played three minutes in the second quarter. Also, he's done practicing this year, something I can get behind.

Orlando 106, New York 102

I watched a lot of this one, and you really had to respect the Knickerbocker effort. This team was working its tail off defensively, though Orlando had some open looks that they whiffed on pretty miserably, the close game through the first three quarters was all on New York.

But you knew that things were going to fall apart. Not to a point where the Knicks would lose, possibly, but at the very best they would back into a win, and no more. No more than a win. Really should have re-thought that.

New York just didn't have the offensive firepower to pull away. That's where efficiency comes into play, and why we pay attention to this stuff. New York can put up 100 (or 102) points all it wants by running and shooting early in the shot clock, but what's the point when you shoot 41 percent?

Now, the mere fact that I'm going over this in late March is a huge testament to the work these players and this coaching staff have put in.

Not only did the Knicks (rightfully, because they're finally rebuilding) essentially give up on the season before the actual season, they gave up on it again by sitting Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury, again by trading Jamal Crawford for a player (Al Harrington, undersized forward) seemingly ubiquitous by New York standards (with Chandler and Lee around), and dumping Zach Randolph on the Clippers for zero contributors. All great trades for the future, not so much for 2008-09.

This team works, though, and wants to win. It stinks, I'm not going too far with this, but they bring the effort, in spite of how much Mike D'Antoni might skulk around the sidelines.

He had reason to, on Monday. His Knicks couldn't pull away. Nate Robinson was not at his best on the court (6-23 shooting, four turnovers), or in working with others (bad fouls, needless chirping, selling out Chris Wilcox after Wilcox whiffed on a pass that Robinson never should have sent his way; Wilcox was the adult in the situation and made a "my bad" gesture to the fans).

And even though Orlando couldn't shoot for long stretches, and Dwight Howard (worryingly, still) is not the sort of center you can throw the ball to four times in six possessions to get you out of a slump, the Magic came back. 12 points and four rebounds for Hedo Turkoglu in the fourth quarter, Courtney Lee scored a fantastic 23 points on only eight shots and made 6-6 freebies in the final quarter, and Dwight Howard (that center you can't count on) still finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks.

Boston 90, Los Angeles Clippers 77

The offense might fall apart, things could go awry, but with Kevin Garnett back the Boston defense will never rest. He won't let it.

Los Angeles had a few runs in them, but Boston forced a turnover on nearly a quarter of all Clipper possessions, and KG (in spite of playing just 18 minutes), was the deciding factor (with that length, and movement) in the two biggest Boston runs of the game. Three biggest, actually, but the first run in the first quarter was nearly made up for by some solid play from Steve Novak and Chris Kamen in the second quarter.

Still, and remember that this guy played less than 18 minutes, the Celtics had two 18-2 runs in the second half. And they weren't even that far apart. One ended right before the third quarter lapsed, and one began right after the fourth quarter started. Worry, worry, worry, NBA, league, NBA. 87.5 points per 100 possessions for the Clippers in the loss.

Philadelphia 114, Portland 108 (OT)

After a few write-throughs, I couldn't help but slough this one off a bit.

After all, the Blazers were back home after a long and if not arduous, then pretty prickly road trip. It may not have been the Bataan Death March, but five games in seven nights is no picnic. It is, as mentioned previously, a prickly picnic. And nobody but Peter Tork prefers those.

But, and I say this offering that I screwed up in trying to record the NBA TV replay of this game (though I saw quite a bit of the initial offering), I can't help but shake the feeling that the 76ers just walked all over the Blazers. I know it went into overtime, and I'm aware of the history of playing your first game back at home after a road trip, but Philly sure did have its way at times.

The question is, who does that say more about? The 76ers, or the Blazers?

Contrary to commenter opinion, my initial instinct is to traipse across the sunny side of things, and hand the credit over to the 76ers rather than forecasting doom and gloom for Portland.

For now, though, let me bring one thing up. Let's say one of the various permutations that could lead to Portland meeting Denver in the first round pops up. Either the Nuggets or Blazers fade, both move up in the standings, or some combination of both leads to them meeting in the first week of the postseason (extensively documented by NBA TV, no doubt). Work that Geiger Counter, figure it out. I'd have a hard time picking the Trail Blazers in that series.

I wouldn't pick the Blazers, actually. And I love the Trail Blazers.

Why? Teams with guards that get into the middle in transition or delayed transition breaks have killed Portland from this season's first week. And while Denver has huge, huge issues in its locker room, with the team's defense, it's rebounding, the focus, the shooting, anything you want to toss out there ... they seem a lot like the not-as-good Philadelphia team that just took it to Portland in Portland.

And Portland has already lost to Denver twice this season. That one win? Denver was without Carmelo Anthony. Hmm.

So, I'm not going to kill Portland for doing what was somewhat-expected. Andre Miller had his biweekly bout of All-Star play (at times looking like Dwyane Wade with the turnarounds and pullups, 27 points and 10 rebounds), and it's hard to keep Andre Iguodala and Thad Young (52 combined points) from looking like they're working on a Nerf hoop.

Even better, Greg Oden (13 and eight rebounds, two blocks, five fouls in 25 minutes) looked great, and Rudy Fernandez (19 points) is showing no ill-effects. Brandon Roy isn't going to miss 13 of 18 shots very often, and the road played a factor.

But this team's defense has been a question mark all year. And it's going to destroy this team's chances in the postseason if it doesn't start stopping the ball.

NBC Los Angeles: "According to sources close to Jerry West, the Hall of Famer has been approached by the Clippers about becoming the team's next General Manager. The legendary Laker said thanks, but no thanks. This clearly validates a report in the Boston Globe that the Clippers are considering removing Mike Dunleavy as GM at season's end. Dunleavy is currently both the GM and Coach of the Clippers, a 17-54 team mired in a dreadful season. Sources say that West has no interest in the Clipper job. The team is reportedly interested in former Heat GM and ex-Lakers Coach Randy Pfund. Either way, it's clear that something has to change for the Clippers, and that change may be coming soon."

Michael Cunningham, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "The Heat isn't likely to have many more practice sessions with 13 games during the final 22 days of the regular season. When the Heat does practice, don't expect Dwyane Wade to participate in much more than noncontact work as the Heat tries to keep its star healthy. Wade, nursing a sore hip that forced him to miss Wednesday's game at Boston, 'didn't feel as bad as we anticipated' after playing Friday at New Jersey, coach Erik Spoelstra said. 'We are going to manage his body as best as we can,' Spoelstra said."

Mitch Lawrence, NY Daily News: "Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy Monday night questioned why the Knicks have refused to consider Patrick Ewing for a job but have no problem using their former superstar center to help sell tickets. 'I'm a cynical person,' Van Gundy said following the Magic's 106-102 win at the Garden. 'If they feel he's one of the greatest players in franchise history and they've hired a lot of other prominent players, why won't they even give him an interview? But on a night like tonight, they'll want him to help him sell out the building.' Ewing was honored with six other Knicks legends with the team's first Legacy Awards. When Isiah Thomas ran the Knicks, Ewing was not considered for any front office or coaching positions. [...] 'This is a guy who is not only the face of the franchise and their best player ever and who works as hard as he does, and they say great things about him. But when it comes time to put up or shut up, they don't do anything. It's our good fortune.'"

Paul Coro, The Arizona Republic: "Twelve games remain, but there came a time in Monday night's third quarter that the Suns' season seemed almost over. Every game, Phoenix's playoff hopes could receive a major blow if another loss puts any more distance between the Suns and the Dallas Mavericks. The Suns had blown a 14-point lead and fallen behind to Denver by 11 on Monday, getting further frustrated with Carmelo Anthony's parade to the free-throw line. But the Suns rallied to an early fourth-quarter lead and took Denver's hits, literally, before clinching a 118-115 win on, of all things, Steve Nash's defense. Their season-best five-game win streak puts them within three games of Dallas for the West's final playoff spot."

Real GM / Wall Street Journal: "Since 1991, a visiting player has scored 46 or more points on 115 occasions in the NBA. Amazingly, 11 of those occurrences took place at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Madison Square Garden, home of the Knicks, was second on the list put together by the Wall Street Journal with nine such performances. Kobe Bryant owns 16 of those 115 road scoring outbursts, the most of any NBA player."

Melissa Isaacson, Chicago Tribune: "Prim Capital Corp., a financial planning company based in Cleveland, has filed a $250,000 lawsuit against former client Scottie Pippen for breach of contract. Prim runs the Players Association Financial Awareness Program and was hired — and subsequently fired — by the former Bulls star to help with financial matters. Todd Hunter, an investment adviser for Prim, is the son of NBA Players Association Executive Director Billy Hunter."

Frank Zicarelli, Toronto Sun: "As good as Nathan Jawai looked yesterday when reporters were granted access to the Raptors' practice facility, the affable Aussie isn't sure when he'll be back on an NBA court. 'My goal is to get into a game,' Jawai said. 'The ultimate goal is to be ready for next year.' Jawai no longer has to worry about a heart condition that curtailed his rookie development. He returned to Toronto following a stint in the D-League to consult with doctors, a scheduled appointment that prevented Jawai from practising with his teammates yesterday. The D-League is a guard-oriented training ground that routinely overlooks post players. But at least Jawai got to bang elbows in the paint as a member of the Idaho Stampede, lose some excess fat and improve his overall conditioning."

Marc Berman, New York Post: "While the Knicks' past was on display last night during Legends Night, their future rookie Danilo Gallinari flew back from Italy, leaning toward having season-ending surgery. According to a person familiar with the situation, Gallinari is expected to have what's being classified as 'minor surgery' on his back to alleviate the pain resulting from a bulging disc, which would end his rookie season.The person said the surgical procedure would be much less invasive than standard disc surgeries. It only involves a small shaving down of a nerve on which a disc is pressing. Gallinari would be back for July's Las Vegas Summer League."

Jimmy Smith, The Times-Picayune: "Blessed with the scheduling luxury of facing opponents with less-than-spectacular records, the Hornets continued to take a cautious route before putting two injured starters back into the lineup. Forward Peja Stojakovic, who has battled back spasms and associated leg pain for the past three weeks, and center Tyson Chandler, still recovering from a sprained left ankle, missed Sunday night's game against the Golden State Warriors at the New Orleans Arena. It was the 10th straight DNP for Stojakovic, and Chandler sat out for the third consecutive time. Chandler played in 12 consecutive games after missing 16 in a row from Jan. 21 through Feb. 21 with the ankle ailment. 'They're still not there yet,' Hornets Coach Byron Scott said. 'In an effort to get them as healthy as possible for the final run, instead of trying to risk one game — and all of a sudden you get a setback where they're gone for another week or two — it's just not worth it right now. Hopefully, we can continue to hold our head above water and get ready for Wednesday.'"

K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune: "Two weeks have passed since a Miami-based specialist recommended two more weeks of rest for the stress fracture in Luol Deng's right tibia. And Deng, who didn't accompany the Bulls here, isn't closer to returning. 'It could be [season-ending],' coach Vinny Del Negro said Monday. 'You just don't know how it's going to react. We don't want him to come back and really seriously injure himself. He's still got discomfort and pain. It's a stress fracture. Until that heals — and that takes time — we'll be smart about it. Luol wants to be out there as much as anybody. But injuries happen and this one is tough.'"

Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe: "Kevin Garnett, returning from his strained knee, has resumed his normal routine — in practice — and the Celtics considered using him for 4 minutes of the second quarter last night, but changed plans after Garnett felt soreness following the morning shootaround. Garnett played 18 minutes against the Clippers — split between the first and third quarters — and scored 12 points. 'It's great to have our emotional leader back, on and off the court,' guard Rajon Rondo said. 'He's a great guy in the locker room. It's how hard he plays the game. He doesn't take any possessions off. He's always positive out there on the floor. He wants to win every game.'"

Bruce Golding, New York Post: "Knick center Eddy Curry says his 'press-hungry' former driver can't sue him for workplace sex harassment because Curry is not an 'employer' under state human-rights law. In a Manhattan federal court filing, Curry said yesterday that his only employees were ex-chauffeur David Kuchinsky and a personal chef. Kuchinsky's lawyer, Matthew Blit, said 'we know for a fact' that Curry had at least four people working for him, adding, 'We are extremely confident that their motion to dismiss will be denied.'"

Bob Finnan, News-Herald: "One early possibility in free agency this summer for the Cavs could be 6-7 shooting guard Trevor Ariza of the Lakers, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Ariza said his first choice would be to stay with the Lakers. 'I would love to be here,' he said."

Apologies for yet another CPnKobe picture, but I'm so deliriously smitten with the way both of these guys are playing right now. And the final seconds of the first half of this game kind of drove that home.

With about three seconds left in the half, Paul hit what felt like his 15^th tough one-handed runner of the game. He could have mixed things up a bit more, gone to the pull-up jumper or completely drive to the front of the rim, maybe try and work the Tim Hardaway-type post-up game more; but he also knew that his best chance of scoring -- and his team's best chance of scoring -- was to go to the same, tough, shot over and over again. Not much for mixtapes, but it put his team ahead.

And then, with the seconds ticking down and after Paul had scored 21 first half points, Kobe pulls up for a line drive jumper from about 45 feet, which hit nothing but net (after going in the goal, it should be pointed out) as the buzzer sounds. It reminded of a shot Michael Jordan hit against Seattle in Kobe's rookie year, same spot, same type of shot, same type of arc, same result.

And you know Kobe's seen that shot. And you know he'd practiced it, endlessly. Not because he slavishly copies MJ. But because he slavishly copies the best of everyone. That's what makes him so brilliant.

There's no luck with Kobe, our game's hardest working player. Only smarts, and skill, and a willingness to learn, learn, learn. And there's no BS with CP. I'm just chuffed that I get to see them go at each other on an otherwise random Tuesday night.

The Hornets won once David West took over in the second half. The guy was unconscious from the floor, working around a hapless Pau Gasol and finishing with 40 points and 11 rebounds. Gasol worked his tail off, forcing West a step beyond where he usually likes to shoot from and usually preventing him from taking that three-quarter lefty drive, but West just had it on Tuesday. Tim Duncan wasn't stopping that.

Kobe got 39 of his own, but his teammates just couldn't match his production. Too many missed corner threes, too many transition looks that went awry, and the Lakers suffered a big blow when Lamar Odom (in the midst of a monster first half off the bench) sprained his right knee and had to leave the game. Cross your fingers, fans of good basketball.

Paul finished with 32 points, zero turnovers (not fair), three steals and 15 dimes, and he hooked up with West for the assist fewer times than you'd think. A lot of DW's work was off the face-up, with Paul cleared to the other side of the court.

Another key to the Hornets win was a sound bit of defense that didn't involve fouling, just 22 free throw attempts for the Lakers.

Orlando 89, Washington 80

Caron Butler looked really bad in the first half of this loss. Truly bad. Like, "he still must be injured"-bad. So when I clicked over in the third quarter, only to be told that Tough Juice was in the midst of what turned out to be a 21-point scoring quarter, it kind of took me by surprise. Then you remember that this is Caron Butler that we're dealing with, and it all kind of makes sense.

29 points for Butler, but the Magic were too good too early and too late. Hedo Turkoglu had one of the best games of his season thus far, with 22 points on 12 shots with three steals, seven assists, and zero turnovers. Dwight Howard caused more than a few poor Washington shot attempts despite registering only one block in the win, and though Jameer Nelson didn't shoot well (5-17), you had to like his aggression.

Philadelphia 104, Houston 96

Philly really seemed to have a hop in its step on Tuesday, the team appeared to be a step quicker in all areas, beating the Rockets to every loose ball, shooting 56 percent on the night.

Ron Artest sat for the Rockets, he's got a bum right ankle that would keep Tracy McGrady out until August, and though T-Mac registered nine assists, his laconic nature and 5-15 shooting had me a bit peeved considering the nonsense we saw over the weekend from the pseudo-All Star. The blogosphere should be focusing about a hundred percent of the enmity it's sent Kevin Garnett's way recently on someone who actually deserves it. This guy.

It was Philly's night, though. They won it more than the Rockets lost it. The team showcased the sort of fast break/refuse-to-shoot-outside-of-the-paint edge that we saw from them in 2007-08, and there's no reason this can't sustain once Elton Brand returns.

Chicago 99, Sacramento 94

Chicago beat Sacramento, a team coming in on the second night of a back-to-back that started in another time zone, by five on their home court. Yay.

Andres Nocioni got a haircut, needed 11 shots to score three points, and Kevin Martin tossed in 29 points on just 15 shots, while turning the ball over seven times. For further results, consult the back of your textbook.

Charlotte 114, Boston 106 (OT)

Not my favorite game.

It was nice to see the Bobcats take it to the defending champs, giving the home crowd a treat, but this wasn't the best game of the year, and Michael Jordan's presence on the Charlotte bench is beyond enervating. Just soul-crushing.

Jordan, and rightfully so, would destroy Jerry Krause for sticking his nose in the coaching staff's business. And while Jordan would seem to have more on-court wisdom to pass along to his players than a non-jock like Krause, I don't care. Jerry West wouldn't do that. Hell, Jerry West still stuck a little too close to the Lakers for Phil Jackson's taste.

Stay off the bench, hero. And stop showing up for the cameras at shootaround once every three weeks, because all it is doing is adding more credibility to the earned stereotype of Mike as the GM who wasn't there.

Michael Jordan is the reason I do what I do, but "pathetic" is the only word that comes to mind when I think of his time with the Bobcats. That's an easy, cop-out phrase that gets tossed about quite a bit, but it truly works in this instance. Across the board, pathetic.

His team played well, though. Moving the ball and nailing three-pointers, the Bobcats dished 25 assists on 38 made baskets and got to the line 34 times (making 31). Boston's perimeter D was pretty lousy, they just weren't getting out on shooters, and if you told me that Rajon Rondo turned the ball over 15 times in the loss I wouldn't be surprised.

He only turned it over nine times, but most were of a pretty shocking variety. That's not a young guard still learning the ropes. Those were turnovers that even a rookie neophyte like Jerryd Bayless or Russell Westbrook would be embarrassed to come through with. Bobcats rookie D.J. Augustin, it should be noted, had 20 points, five assists, and two turnovers in 35 minutes off the bench.

Charlotte has been playing Boston well for the last two seasons, so I'm not going to act as if this is the end of the Celtic dynasty, but the C's badly need to watch the turnovers.

The defense? You know, when you're the best in the league at it and teams are gunning for you every night, you're bound to give up a few 7-16 nights from behind the arc. That, I can live with, because it won't sustain.

The turnovers, however, have been a huge problem both this season and last. Something has to change.

Oklahoma City 107, New York 99

You know, the Knicks try, and I know that alone isn't supposed to earn you full credit, but they're just so damn short. Sometimes they match up against the wrong (for New York) batch of opponents who seem to realize, all at once, "we can really see the rim very well from here," and shoot accordingly.

The Thunder stormed (I just wrote that, I didn't even think about it ... I think the BtB wheels have come off) to an early lead with some sound ball movement and plenty of aggression. Good aggression, getting into lanes, making the extra pass, and finishing well. Kevin Durant had 27 points on 16 shots, with 12 rebounds, and Jeff Green scored 27 of his own. A sneaky 27, if I'm honest. Didn't know it was happening until I was told.

Also, Russell Westbrook ... 22 points, nine assists, six boards, four turnovers, not bad. Again, lots of aggression. The Thunder looked great, New York came back for a spell during the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma City is playing some really good basketball of late, and it's been truly fun to watch.

Minnesota 94, Memphis 87

Memphis falls back to earth a bit, and while I know O.J. Mayo was due to fall back with his shooting percentages (7-18 on Tuesday, 2-7 from long range), you'd still like to see some better decision-making against a Timberwolves team that is just dying to be beat by 20.

But the Wolves won, again, with Randy Foye pull out one of those tri-monthly bouts of awesome: 23 points on 13 shots, one turnover. Working off the ball, Foye looked downright passable, while Sebastian Telfair (now starting) ran a great floor game, finishing with nine assists.

A Telfair-like night from Kyle Lowry or Mike Conley probably would have given the Grizz a win, but them's the flow, and the ball never seemed to end up in the right place for Memphis on Tuesday.

Dallas 107, Los Angeles Clippers 102

It seems, to me at least, that the Clippers and the Mavericks have played each other about 32 times this season. I might be wrong about that, but after Dallas threw in 37 first quarter points against a Clipper team playing without 14 of its best 15 players, this one kind of got away from me. There were a ton of other games either finishing up or hitting the stretch run, and I didn't really watch much of this.

The Clippers came back, apparently. Eric Gordon continued his strong play, sitting for just over two minutes and scoring 32 points before fouling out. Al Thornton scored 25 points rather inefficiently (24 shots), and where would the Clippers be without Brian Skinner?

Another night of bad guard play from the Mavs, and this time Jason Terry wasn't immune. JET missed eight of 10 shots from the floor, Jason Kidd and J.J. Barea combined to shoot 3-13, and the Mavs were beaten on the boards 47-37.

I love that Dirk Nowitzki (34 points) is still winning games for them, but he pulled in just four caroms, two days after pulling in three rebounds, and four days after pulling in four rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki's New Year's resolution is to play more like Eddy Curry.

Or Skeets. Burn.

What a game. Seriously, another in-season classic from these two.

Before we get down to the usual, I want to float something that I think is important. The Hawks could have won this game, and not only were they a few obvious changes away from pulling out the win (Joe Johnson making that last free throw, shoot a little better from the floor), they were also a few less-obvious changes (not tightening up in the final minutes, and I'm not referring to Joe Johnson ‘ere) away from winning.

But for them to be that close, even given this team's history with Boston, even given the home court advantage, that's an accomplishment. Horseshoes and hand grenades, I know, but this squad entered the game 11^th in offense and 15^th in defense. Josh Smith missed a few games, so you might bump those numbers up a few slots, but this team is way, way short of Boston's (7^th and 1^st, respectively) realm. They're probably short of Orlando's realm, even.

So the idea of having these sorts of expectations, and this brand of hype leading up to Atlanta's third straight loss against the defending champs, is pretty significant. It's no consolation, but we do need to keep some perspective.

Boston won because they have more talent, they play consistently to the final buzzer, and because they're smarter and cagier than the Hawks. They're smarter and cagier than 29 other NBA teams, really, and it's not even close. The Lakers and Cavs don't hold a candle to these basketball IQs. Even with all those turnovers (Boston is 29^th in the NBA in turnover ratio) factored in.

The C's D was spot-on as usual, Atlanta shot 36.7 from the floor, and Kevin Garnett was an offensive beast down the stretch with a series of interior and perimeter moves. Mostly interior, though, which was nice.

Rajon Rondo's energy and derring-do, however, seemed to be a game-long difference to me. 15 points, six rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and three turnovers in 36 minutes for the Boston PG, who should have your All-Star vote.

Philadelphia 93, Milwaukee 88

Louis Williams broke out with 25 points in this win as Milwaukee reverted to its 2007-08 style of defense during the second half alongside some pitiful Buck offense, but the real story here is Elton Brand's dislocated shoulder.

No word on how long EB is out, but this pushes the getting-to-know-you phase even farther back. And though Brand has not played up to his standards this season, this allows the blame to shift his way should the Sixers play well in his absence due to other reasons (better coaching, more insistence on running that they could have done with Elton, better play from guys like Lou Williams and Sam Dalembert that has nothing to do with Brand).

Milwaukee looked good in the first half, but I think we got a bit too much of the Luke Ridnour experience in the second half.

Here's a good recap from Frank at BrewHoop.

Indiana 127, Golden State 120

I was actually allowed to watch a Pacers game, which was lovely, though a bit hectic in the midst of a nine-game night that saw seven games start within an hour of this one's tip-off.

What I did get to see was more awful, awful Warriors defense. Guys would get crossed up and screen each other off in transition. No talking in the half court, no talking on the fast break. Slow rotations, no rotations, no interest, no attitude, no chance. Really, Indiana was a few makes on shots they should have made away from hitting 140 points.

The game was very entertaining, despite the defensive mishaps, because 109 possessions in an NBA game just doesn't happen all that often (the Boston/Atlanta matchup, by comparison, had 88 possessions).

Playing without T.J. Ford and Troy Murphy (groin, flu), the Pacers rallied around Jarrett Jack (24 points, plenty of bad decisions, but 24 points is 24 points) and the excellent Danny Granger. A whopper of a line for Granger, who had 41 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Part of that is tempered by the quick pace and bad defense, but not as much as you'd think. Great game for the forward.

New Orleans 90, San Antonio 83

Another fantastic contest, I'm having a hard time remembering an ESPN double-header that was this good (excluding the playoffs), and I'm also having a hard time wrapping myself around this one. I'll watch it again later, but nothing significant really sticks out at this point besides the fun of it.

This isn't to say that both teams didn't exceed expectations, or that this wasn't a nail-biter, or that I didn't yelp like a Yorkshire Terrier when James Posey hit that three-pointer in the final minute, but it just seemed like business as usual for two teams that know the ins and outs of the bidness.

Of course, the Spurs could have played better. New Orleans was without Peja Stojakovic. Matt Bonner's 3-15 mark won't happen again, but it also did the Spurs in, and Mike Finley missing seven of nine looks from the floor hurt as well.

But I guess the real difference was a little less from what you'd expect from Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan. Manu turned the ball over five times in about 31 minutes, in a low-possession (86) game. That's like a 10-turnover night for Jamal Crawford, or Allen Iverson on last year's Nuggets, because they'd play more minutes at a faster pace. And Duncan's 5-14 touch from the floor hurt.

New Orleans had more to do with this than San Antonio. They were up for this one, the hands were up, the knees bent, the focus there. It was great to watch. Just 173 points total in the contest, and I could watch these two battle every damn night. Here's hoping we get a playoff rematch from these guys.

19 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds for Chris Paul, fabulous stats for such a slow game, and David West (21 and nine rebounds) was his solid self. Also, for the second game in a row, James Posey was Mr. Clutch down the stretch.

Dallas 96, Toronto 86

Another tough loss for the Raptors, they seemed to be running away with things against what appeared to be a tired Mavericks team in the first quarter, only to relent due to some bad decisions (Jamario Moon left his notes on the train, I think) and the majesty of Dirk Nowitzki's awesomeness.

Not only was Dirk nailing tough shot after tough shot in the fourth quarter, he was in his teammates' faces down the stretch, imploring them not to let a potential comeback win slip away. And while his 27 points and 10 rebounds may seem like a ho-hum night for the 7-footer, consider the game's 86 possessions. That's slower than the Boston/Atlanta battle, and imagine how a 27 and 10 game would look amongst that muck?

Chris Bosh has come back to earth, he had his third straight poor night from the field (16-52 shooting over his last three contests, 30.7 percent), and though Toronto impressed with only six turnovers on the night, bad defense (116 points per 100 possessions for Dallas) did this team in. Sure, Dirk hit some tough shots, but you know he's getting the ball at the elbow-extended down the stretch, so work to make Jason Kidd have to beat you.

Also, Jason Terry? 27 points on 16 shots, seven rebounds, eight assists, zero turnovers? I just blushed.

Utah 103, New Jersey 92

A wild, wild game. Utah's home/away brilliance/troubles continue, though they may have made a breakthrough in this win.

Seven points in the first quarter for the Jazz, just barely, but 40 points in the fourth quarter. Swirl that around for a minute. Come back.

The Jazz weren't finishing strong, each and every one of the first quarter participants looked like they needed a good 20 minutes under an electric blanket before the game, and the team's cuts and spacing just weren't very Jazz-like. Even by road standards, and what we saw against Boston the other day.

Luckily for Utah, and sorry for taking away from New Jersey's first quarter accomplishment (setting a team record, by the way, which was previously tied at nine points in a quarter), but the Nets don't play defense. And once Utah deigned to not only run a play, but execute on the finish, things evened out. Because even with Carlos Boozer still out, this is a team that can and should win on the road against good teams. Even after spotting them 17 points.

Offensively, Vince Carter and Devin Harris combined to shoot 3-12 from the floor in the fourth quarter, and that's just not going to work even against an average offensive team. Which Utah most decidedly is not.

Detroit 88, Washington 74

A pretty dreary contest. It's nice to see Allen Iverson (28 points on 16 shots) and Rodney Stuckey (18 points, 11 assists) continue to play well as starters, but this also leaves the Pistons playing some pretty small ball in the backcourt and up front. Washington has nobody left in the interior, just undersized Antawn Jamison (playing with one hand after spraining his right thumb) and Andray Blatche, and the Pistons were still out-rebounded by two. Uh-oh.

Rasheed Wallace has to offer more than two points and four rebounds in 31 minutes for the money he's making. If he were Eddy Curry or someone like that he'd be lambasted to no end for a performance like this.

Cleveland 93, Minnesota 70

We're truly nitpicking, here, but Cleveland has to put a team like Minnesota away in the first three quarters, and not enter the fourth with "just" a seven-point lead. Seriously. I know playing away from the confines of home isn't easy, and Minnesota has talent, but LeBron James shouldn't have to play almost 40 minutes in what turns out to be a 23-point win over the Timberwolves.

32 points on 20 shots for LeBron, whose other totals (six rebounds, two assists) were down a bit. Of course, playing without Zydrunas Ilgauskas, shot-maker extraordinaire, hurts. Big Z is still in a walking boot, but should only be a few games away from returning.

Al Jefferson had his typical 20 and 11, and Mike Miller (7-12 shooting, 14 points) shot double-figure attempts from the floor for only the fourth time since the first week of the season.

Chicago 115, Los Angeles Clippers 109 (OT)

By now we've established that both coaches in this game are the two worst coaches in the league, so an ugly overtime win has to be expected.

It only took about 51 minutes of game play, but Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro did eventually switch a different defender onto Zach Randolph (30 points, six assists) in overtime, after Randolph torched Drew Gooden. It wasn't Joakim Noah, this team's longest defender, or Tyrus Thomas (who almost made Randolph cry in a game against Portland in 2006-07), but Andres Nocioni. A 6-6 small forward who proceeded to hack and foul his way to merely holding serve against Zach.

If we're going to give Del Negro credit for assuming that the referees would make a series of bad calls down the stretch ... yeah, go ahead. Whatever keeps you from the ledge. Props to Noc for his typical hard work, he even took an elbow to the jaw, but he shouldn't be asked to fit that role.

(Thomas, who averaged 19 points in about 29 minutes over his last two games, saw five whole minutes of action. And you wonder why he loses focus and faith.)

(Thomas left the game with a concussion, though he didn't knock his head in the Clipper win. Probably got it from bashing his noggin against the wall trying to figure out just how this team is nearly at .500.)

Nocioni's shooting kept Chicago in it, though his rebounding (he was matched on Marcus Camby for most of the game, played 35 minutes, and pulled in four rebounds) kept Los Angeles in it as well.

This, to some fans and apparently all of the Chicago coaching staff, won't get noticed. They'll remember the 22 points, and forget that not only did Camby use his length and strength to pull in 10 offensive rebounds and 27 overall, but that Nocioni was sometimes stuck standing and watching at Camby's "spot" in the high post as Marcus pulled one in near the rim.

A pitiful display, only helped by the fact that Chicago was playing the Clippers, and Baron Davis took 23 shots to score 16 points, unable to get a good three-pointer or drive off down the stretch as Derrick Rose tried to helplessly guard BD and Randolph at times.

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel: "Dwyane Wade has been called many things this season. [...] But cheater? That's a new one, and has the sixth-year guard a bit perplexed. In a story posted on the league's official website, NBA.com, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy essentially called Wade that this week.His ability to carry the ball right now, he's getting away with that,' Dunleavy said. 'He [carries] left to right, right to left, but he just does it fast so nobody sees it, I guess.' Dunleavy, who cited Wade as playing in 'a class above the rest,' compared what he views as Wade's palming violations to a signature move of former NBA scoring standout Bernard King."

Marc Berman, New York Post: "Cuttino Mobley underwent tests yesterday in Minneapolis with the nation's leading specialist for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — the same doctor with whom Eddy Curry refused to undergo testing during his public dispute with the Bulls, according to a source familiar with the situation. [...] One source said Mobley has mulled taking a medical retirement, depending on the results of the series of heart tests. However because this was a preexisting condition it is unclear if he has the standard insurance stipulations in his contract. Mobley has seen at least two other specialists before Maron. It has been reported Mobley signed a waiver with the Clippers, absolving them of liability."

Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel: "The Orlando Magic are expecting Jameer Nelson and Keith Bogans back on the floor tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Amway Arena. They are also looking for the return of J.J. Redick's jump-shot, which appears to have sustained multiple fractures. It has been missing for a while, too. The whereabouts of Redick's shot is among the great unsolved mysteries, ranking right up there with Stonehenge, UFO sightings and Paris Hilton's new CD. It's as if the basketball gods are playing a trick on him. Anybody seen J.J.'s 'J'? 'I feel like my defense is better than my offense,' Redick said. HIS DEFENSE!? How unbelievable is this?"

Tony Gallagher, The Province: "Steve Nash missed Wednesday's game in New Orleans with flu-like symptoms. But that's not really what's making him sick. [...] Nash is having so much trouble trying adapt to [Porter's] goofy offence that almost all his numbers are down and he's leading the league in turnovers, even though his skills haven't really declined a great deal at age 34. Once again, the Suns management tried to get him some backup help in the summer and, once again, the attempt failed dismally, partly because you have to be a Nash-type genius to even think about trying to make this team functional, particularly with Grant Hill and Leandro Barbossa both in the tank the way they have been for the most part this season."

Eddie Sefko, Dallas Morning News: "The Mavericks took care of business through three quarters Thursday. More importantly, they kept their focus in the fourth. It's a little easier when the game is stashed away by then. The ability to close out games at home has been a problem. Last season, when they owned a lead after three quarters at American Airlines Center, the Mavericks went 32-1. This season, they lost their first three games at home when they went into the fourth quarter with the lead."

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald: The 'Who, me?' look on Kendrick Perkins’ face yesterday was instructive. The Celtics center was about to study film on the NBA’s most anticipated newcomer, Greg Oden, but judging from the sound of his voice and the innocent look on his face, Perkins could have been preparing to face Mikki Moore for the first time. 'I do want to see exactly how he plays,' Perkins said of tonight’s matchup against Oden, the Trail Blazers rookie. 'It’s just going to be another night on the job, though. I mean, you have to be excited to get these opportunities. But to be honest, I’ve barely seen or watched him.'"

Lance Hornby, Toronto Sun: "Raptors players ushered in the Jay Triano era yesterday, with a mix of relief, curiosity and questions about their role in Sam Mitchell's firing. But team captain Chris Bosh only was willing to let his teammates take so much of the blame for the state of the sub-.500 franchise, which easily could be 11-6 today instead of 8-9. Reacting to questions of whether a big change was needed for the 'underachieving' Raptors, Bosh gave his own spin. 'What is underachieving?' he asked. 'The season isn't over. We're one game under .500 and it's early on. It could be a lot worse. I don't know if you underachieve in a couple of games (two losses on this road trip). That's a couple of games you can't do anything about. Underachieving is on a long-term basis.'"

Sekou Smith, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Al Harrington knows what it’s like to be a veteran in a locker room full of young players, each searching for answers during tumultuous times. He did it with the Hawks three years ago. Harrington was a team captain alongside Joe Johnson, then in his first year with the franchise. Now he’s at it again with the New York Knicks, in town Friday to face the Hawks at Philips Arena. The Knicks are Harrington’s third team since leaving the Hawks in a sign-and-trade deal after the 2005-06 season. 'Honestly, to see that [Hawks] team now compared to where they were when I was here is remarkable,' Harrington said Thursday after the Knicks wrapped up their practice. 'Josh [Smith], Marvin [Williams] and those guys were babies back then. It was Joe’s first year, too. It was a wild ride for everybody.'"

Mike Wells, Indianapolis Star: "Danny Granger has blossomed into the face of the franchise and one of the NBA's premier scorers. He is averaging a career-high 24.4 points. Reggie Miller did that. Once. 'He's taken his game to a different level,' Boston coach Doc Rivers said. 'He's an All-Star. He's playing at an All-Star level, there's no doubt about that. When you play (the Pacers), that's the guy you have to at least try to contain. It's very hard to do.' It has been a three-year journey from rookie reserve to primary scoring option. Carlisle, now coaching in Dallas, never doubted Granger would get there. 'He just looked like an NBA player then (at the workout),' Carlisle said. 'Somebody that wanted to be a big-time player in this league. He's really taken the next step. It's really turned out to be one of the best picks in the past 10 years in the draft (for the Pacers).'"

Kate Fagan, Philadelphia Inquirer: "As if the 76ers' season were not strained enough, they now must deal with Elton Brand's right hamstring. The power forward, signed by the Sixers for $80 million this off-season, did not travel with the team to Detroit yesterday after straining his right hamstring during Wednesday night's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The loss, the Sixers' fifth in six games, left them with an 8-11 record, good for last place in the Atlantic Division. Brand will not play tonight against the Pistons, who are 11-6. The Sixers said Brand underwent an MRI exam yesterday that confirmed the injury. He is listed as day-to-day."

Steve Adamek, NorthJersey.com: "LeBron, on the other hand, sat out his second straight fourth quarter against the Knicks, whom the Cavs beat, 119-101, at the Garden in a game that wasn't that close. Wednesday, the Cavs led by as many as 42 and playing just 28 minutes, LBJ delivered 21 points, six assists and five rebounds. Yet, David Lee insisted the next time the teams play, Feb. 4 in New York, things should be different. 'They're not that much better than we are,' Lee said after his seventh straight double-double (16 points, 16 rebounds). 'Win or lose, they haven't seen our best basketball yet.'" (Thanks, Tom.)

Real GM / Marc J. Spears, Boston Globe: "An NBA source claims that the Heat have placed forward Shawn Marion on the block as they struggle out of the gate. Marion, who is making $17.8 million in the final year of his contract, was rumored to be a trading chip this offseason."

David Moore, Dallas Morning News: "Maybe you've noticed coach Rick Carlisle bark out plays from the bench in recent weeks. Perhaps you've detected a team that broke training camp with no half-court sets seems to be running quite a few lately. If these developments have flown under your radar, I'm sure this has captured your attention. The Mavericks have won more games than they did to start the season. Motion plays a bigger role in this offense than it did the last two seasons. The players do have more freedom. But it does not rise to the level of creative madness that guard Jason Terry once predicted would be unleashed. The Princeton offense has come and gone. The idea that the Mavericks would generate the majority of their shots out of movement instead of sets has been scrapped."

Vince Ellis, Detroit Free-Press: "Though [coach Curry] didn't single out starting small forward Tayshaun Prince, it was obvious he wasn't pleased with Prince's performance. The Pistons were outscored by 23 points with Prince on the court, and he didn't even play in the fourth quarter [...] When asked about his decision to leave Prince on the bench, Curry simply said: 'Tay didn't play well tonight.' That was news to Prince, who expressed disbelief when told about Curry's comments. 'Huh?' said Prince, who scored 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting in 22 minutes. 'Wow, I thought I was playing pretty good if you ask me. ... I don't know. It's up to them to see what's going on, and I guess their decision was to sit me down. I was playing well.'"

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald: "Though he’s only in his third NBA season, Rajon Rondo has learned to catalogue his teammates. Even on the Cadillac of a team he now runs, the point guard understands many are willing to take the last shot, but only a few are worthy. And none, as recent history has shown, are more worthy than Paul Pierce in the last four minutes of a game. Ray Allen certainly comes close, especially from deep. But the Celtics team captain has a truly rare ability — not just a desire — once the clock becomes a factor. 'Gimme the ball,' Rondo said in an attempt to describe Pierce’s late-game aura. 'He just has it. Everyone wants the ball, but not everyone can get it and do what they want with it. He just plays that way. As long as I’ve known him, he’s always been calm in those situations.'"

Dave D'Alessandro, The Star-Ledger: "Sean Williams was essentially put on notice Sunday night: He was getting one last crack at the backup center job, before his coach was going to give Stromile Swift a more prolonged look there. Lawrence Frank didn't exactly put it in those terms, but when your backup center has had only one good game out of the last five, you start looking for an upgrade. 'I'm going to give Sean another chance at it, and we'll let their play determine,' Frank said. Williams has almost as many fouls (23) as rebounds (26) in his 127 floor minutes this season. Swift, meanwhile, had instant impact in his debut at Utah Saturday night, after being out for six weeks with a back injury: He produced three points and five boards in nine minutes, and made a huge block on Andrei Kirilenko."

Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News: "Guard J.R. Smith, who recently has been benched and barely played in another game, wants to talk with Karl, but he isn't optimistic. 'We never talk. ... You never want to not even talk to your coach,' he said of their relationship. Smith said Karl didn't talk to him after his benching Wednesday for being late for practice or after he played only seven minutes Saturday. Karl wouldn't discuss Saturday, saying, 'I'll let you interpret that one.' Karl said Smith sometimes doesn't have a 'positive, good attitude.' 'He's going to think what he wants to think,' Smith said. Smith disagreed with Karl calling him 'extremely late' to the practice. 'It was only five minutes (late),' Smith said. 'He's always going to say something like that.'"

Chris McCoskey, Detroit News: "This is not the same Allen Iverson people around here are used to seeing. Missing layups, missing short open jumpers, driving but not getting all the way to the basket, seemingly lost on defense — this is not the same guy who routinely torched the Pistons when he played for the 76ers. And Iverson is the first to admit it. 'My rhythm is just not there,' said Iverson, who missed seven of nine shots and scored nine points in the Pistons' 96-85 loss to the Trail Blazers on Sunday. 'It's kind of a different situation for me. I'm finally sitting more than I usually do. This is the most I sat down (during games) in my whole career and my rhythm isn't there where I want it to be.'"

Sekou Smith, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Hawks forward Josh Smith had designs on an early return from the 12-game layoff caused by the high left ankle sprain he suffered Nov. 7 against Toronto. He wanted to play against Washington on Saturday night at Verizon Center but said others decided that he should wait until Wednesday’s home game against Memphis. 'I’m ready to go right now,' Smith said before Saturday’s game. 'But if the guys that know [the Hawks’ athletic training staff] think I should wait a couple more games, I have to go with it.' The Hawks are undefeated (4-0) with Smith and close to .500 ball without Smith, going 5-6 in the 11 games before Saturday night. They’ve missed his athleticism, energy and shot-blocking prowess on defense during this stretch."

Steve Adamek, Bergen Record: "With the Knicks on the verge of cutting bait with Stephon Marbury, perhaps as soon as today, Tim Thomas won't say he has sympathy for his former and current teammate. But the Paterson Catholic product admits he understands what it's like to be a pariah, having spent more than half a season 'with' the Bulls in a similar situation after the Knicks dealt him to Chicago three years ago in the Eddy Curry deal. 'It's tough going through that,' he said. 'The biggest thing with him is, at least he knows what's going on. I didn't have a clue about what the [Bulls were] doing, what direction they were going, none of that.'"

Paul Coro, Arizona Republic: "When Matt Barnes was recruited by the Suns in July, he heard about the possibility of starting and took a recruiting call from the resident starting small forward, Grant Hill. It wasn't about the starting role for Barnes, but the pitch was enough for him to know he would get significant minutes. Barnes got all of it Thursday when coach Terry Porter named Barnes as a starter, allowing Porter to manage Hill's minutes and help calm a young reserve group. 'Grant brings a lot to that second unit with a lot of stability as a veteran with possibly two rookies on that second unit,' Porter said. 'He can relieve some of the pressure that Goran (Dragic) may get at times and I like Grant to have the ball in his hands. That's one of his strong points — to make decisions and make plays.'"

Brian Rogers, Houston Chronicle: "As the DWI trial of Houston Rocket point guard Rafer Alston continued Thursday, jurors saw two police videotapes in which the athlete argues with officers and denies that he was intoxicated. In the first video, taken from the arresting officer's patrol car, shows Alston stepping out of his Aston Martin, talking to the Houston police officer then turning around and presenting his hands to be handcuffed. 'You're just going to take me in anyway,' Alston says. Jurors also saw a second video, of Alston refusing to take a breath test or any field sobriety tests. 'I had a few drinks, I'm not drunk,' Alston can be seen saying in the second video. 'It's stupid.' Alston is accused of driving drunk on Washington about 2:30 a.m. Aug. 7."

Josh Greene, Suns.com: "It’s safe to say nobody is as happy to see the regular season begin as Amar'e Stoudemire. Already working through the effects of a torn iris, the Suns’ power forward added a dislocated left pinky to his recent dossier of injuries [last night]. But at least he still has sense of humor, as well as a positive prognosis. 'It’s been a pretty interesting preseason for me,' smiled STAT, who ended his night with 17 points in 23 minutes of action before the third-quarter injury. 'I made a move to the middle, and it just spun back. The contact between ball and hand is where the dislocation happened. Trainer Aaron Nelson tried to pop it back in but couldn’t do it, so I came back here and had (team physician Thomas Carter) get it back in. It took awhile, but I feel great.'"

Steve Adamek, Bergen Record: "Eddy Curry’s feelings are hurt. Danilo Gallinari’s back no longer hurts enough to keep him off the practice floor. Allan Houston’s body hurts too much for him to play anymore. In other words, the Knicks were in a world of hurt, for different reasons, Thursday as they prepared for tonight’s preseason finale against the Nets at the Garden. [...] Also Thursday, the Knicks picked up the contract options for next season on Chandler and Mardy Collins. The Knicks have another option (built into all initial rookie contracts) on Chandler for 2010-11."

Brian Hanley, Chicago Sun-Times: "Larry Hughes was optimistic Thursday he will be back well before the six-to-eight-week time frame he initially was given after dislocating his right shoulder in the Bulls' 85-75 victory Wednesday night at Minnesota. 'I'm pretty positive it won't take me that long to get back on the court,'' said Hughes, who was wearing a sling. ''It's kind of a weird thing the MRI looks as good as it does. It's really weird that it's not bothering me as much as it should or nothing's really showing up.' Hughes said he will undergo a second MRI exam today in which dye is injected into the joint in hopes of getting a more clear picture of any damage."

Chris McCosky, Detroit News: "Rasheed Wallace has shot better than 47 percent over his 13 NBA seasons. He is considered one of the best perimeter shooting big men to play the game. So if you think he's sweating his .236 shooting proficiency during the exhibition season, forget it. 'I am not worried about that at all,' said Wallace, who along with Richard Hamilton sat out the Pistons' 88-87 exhibition loss to the Hawks on Thursday. 'I can't hit them all the time. These are just some of the woes we all go through. It's cool, though, it ain't nothing.'"

Jeff McDonald, S.A Express-News: "Spurs guard Manu Ginobili has added some light shooting to his rehabilitation regimen as he works his way back from offseason ankle surgery. The emphasis is on the word "light." 'He’s on the court shooting, just stationary shooting,' coach Gregg Popovich said. 'He’s not moving or crossing over or pulling up or anything like that. At this moment, he’s not really close to contact or anything like that.' The timetable on Ginobili’s return remains the same — sometime in December. That’s not to say Ginobili can’t find a way to wow a crowd now. Amid Thursday’s shooting session, Ginobili was walking from one Spurs’ practice court to another. When he got to a spot roughly where the P.A. announcer would be stationed had this been the AT&T Center, Ginobili casually lofted the ball, underhanded, toward the goal he was approaching. Fifty feet away the shot swished, much to the amazement of the gathered media."

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Twenty months later, Shaun Livingston is back. One of the most inspiring stories of the 2008-09 NBA season wound up taking place one week before the start of the season. In a college gym, out of television view, during an otherwise meaningless exhibition, the former prep prodigy completed his climb from a gruesome Feb. 26, 2007 knee injury when he took the court for the Heat in Thursday night's 100-80 exhibition loss to the Hornets. 'It's special just to play again, considering where I was,' the 6-foot-7 playmaker said before taking the court at the Mitchell Center on the campus of the University of South Alabama. He closed with five points on 2-of-6 shooting, three assists, four fouls and one turnover in 18 minutes."

Alan Hahn, Newsday: "Donnie Walsh laughed not because the question was preposterous but because he knew his answer would be considered as such. What do you mean you can't buy your way out of bad, unwanted contracts? What in the name of Jalen Rose, Maurice Taylor, Shandon Anderson, Jerome Williams, etc., etc., etc. are you saying? 'I don't want to shock you guys, but money is an issue in the NBA, in every situation,' Walsh said yesterday after the Knicks cut non-guaranteed contract players Dan Grunfeld and Allan Houston. 'I don't want to say that because it might be heresy here in New York.' The Knicks threw money at people to get them to leave for years — add coach Larry Brown to the above list of players — but Walsh has brought a new order to the Garden. It was evident in September, when he resisted cutting a $21.9-million check to make Stephon Marbury go away."

John Reid, New Orleans Times-Picayune: "From the first day of training camp until the final preseason game, Hornets point guard Chris Paul could sense the urgency from his teammates. He saw it at every position, competitive battles for an opportunity to earn minutes in Coach Byron Scott's rotation. In games, they played as if winning was the only option. For the first time in franchise history, the Hornets closed out their preseason schedule with a 7-0 record. In its finale, New Orleans routed the Miami Heat 100-80 in front of 5,375 at the Mitchell Center on the campus of the University of South Alabama."

Eddie Sefko, Dallas Morning News: "The Mavericks are going with [J.J.] Barea and Jason Terry behind Kidd. And the ideal game plan is to play Terry more at shooting guard than point guard. 'I earned a shot, so I'm going to give it [my best] shot,' Barea said. 'I get the feeling [from the coaches] and I get that feeling from J.T., too, that he'd like to stay at shooting guard more than playing the backup point.' The waiving of [Keith] McLeod was not completely unexpected. His contract was not guaranteed. But if the Mavericks had kept him beyond Thursday, they would have had to start paying his salary. Coach Rick Carlisle said there's a chance the Mavericks could re-sign McLeod when he gets healthy. But for now, it made no sense to keep him."

Ramona Shelburne, Los Angeles Daily News: "So just how serious were the Clippers' contingency plans if the diagnosis on Baron Davis' sprained left ring finger came back negatively? Apparently, serious enough to have free agent guard Lindsey Hunter in for a workout this week. 'We worked him out and he looked great,' Clippers coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy said. 'He's in great shape, and a good veteran guy.' Now that the Clippers have official word that Davis should only be out another week and doesn't need surgery, it's unlikely they'd sign Hunter, who won NBA championships with the Lakers in 2001-02 and Detroit in 2003-04."

Also Ramona Shelburne, Inside The Lakers: "I'd heard a few weeks ago that Andrew Bynum is a car guy. Normally in the NBA, that means a guy spends a bunch of his rookie contract on fancy, tricked out, fast cars. But in Bynum's case there's a little more to it. Apparently, when he grows up, or finishes his NBA career, whichever comes first, Big Drew wants to become a mechanical engineer and build cars. 'I like cars alot. I work with them on the weekends,' he said. 'That's something I think I want to get into after I'm done playing. Maybe go to school and become like a mechanical engineer. I really like it. I like how they work.' These days, Bynum can be seen scooting around town in either a Yukon Denali, his BMW M-6 or Nissan Skyline."

Atlanta Hawks

Additions: Nada.

Score: --

A scintillating start, eh? Atlanta waits for years to not be included amongst the lottery picks, they wait for years to see their team make a draft choice without Billy Knight's fingerprints all over it, they wait years for a playoff appearance, a new general manager, a new outlook on life ... and the Hawks didn't have a single selection in Thursday's Draft.

Ah, well. Silver lining and all that.

Boston Celtics

Additions: J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker, Semih Erden

Score: 7

I'm not going to rip the C's too hard, mainly because they can use whatever young help floats on by, and though Giddens was quite the reach (a guaranteed contract for that guy, too), they made up for it by taking a flyer on Walker. I don't want to dismiss Walker as a Chris Porter-type, mainly because anyone who comes back from injuries like he's had must have a willingness to work hard and a thirst to improve his game.

Charlotte Bobcats

Additions: D.J. Augustin, Alexis Ajinca, Kyle Weaver

Score: 5

Every indication says that Ajinca ... not so much.

Augustin can play, but 5-11 points are going to need time to figure things out even if they are the next Terrell Brandon, and D.J. may not have that luxury if the Bobcats hand him the keys too early after trading Ray Felton.

Chicago Bulls

Additions: Derrick Rose, Omer Asik, Sonny Weems

Score: 10

My thoughts on Rose were more or less summed up here, the Bulls need him to make a difference right away but I hope it doesn't lead to a series of rash trades that leaves Chicago with a 19 year-old out there by his lonesome come October.

Asik was rated by John Hollinger as the international player to watch, so that has to warm a few Cook County hearts, and Sonny Weems used to play the vibes in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. I think.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Additions: J.J. Hickson

Score: 8

Considering what they had to work with, getting a 19 year-old big man with skills who won't cost much to develop seems like a pretty solid night to me. It doesn't do much to change the rest of the Cleveland mistakes made over the few years (few?), but this one worked.

Dallas Mavericks

Additions: Shan Foster

Score: 0

Foster won't make the team, so there's no point in discussing him. Dallas' first round pick went to New Jersey in the Jason Kidd deal that really didn't work out all that well.

Denver Nuggets

Additions: Nada

Score: 2

Three million bucks helps, especially when you pay the luxury tax, and the deal that sent Denver's 20^th pick to Charlotte seemed sound at the time. Then Mario Chalmers fell. Uh-oh.

Detroit Pistons

Additions: Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington

Score: 9

Not that I think any of these guys are going to pan out. Far from it.

Detroit boss Joe Dumars may stink at picking in the lottery, but he knows a good lower-rung draft pick when he sees it. And if he doesn't see anyone worth sending two years worth of guaranteed money to with the 29^th pick, then I have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Beyond that, he gets three guys to take a chance on, with no obligations or salary constraints for a team trying to figure out what to do with itself.

Golden State Warriors

Additions: Anthony Randolph, Richard Hendrix

Score: 7

Randolph is one of those guys who we're either all working for in five years, or we'll all be dead by his hands. I don't like the basketball signs that surround him, not in the slightest, but there is that chance. There's always a chance we could be wrong. And if we're not, then the Warriors are only on the hook to pay him for two years. Big deal.

Houston Rockets

Additions: Donte Greene, Joey Dorsey, Maarty Leunen

Score: 7

Seems a safe enough pick, Greene has enough athleticism to not wash away as a Terrence Morris-type, and Dorsey is a worker.

Leunen has until October to amend the spelling of his first name.

Indiana Pacers

Additions: Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert

Score: 10

It was a bit odd to see the Pacers, finally ensconced in the rebuilding effort we've been begging for since 2006, take two of the most veteran pro prospects out there. You would think they would take flyers on younger players, but the problem was that good younger players just weren't available where the Pacers were picking.

So they picked up cap space and/or expiring contracts to trade this week, picked up a super starting point guard, some backcourt depth, a legit 7-footer, and actually acted like a team going in a singular direction for once. Regardless of the personnel involved, that in and of itself is a huge step.

Los Angeles Clippers

Additions: Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Mike Taylor

Score: 7

Jordan's an overwhelming favorite to fall on his face, but the slightest sliver of hope for greatness still makes him a good second round pick for the Clippers. They're under no obligation to do anything with him should he fail to improve, but if he busts out, the Clippers will benefit for the pittance of a second round pick.

Gordon seems like a better-built Jamal Crawford to me, but the Clippers desperately need scoring (no matter how inefficient). I still don't know where this team is going, though.

Los Angeles Lakers

Additions: Joey Crawford

Score: --

Really, that's just pandering.

Memphis Grizzlies

Additions: O.J. Mayo, Darrell Arthur

Score: 8

On the surface, the trade between Minnesota and Memphis truly seems like a miserable shuffling of the deck chairs that would lead to the Grizzlies' ship sinking a lot quicker than Minnesota's. Upon a closer look, the deal sort of reveals itself to be merely an even shuffle. Antoine Walker and Greg Buckner's contracts aren't guaranteed in 2010-11 and 2009-10 respectively, and the only salary difference in the contract that lasts that long would have the Grizzlies paying the quite-tradeable Marko Jaric's 7.6 million that season.

Still, that's a lot of junk to take on just for the right to move up and grab O.J. Mayo. I was on board with Memphis trading Mike Miller for pennies on the dollar, he's too old to be part of their plans, but couldn't they have gotten a better cut of the action salary cap-wise?

That said, while the team should have been just fine with Love and probably overrated Mayo, picking up Arthur helps bump the team's grade. Getting a talent like that at a salary slot that will cost them very little was a huge coup.

Miami Heat

Additions: Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson

Score: 10

A fantastic night for the Heat, who didn't try to get cute, and rolled the dice on turning around the life of a person who could turn out to be an MVP-level talent. There's a very (very, very) good chance that Beasley will be a constant disappointment in his time as a pro, but you have to take a chance that he won't.

And, forgetting that, Chalmers has what it takes to start for the Heat next year. They'd prefer he didn't, I'd prefer they find someone else, but he's a nice fallback option for a second round pick. And I've heard nothing but good things about Jackson from people whose opinion I value.

Milwaukee Bucks

Additions: Joe Alexander, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

Score: 8

The Bucks are obviously gunning to win right now, Scott Skiles has never been the patient sort, so the trade that brought in Richard Jefferson in his prime has to be accepted and taken into context. They are what they are, and they're not rebuilding.

We'd been hoping for a week that Alexander would end up in Milwaukee, but he makes no sense now with Jefferson on board and Charlie Villanueva (a power forward with small forward skills) now the holdover at the 4 for the Bucks. Still, if we're going to hold that "take the best player available" mantra so dear, we might as well stick to it in this instance.

Mbah a Moute made my jaw drop with that highlight package ESPN showed last night. If his head's on straight and he listens to Skiles, this guy could turn into an amazing stopper who rarely leaves the ground - a la Tayshaun Prince - though his body is nothing like Prince's.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Additions: Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic

Score: 7

I'm not going to get too high on the big deal for Minnesota, they dumped Walker, Jaric and Buckner but didn't get a huge amount of cap relief to work with as a result. Sure, Jaric has a contract that goes until 2010-11, a year later than Cardinal and Miller's, but he doesn't make a ton of money, has tiny talent, and you can find someone to take him off your hands without having to take as much salary on. Though Walker and Buckner make a ton, the Wolves will be paying just as much to Cardinal and Miller over the next few years.

And I don't get what Miller (age 28) does for this young team. Sure, he gives them a guard with size now, but this is a rebuilding team that needs to lose games and develop younger talent. Miller's going to be 31 or 32 once this crew turns the corner, and on the decline, so what's the point?

On top of that, love Love, but didn't the Timberwolves learn their lesson defensively last year trying to play two smallish power forwards at once? Just because Love is a talent upgrade over Ryan Gomes or Craig Smith, it doesn't mean he and Jefferson will be able to guard anyone. When trading for a lottery pick, you might want to check if he plays the same position as your best player, or if he could easily swap clothes with your best player without anyone noticing.

I can't believe I'm ripping a team for grabbing the best player in the trade (Love) while securing and establishing even more cap relief, but the idea of Love and Jefferson trying to defend more than overwhelms the feeling of warmth I'm getting from Love and Jefferson ham-and-egging it at the high and low post respectively. Hopefully I'm way, way wrong.

New Jersey Nets

Additions: Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson, Chris Douglas-Roberts

Score: 9

I know I talked about it quite a bit yesterday, but forget LeBron James. The mere idea that the Nets have finally taken to a committed rebuilding process is enough to keep me - an NBA fan who can't stand it when teams try to sustain mediocrity - giddy.

Doesn't matter what they're going to do with that cap space, it just matters that they're trying something new besides adding Jamaal Magliore and hoping to pay 70 million bucks for 45 wins.

Beyond that, Lopez, Anderson, and CDR were all probably the best players available at their respective spots. Sounds good to me.

New Orleans Hornets

Additions: Zilch

Score: 10

I may not be George Shinn's biggest fan, but he's paying big money for a team in a small market, and every penny counts. Trading this pick for three million bucks works.

New York Knicks

Additions: Danilo Gallinari

Score: 8

The Knicks get a good-to-great player who should hold down that wing spot for a while. I don't understand why the team would look to deal David Lee in any trade beyond one that would aid in dumping either Zach Randolph or Eddy Curry off on another team; but then again, I really don't understand the sort of mind that would want to enter into this rebuilding mess to begin with.

Orlando Magic

Additions: Courtney Lee

Score: 3

The guy is going to be 23 on opening night, and couldn't even put together huge numbers for a so-so Western Kentucky team. I am not a fan. If you disagree, bookmark this and talk to me in three years.

Philadelphia 76ers

Additions: Marreese Speights

Score: 8

Excluding Darius Miles, who didn't like playing basketball at all, Mo Cheeks has a knack for getting his players to love life on the court and work hard. He seems like the right tonic for Speights, and Speights seems like a player the Sixers could use.

Phoenix Suns

Additions: Robin Lopez, Malik Hairston

Score: 7

I know that the NCAAs are a slower game, and that he only played about 24 minutes a contest, but it's hard to get excited about a purported "rebounder" that averaged just 5.7 caroms a game last year.

That said, to get a 7-footer that won't embarrass himself (on the court, at least) at 15 was a solid move for Phoenix. He's 20 and could be a good 9^th or 10^th man. Don't think of that as a rip.

Portland Trail Blazers

Additions: Jerryd Bayless, Nicolas Batum

Score: 9

Batum's presence, as a first round pick no less, keeps the Blazers from a "10." Still, dumping the overrated Jarrett Jack (a nice fourth guard, but come on ...) while picking up the incredibly underrated and underplayed Ike Diogu while still scoring Bayless? Pritchard-esque.

The Blazers boss also turned all his second round picks into future second round picks, which makes sense because Portland has about 97 guys on its roster right now.

Sacramento Kings

Additions: Jason Thompson, Sean Singletary, Patrick Ewing Jr.

Score: 4

You get the feeling that they were so surprised that every player the Kings thought they had a chance at had gone so swiftly in the minutes before their pick, that they just bite the bullet and went with the last remaining player at the top of the "best player available" list.

Sort of out-thinking yourself without thinking at all, and getting caught when you get too cute. There's no way they should have had this guy ranked this high, but they probably never thought they'd have to be forced into considering taking Thompson, and it may come back to bite them. Hopefully it doesn't, Geoff Petrie's so good at what he does that you'd like to hope for the best and see it actually come through.

Then again, when you think about Patrick Ewing Jr. (has he ever shown us anything that could be parlayed into a pro career?), it makes you wonder, even if he is a second round pick.

San Antonio Spurs

Additions: George Hill, Goran Dragic, James Gist

Score: 6

The Spurs' draft ranking depends on whether or not you prefer Hill or Mario Chalmers, and I'm firmly in the Chalmers camp.

Seattle SuperSonics

Additions: Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, D.J. White, DeVon Hardin, Sasha Kau

Score: 8

Seattle was pitiful last year on defense, even with Earl Watson manning the point for stretches, and Westbrook will help. Kevin Love would seem like a nice pick, but the team obviously valued Westbrook's offense over Love's defense, if you catch my drift.

Ibaka can play, and the next step is for Seattle to start improving that pitiful offense. Just because they put up a lot of points, it doesn't mean they were in any way efficient last season.

Toronto Raptors

Additions: Nathan Jawai

Score: 8

A second rounder who doesn't cost a thing, Jawai could provide interior help and sop up minutes. With Jermaine O'Neal's knees in town, the Raptors best not look at adding anyone under 6-8 for the next 12 months.

Utah Jazz

Additions: Kosta Koufos, Ante Tomic, Tadija Dragicevic

Score: 10

For very, very little money or effort, the Utah Jazz added three players who have been quite good at their respective levels (NCAA or overseas), all with a solid shot at contributing in the NBA.

And if they don't? Then they pay Koufos for two years until he's 21. Big deal. Great draft.

Washington Wizards

Additions: JaVale McGe

Score: 6

He's athletic, but I just don't get handing a middling prospect like this guaranteed money. Washington knew the score months ago, and should have worked harder to ship this pick out.

If you're a Mavs fan, or just an NBAnik looking for a championship-level team to return to championship-level play, this had to warm your heart.

First of all, if Jason Terry is hitting shots, being aggressive, and playing like he did in 2004-05, then the Mavericks are incredibly dangerous. Terry had 30 points on just 19 shots in this win.

Secondly, Jason Kidd had a throwback game, possibly the best one I've seen him play in two years. 27 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists to just one turnover. In fact, the Mavs coughed the ball up just six times, a remarkable amount under any circumstance.

The idea that these two are just capable of performances like this against one of the better defensive teams in the NBA is very promising, especially because you know Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki aren't going to combine to shoot 10-36 from the floor very often.

Dallas doesn't need the Jasons to pull this stuff off all the time, but it does help to know that these guards can still put numbers up like this maybe once or twice in a long series.

New Orleans didn't play a bad game, but even smallish free throw (Dallas hit 23, NOLA 17) and turnover (nine to six) disparities can cost you a double-digit loss to a playoff team. The Hornets better learn that quickly.

No marigolds in the promised land for Dallas, but there is hope. There should be championship hope. This team is good enough.

Detroit 84, Cleveland 74

I am truly relieved to find these two teams on opposite ends of the Eastern bracket, because if the Pistons and Cavaliers meet each other in the Eastern Conference finals, I'm going to have to see if MJD needs help on any of his Yahoo! blogs. I know LeBron James sat the game out, and the Pistons only played their starters 12 minutes apiece, but these two teams are bad news should they hook up again. This game was drudgery to behold.

Remember last year's ECF? You might remember LeBron's brilliant takeover of Game Five, but not the rest of the run - which was marred by physical play, horrible shooting, and the typical Piston indifference. Even the memories of this game standing strong, the pairing wouldn't be worth it.

Detroit ended its season with a full head of steam: the starters combined to shoot 5-20 from the field for 13 combined points.

Orlando 103, Washington 83

Washington couldn't (and didn't really want to, candidly, and thankfully) get over the absence of Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison; and though the Magic didn't play their own starters for long, 32 combined minutes for Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu (combined, 26 points on 18 shots) was enough to keep the Wiz at bay.

Wizards coach Eddie Jordan already knows what he has in youngsters Nick Young, Andray Blatche (20 and 11 in just 34 minutes), but it was nice to see actual proof that Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy can play benchwarmers like Marcin Gortat (12 and 11) and J.J. Redick (18 points in 24 minutes) without having the Earth open up to swallow Epcot Center whole, with copious bouts of raging, uncontrolled copulation revealing itself in the high street.

It's OK, SVG. It's OK.

Indiana 132, New York 123

I don't think I saw Isiah Thomas get off of his sideline seat once in this game, and I took in quite a bit of it. With a whimper, y'know?

The Pacers looked great, the defense wasn't there but Mike Dunleavy Jr. came through with a strong end to a season he should be pretty proud of: 36 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, three turnovers. Dunleavy looked stronger this season, and it showed in his play - he had the strength to square his shoulders easier when taking a shot after a drive, and he could handle open-court finishes better in 2007-08.

Other than Thomas' statuesque demeanor, nothing on this Knick team stood out. They shot well at times, made the opposing announcing team laugh out loud with a few ridiculous passing or jump shot tries, and basically improved their way through a rather nasty performance.

To any thinking fan, Thomas' ascension to the Knick throne was a mistake. The people that told you that it was a mistake to mortgage your future on Stephon Marbury were right, the people that warned against the Eddy Curry trade were right, the people that warned against the Steve Francis, Jalen Rose, and Zach Randolph (geez, how did this guy not trade for Darius Miles) were right, and yet it took until recently for some fans, MSG executives, and NBA scribes to realize that everything Isiah Thomas has done has been wrong.

Even the David Lee draft? Even finding gems in the lower rungs of the draft? Yes. Isiah traded Trevor Ariza, didn't give Lee the minutes he deserved, and his laissez-faire training camp had Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins a step slow and out of shape all year. Picking up Randolph Morris was fine, but keeping him out of the NBDL out of spite hurt worse. Every step forward Isiah took was mitigated by three steps backwards.

Good riddance, go away, leave my league alone.

Charlotte 115, Philadelphia 109

The Sixers might be the league's worst three-point shooting team, but sometimes they'll have nights like this: 10-21 (47.6 percent) from long range. Be careful, Detroit. Tread lightly, watch the front of the rim, and act your age.

No stopping the Bobcats on Wednesday, they really wanted to eke out a win and were really on point with the passing. Guys like Jared Dudley were hitting cutters, it was pretty cool to see (if not a little surprising, where was this spread offense all season?), and the Bobcats finished with 34 assists on 45 baskets.

Thaddeus Young, in the loss: 18 points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals, one turnover in 35 minutes. 19 years of age. We have a winner.

Boston 105, New Jersey 94

A couple of times over the last few weeks, the Celtics reserves have pulled away and held onto leads playing against the other team's starters, including a win over their first round opponent in Atlanta. I know the Pistons reserves did the same thing in Cleveland on Wednesday night, but I'm jus' sayin' ...

Three years from now, Vince Carter will make a guaranteed 17.5 million bucks. Good thing the Nets kept him around.

Miami 113, Atlanta 99

Sometimes bad decisions pay off, and sometimes bad shots go in. That's about all I can say for a game that sees Mark Blount - quite capable of hitting three-pointers, I submit - taking and making four of six treys. I only saw the two misses, so there's a bit of inherent bias working here.

Atlanta wanted to win this one, and actually had its starters re-enter the game midway through the fourth quarter. Admirable, but not the smartest move. It's not as if they have a chance against Boston, but you don't want to chance things in the midst of a game that most are going to forget by midday Thursday.

Jason Williams tried some behind-the-back passes in this one, it was fun to party like it's 1999, and I'd be shocked if any of the Miami NBDL cats have trouble finding NBA work next season.

Minnesota 110, Milwaukee 101 (OT)

I don't if it was this way for everyone, I don't know if anyone else on Earth outside of Wisconsin or Minnesota was watching a League Pass version of a Bucks/Timberwolves game, but my feed was shot. Crackles, tremolo'ed voices, messed-up visuals, and nigh on impossible to watch. So I didn't watch more than a few minutes.

Here's what I missed: Bucks rookie point man Ramon Sessions playing all 53 minutes of the overtime loss (can't remember the last time that happened, though it probably happened to Allen Iverson), and coming through with 25 points and 14 assists, with seven rebounds, three steals, and three turnovers. Ramon's stats in April read like this: 11.5 points per game, 11.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 turnovers and 1.5 steals in 38 minutes per game.

Chicago 107, Toronto 97

Here's what Chicago's starting lineup should look like next year:

PG: Kirk Hinrich
SG: Thabo Sefolosha
SF: Luol Deng
PF: Tyrus Thomas
C: Joakim Noah

Bring Aaron Gray (19 points and 22 rebounds) and Ben Gordon off the bench, banish Larry Hughes (1-6 tonight, 38 percent shooting on the season) to the end of the pine, trade Andres Nocioni for a lower-rung draft pick and potential cap relief that can be spent on re-signing the parts to what could be a special, special team.

Find a coach. Find a real coach. Show the coach a tape of this game. Understand that Noah and Thomas are this team's two best passers, and run things through those two. Drink in the potential and watch as it works when you give players consistent minutes and roles they can count on. Watch 55 wins pile up.

(Drops mic.)

Houston 93, Los Angeles Clippers 75

The Rockets can play defense. Man, o', man can these guys play defense. Every bone in my body told me that this team - even taking into consideration the defensive gifts and presence of Tracy McGrady - wouldn't have a chance at the playoffs after Yao Ming went down. And yet, here they are. And while every bone in my body tells me they won't have a chance against Utah in the first round, why start doubting this bunch now?

As far as the Clippers go, I truly wish they had rolled the dice on any number of NBDL point guards before taking a flier on Smush Parker. Parker couldn't tell you the name of our current Vice President, he's no good for any team; and, if you want to bring in an older player to learn the plays, why not throw some well-earned cash at Randy Livingston?

Livingston, the 2016 NBA Coach of the Year, would at least bother to learn the plays.

Denver 120, Memphis 111

I took two things away from this meaningless game, and while it's just one man's voice (and what a voice it is!) I implore you to listen:

*Rudy Gay finished the game with just 12 points on 14 shots, with seven rebounds, six assists, and five turnovers. And yet, there were moments in this game where he showed the sort of ability that could result in an All-NBA appearance at some point. Whether it's with Marc Iavaroni or not, I tell you, I'm not concerned about that. This man needs to be a focal point.

*He sometimes shoots Denver into wins with his derring-do, he has skills, and he has All-Star potential (though he'll never sniff an appearance). I still wouldn't want J.R. Smith on my team. The sheer amount of plays he takes off on both ends more than mitigates the contributions that end up winning games.

I'm not saying coach George Karl doesn't need to find more minutes for Smith in the playoffs over Anthony Carter, that's not the issue. What needs to happen is for the Nugs to try and find a better solution besides a guy that is starting to make Ricky Davis look like Bobby Gross.

San Antonio 109, Utah 80

The Jazz don't match up well against San Antonio, but that doesn't do much for the shock that results from this one. Utah couldn't execute its offense (ranked second in the NBA with 115.8 points per 100 possessions), ended up with 89.9 points per 100 p's, and never had a chance against a Spurs team that took all those missed shots and turned them into run-outs and their best offensive game in weeks.

I really don't know what to take from it. Some things you can't explain away, beyond the obvious (the Spurs make life hellish for screen/roll devotees, Carlos Boozer is a bit undersized in the face of Timmy the D, Mehmet Okur is a bit frustrated by an Argentinean that deigns to follow him out to the three-point line), but you'd like to think talent would out at some point.

I thought that the Jazz would make a better showing in last year's Western Conference end-game, but they didn't, and they didn't have much luck tonight. The Jazz against the Spurs might be a lost cause. Bugger.

Phoenix 100, Portland 91

Twenty minutes, forty-six, for Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal. Combined. I'm happy about that.

I'm not happy about Grant Hill's groin strain, nobody's talking about it, and it looks to be the kind that could keep him out of the entire postseason run, even if it stretches into June. Let's just ignore it, for now. No room for drags.

Portland competed but couldn't keep the concentration once the Phoenix reserves hit the floor for good. Sean Marks will do that to a man. Nate McMillan's team is looking forward to 2008-09, and I can't blame them.

Seattle 126, Golden State 121

In 42 minutes over a SuperSonic win, Kevin Durant had the game we've been waiting for: 42 points on 25 shots, 13 rebounds, six assists, five turnovers, a steal, two blocks, stop writing out stats and take a walk around the block because I'm a little ticked - this game wasn't televised!

Couldn't tell you if Baron Davis was moping or mopping the floor with Luke Ridnour, couldn't tell you if Stephen Jackson had gone gunnin' for the man that stole his water, haven't a clue as to how rookie Jeff Green turned in 27 and ten boards.

But I don't have to worry about such things anymore. The playoffs, man, the playoffs are mere hours away.

I had a blast tending to these BtBs for the first time since the 2000-01 (!) season, and appreciated your views to no end. It gets better, I'll remind you, now that these things start to count, those heads get shaved, the sneakers run black, and the postseason commences.

Playoffs, man. Playoffs. It's a good time to be awake.

We're a little out of sorts, too, it's strange to have a batch of games suddenly pop on the tube at this hour, but we're due to liveblog, for those at work and for those with nothing better to do.

Hit us up at kdonhoops (at) yahoo dot com with any thoughts, links, et cetera.

The Celtics are visiting the Knicks, Dallas is in Washington, and the Spurs are playing in Charlotte. We're flipping, trying to keep up. Former 76ers GM Billy King is guesting on NBA TV, so some intern is due to be signed to a five-year, 36 million dollar deal.

1:18: Walt Frazier, after the C's make the extra pass: "sharing means caring." Rajon Rondo is starting for Boston, even after we were led to believe that Rondo's back would leave him on the shelf. Frazier just said "the grandeur of Garnett," and I'm just going to have to flip away from this one.

1:21: Dallas has already given up 13 points to the Wizards in the game's opening five minutes, which is a little worrying. The Mavs have improved recently on that end of the ball, but they're stuck at 14^th in the NBA at defensive efficiency this season, down from 5^th last season.

1:27: Antawn Jamison enjoys taking three-point shots.

1:29: Wizards broadcasters Phil Chenier and Steve Buckhantz are trumpeting Caron Butler for the MVP award, and they should really just stop.

As a crutch, the duo is comparing Caron's 2007-08 numbers with 2007 MVP Dirk Nowitzki's numbers from last season, forgetting of course that the Mavs essentially rested Dirk for the last month of the season, and that at his prime he was averaging about five points more per game, three rebounds more per game, as many as assists per game as Butler is right now, while playing fewer minutes.

I hate denigrating Butler like this, Tough Juice has been awesome all season, but he's not an MVP. He's not the best player in the league. And there's nothing wrong with that. Why we have to make this sort of jump from good to great to MVP is beyond me ... can't a player just be great?

1:36: Knicks broadcasters Mike Breen and Clyde Frazier are convinced that Rajon Rondo is no good at defense, that he goes for steals and little else; and so far, it's hard to blame them. Jamal Crawford is easing past him. That said, Rondo looks stiff. Same with Ray Allen, who has bricked a trey and missed a layup since I switched back to the Celtics/Knicks game.

Kendrick Perkins has 11 points (Boston has 13, total) in the first four minutes of the contest.

Kendrick Perkins now has 13 points. Eddy Curry actually gave some help defense, all the way out to the three-point line, and nobody covered Eddy's guy. Classy team.

1:40: Kendrick Perkins has 15 points, and there are six and a half minutes left in the first quarter. Showing their versatility, the Knicks let Ray Allen glide into the lane untouched for a layup. Neither Curry nor Zach Randolph leave their feet.

1:44: I fast-forwarded a bit through Celtics/Knicks, and the C's have taken to overpassing, while letting the Knicks back into the game (27-21 with a minute to go). Nate Robinson somehow picked up three fouls in seven minutes of play.

1:45: Second quarter in New York, the Celtics are up eight, Brian Scalabrine has a new buzz-cut (go to New York, hit up the expensive salons, request the Number Two clip on the clippers, pay $125), Walt Frazier just pointed out "the tyranny of statistics" after mentioning Boston's 0-1 record on Mondays.

1:48: The Bobcats are hanging tight with the Spurs, San Antonio has the lead but it's been nothing more than a two-possession game from the beginning, and Charlotte's arena is pretty packed. Maybe as packed as I've seen it all season. All those people there, someone should help the team and kidnap Jeff McInnis.

The Bobcats announcers keep calling Manu Ginobili "Brent Barry." They all look the same to me, too.

1:55: Brent Barry falls hard and smacks the back of his head on the floor, and a TV timeout results. Charlotte's choice of in-arena music?

You guessed it.

1:59: Bobcats PA Announcer John Leach? Please stop screaming. Please, please stop screaming.

2:01: DeShawn Stevenson hits a rainbow trey off a broken play to end the half for Washington, he has 12 points on 5-6 shooting, and his only miss came off of a missed 30-footer after the rock was passed to him with one second on the shot clock. Washington is up 46-41. Antawn Jamison? Not happy. The play was designed to find him for the corner three-pointer, and the ball never came his way in spite of plenty of arm-waving.

San Antonio leads by seven, 54-47, at the half as well. In my world, the second quarter of the Celtics/Knicks game just started.

2:08: Walt Frazier: "of course, a very young crowd ... they love the dunks."

Do you love the dunks, kids?

2:11: The Trail Blazers are visiting Atlanta, and the Pacers are in Philly. Two more games to bore you with.

2:13: So, the Trail Blazers announcers have told their listeners that, for whatever reason, we won't be able to recognize Blazer rookie Taurean Green when we see him. Of course, they're not letting us see him.

So what do we think Taurean did? Face tattoo? Sailor's cap? Eye-patch? Why are all my suggestions vaguely maritime-based?

2:17: After Renaldo Balkman bricks a three-pointer, Walt Frazier:

"The crowd became aroused as well, when Balkman shot from downtown."

I know that there's nothing technically wrong with using "aroused" in that situation, but given the time to think about it, can't we just try for something else?

2:19: Arr. Taurean Green just got a haircut. That's it. It so unremarkable, I'm not even going to show it to you. I'll show you the old haircut, though:

He's the angry guy in the middle.

2:30: Acie Law IV is already travelling on an NBA level.

2:31: Seven and a half minutes in, and the Pacers have already put 22 points on the 76ers. The 76ers are still leading in attendance, with 182 fans to Indiana's 22 points.

2:33: Tim Duncan misses a lay-up, says "golly" and claps his hands in frustration.

2:34: Gerald Wallace misses a lay-up. Does not say "golly."

2:36: Antawn Jamison hits a three-pointer to put the Wizards up nine. Good game from Washington, Darius Songaila is managing to not kill the Wizards on defense, and Josh Howard is the only Mav that appears to want something to do with this game. Dirk Nowitzki appears to want something to do with something else, but we're not sure what it is, just yet.

2:38: Five games, all on commercial break. Former Humble Pie guitarist Peter Frampton is talking about car insurance. Somewhere else, likely, Taco Bell is using a Joe Jackson song to sell Gorditas, just in case you wanted to know why I'm weeping uncontrollably.

2:44: Boston is beating the Knicks by 19, and Kendrick Perkins has 492 points. 494, now. Nick Young nearly made a 62-foot (I counted) jumper.

2:45: Again, every game is on commercial. Somebody's not getting a Whopper, somewhere an ad agency thinks that was clever.

2:48: Paul Pierce and Q Richardson in continuing their little millionaire slap-fight. Manu Ginobili has taken over the Spurs/Bobcats game, Spurs by nine.

2:50: Wizards rookie Nick Young doesn't have his left hand yet, but he's willing to use it, and that's important. Josh Howard (30 points) is destroying Washington, but the Wizards are still up 11.

2:55: They're showing Juwan Howard, in street clothes, on the Mavericks' bench. I almost wrote "Wizards bench." We're about seven years removed from the trade that sent Howard to the Mavericks, initially, and it's hard to believe that Juwan only spent six seasons in Washington. That means he's spent more time out of a Washington uniform than in it, which doesn't seem right.

Great player, severely overrated by two franchises in Miami and Washington, and hasn't lived down their mistake (what's he gonna do, not sign a nine-figure contract?) nearly 12 years after putting pens to two different papers.

2:59: In the spirit of MLK Jr. Day, Q-Rich and Paul Pierce have just been ejected. Richardson was shouting "I'LL SEE YOU IN THE BACK" to Pierce has security escorted him into the locker room. Classy, classy, classy.

3:02: Joey Crawford wants the Knicks and Celtics to stop all the downloadin', there have been five technicals called in three quarters. Celtics up double-figures. DeShawn Stevenson is still draining threes down in Washington.

3:06: The SuperSonics are in Houston, and winning after one quarter, 24-22. Luke Ridnour just hit a ridiculous two-handed runner.

3:07: The comments section is ticked about this, and they should be: Bobcats coach Sam Vincent needlessly sat Emeka Okafor for long stretches as the Spurs pulled away. He wasn't in foul trouble, there's 70 seconds left in the game and he just picked up his fourth foul, and Emeka gave the Bobcats 20 and 10 in just 28 minutes of play.

Matt Bonner just missed his first free throw of the season, he was 24-24. Pour out some Diet Sprite for your homie.

3:11: Andray Blatche with a nice runner in the lane, and the Wizards are going to win this thing. 99-84 with two minutes to go. Reader Jason chimes in:

"I am stuck at work and didn't anticipate needing your live blog because I have League Pass and can watch the games on my computer. But when I went to watch the Hawks-Blazers game I just got some BowFlex infomercial. Granted the guys showing the various functions of the BowFlex are probably displaying far more than athleticism than Zaza Pachulia would be, but I'd at least like to know for sure. This is the first time I've used the broadband and was wondering if you or any readers have some troubleshooting suggestions for these type of situations"

The Broadband League Pass kills my computer, everything short of computer solitaire kills my computer's memory these days, so I don't even try it. Anyone have any ideas for Jason?

3:15: Eddy Curry just blocked Glen "Big Baby" Davis' shot, but the block was waved off in favor of a goaltending call.

(XXX ED NOTE INSERT FAT JOKE HERE XXX)

3:26: Washington took care of Dallas, the Spurs held the Bobcats at bay, and the Celtics will not be losing to the Knicks. I just saw a commercial featuring Bill Walton and Bob Lanier, and could not help but link to this:

Of course, for some reason I can't find Kareem's famous line about "dragging Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes," so I'll leave that to you, at work, to replay it at your desk and try not to get caught.

3:36: Atlanta's point guards, so far: 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, in a little under 30 minutes. Acie Law IV and Tyronn Lue are having terrific games. On a sidenote, Lue was drafted back in June of 1998, and I still have to double-check every time I type his first name just to see if I'm getting it down correctly. I just did it again. That's twice in one minute. I'm off to touch a doorknob.

3:43: Martell Webster is having a tough time against the Hawks, he's guarding Joe Johnson (19 points in 30 minutes), and he's missed seven of nine shots. I like Martell, and he's just turned 21, but we're probably looking at a Lamond Murray-type career at this point. Nothing wrong with that, this means Webster either turns out to be a solid starter or (if he stays on a great team, and these Trail Blazers are going to be a championship-level team) one of the NBA's best sixth men.

21 years old, about a 12 PER, 15 points per 40 minutes, solid base, good three-point stroke. I think Lamond Murray.

How's about you, eh?

3:50: These ads:

... are all over our boxscores. Just once, I'd like those ads to accurately describe and depict the sorts of guys who do most of the searchin'. Like this guy:

He's searching for you.

3:54: With Troy Murphy and Jermaine O'Neal hurting, Ike Diogu is getting a chance for the Pacers. Only good things can come of this, and he's playing well so far. A couple of assists, some boards, and four points in about three minutes.

4:02: Reader Bret chimes in,

His limitations were obvious from the start.

http://hoopinion.blogspot.com/2005/06/2005-nba-draft-preview.htm

"Martell Webster: Webster looked quite passive and content to launch threes in the McDonald's game. He might have a more diverse offensive game that I have yet to witness. Listed anywhere between 210 and 235 pounds, I'm getting a distinct George McCloud vibe."

Certainly I'm more proud of that than the following portion of the same post re: Raymond Felton: "I'd take him over Chris Paul."

4:06: Lue keeps getting into Portland's zone, keeping the Hawks into the game. Portland up eight.

4:14: Kareem Rush, probably the streakiest shooter in the NBA, has made eight of 14 shots, and is second on the Pacers in scoring with 21 points.

Check out this guy's game log. He's all over the place.

4:16: The Blazers, unlike a lot of young teams (or most teams, really) win the great bulk of their games because they work the slow-down offense like few others. At the end of games, they can control the clock, execute, and still get a good look at the hoop. They're up two with 90 seconds to go, with the ball. Let's see if it holds up.

Brandon Roy with the tough banker. Up six.

4:19: I can't tell you how cool it is to get that, "oh, sweet, the Warriors are on"-feeling at quarter after four in the afternoon. This must be what it feels like to live in Hawaii. It's 32 degrees outside, 'ere. Up from -2, yesterday.

The Blazers kept switching on pick-and-rolls while defending Joe Johnson, Johnson kept taking it to the Blazers and getting to the line, Brandon Roy couldn't answer on the other end, and the Hawks have the ball and a chance to win with 11 seconds left and the game tied.

4:25: Johnson missed a 19-footer, a good look, and we have free basketball in Atlanta.

The Sixers announcers just narrated over a graphic that showed Philadelphia center Sam Dalembert as the 10th-highest vote-getter amongst Eastern Conference centers, two spots behind ... wait for it ... ZAZA PACHULIA.

It's bad enough to be averaging a double-double and be ranked behind Zaza, but to be two spots behind the center of a team that gets about 8,900 fans at its home games?

The shot clock is down at the Wachovia Center in Philly, so the PA announcer is having to call out when there are "ten" or "five" seconds left on the shot clock. It happens about once a month, and it's always annoying.

"I'm searching for you."

4:33: The Blazers have gone small, and are getting killed on the interior. Brandon Roy's having to crash the boards in order for the team to survive. Still, tie-game, and Portland ball with 102 seconds left.

4:35: Pacers win in Philly. Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm checks in:

Great upset by Washington over Dallas? Nnnnnnot on National TV.
Atlanta and Portland, two young teams going to overtime? Nnnnnnnnot on National TV.
Milwaukee at New Orleans, featuring some of the greatest young talent out there and an international superstar. Nnnnnnnnot on National TV.
Detroit at Orlando, a great matchup featuring veteran and young talent, Dwight Howard, international talent, Dwight Howard, and Dwight Howard? Nnnnnnnnnot on National TV.

Thank God Miami versus Cleveland is on!

Kill me.

Hang tough, Matt. Daequan Cook is on tonight!

4:37: Interesting doings in Atlanta: coming out of a timeout, the Trail Blazers started arguing with the referees and official scorers, claiming that a foul call from the fourth quarter on LaMarcus Aldridge should have been called on Travis Outlaw instead.

The Hawks' official scorers, remember, are the ones who forced the NBA order re-play of a game from last December, one that saw Shaquille O'Neal foul out of a game that he had only accrued five fouls in.

So the Blazers assistants argue and argue and, guess what? They won. Aldridge has four fouls now, and not five. Too bad he had to sit for three minutes after picking up the fifth foul, while the Hawks got layup after layup.

4:44: Five years ago, at about this time, Tracy McGrady was averaging 32 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. Now, today, in his ostensible prime: 22, 5, and 5. I'm sighing. All over the place.

4:45: The Hawks used to have an in-house band, your typical wedding band fare, that would blare crummy classic rock and disco out during timeouts. Apparently the band's contract was not renewed. I'm happy. All over the place.

4:47: The Blazers kept going to Travis Outlaw in isolation plays in overtime, and every time they went to him your humble KD and Blazers color analyst Mike Rice chortled that Portland coach Nate McMillan might be better off going to Brandon Roy. Three out of four possessions, however, Outlaw either got to the line, or scored.

Outlaw nailed a 21-footer, Blazers up two with .9 of a second to play.

Joe Johnson airballs a 25-footer. Outlaw has eight of Portland's 11 overtime points, and the Portland Trail Blazers (!) are 25-16.

4:53: Sergio Rodriguez had 16 points, four assists, and zero turnovers in 16 minutes for the Blazers today.

Matt Barnes has 11 points for Golden State in a quarter and a half. He couldn't play in GSW's last game in Milwaukee, coach Don Nelson accidently listed Andris Biedrins twice on the official roster, so Barnes was ruled inactive. Bummer. The Bucks don't play defense.

5:05: Somehow, the Bucks rang up 54 points on the Hornets in one half. Michael Redd led the charge with 17, but he also added six rebounds, which was (if memory serves) his total for all of January 2007. The Hornets have opened the second half with a 14-4 run over the first six minutes of the second half. That sounds about right.

Hopefully this update will load on the main page sometime before January of 2009.

5:13: I'm trying, really trying, to come up with something interesting to say about the Jazz/Clippers contest, but this isn't much of a game, in spite of the close score. There's 2:29 left in teh third, and yet both outfits have combined to turn the ball over 30 times.

Pearl Washington and Sleepy Floyd are going at it on ESPN Classic, Billy Raftery has the call, and I caught myself watching that for a few minutes. Pearl Washington keeps sliding through the Georgetown zone, Patrick Ewing is dominating the boards, and a young Rony Seikaly is still very, very hair.

Play by play guy: "Seikaly travels."

Raftery: "That's what Ewing does."

Bill didn't mean it like that, he meant that Ewing forced him into a travel, but it was funny to me, nonetheless. David Wingate just checked in, and he's yet to grow a mustache.

5:20: I do believe Charles Barkley just made a side-bet on the air, picking the Timberwolves to win in Golden State. Barkley tends to talk "off-camera" even though he's not "off-air," if you dig, and he's known for his side-bets with Kenny Smith. So there you go, kids.

5:22: Reader Matthew just read about the Warriors inadvertantly making Matt Barnes inactive the other night, he's ticked, and he's emailin':

"This exact same thing happened in a Knicks-Bulls game earlier this season with Isiah. But before the game the refs came over to Thomas and allowed him to adjust the roster so Quentin Richardson could play. The Bulls lost. I want this game replayed immediately! Or after the Knicks start sucking again."

5:26: Jannero Pargo and Ryan Bowen just connected on a fast-break for the Hornets, who are about to win their fifth straight and their 28th win in 40 tries.

Bowen just hit Pargo for a three-pointer, now. Ryan Bowen, and Jannero Pargo. How in the HELL is this team winning so many games?

The Bucks are yelling at each other.

5:36: The Bulls/Grizzlies picture on TNT is absolutely miserable, lots of bleeding going on.

Mike Fratello is talking about how the Bulls want to run more, as opposed to how they worked more in the half-court under Scott Skiles over the last few years. Once again, the opposite is true. Last season, the Bulls ran their way to the 6th-most possessions in the NBA. This year, they've slowed down (partially as a result of not getting as many stops), and are at 13th.

5:42: Reader Wyatt pointed out this Warriors/Timberwolves box score, one that shows Mikael Pietrus playing a curious amount of minutes.

The Jazz are blowing out the Clippers, New Orleans is walking all over Milwaukee, but the Timberwolves are right there with the Warriors. Minnesota's down two with 3:40 to play in the third quarter. Barkley might be on to something.

5:46: The Timberwolves are up five points. Golden State keeps going into a zone, but Don Nelson's team doesn't have the focus to pull it off, and isn't giving much effort after the first 12 seconds of a defensive possession. Rashad McCants has 14 points in 26 minutes.

5:49: Darko Milicic keeps trying to grow a mustache. Someday he'll get there.

6:04: Chicago's offense is miserable, but their youngsters on the interior can pass like crazy. Why the coaching staff doesn't run more players from the inside-out (and not, say, Joakim Noah or Ben Wallace setting the 192nd screen of the game for Ben Gordon) makes no sense to me.

6:05: Matt Barnes is still going off for the Warriors, Minnesota has the ball and is up a bucket with 7:50 to play.

6:09: Barnes has 20 off the bench, which is 15 more than the entire Minnesota bench combined. Antoine Walker just hit a three for his first points in 15 minutes of play.

Poor 'Toine. He's not going to make the All-Star team, in spite of our best efforts. I voted for him. My girlfriend voted for him. We tried. People worked hard. It wasn't meant to be.

Minnesota by five. 5:43 to go.

6:18: Baron Davis has five fouls, he's guarding Ryan Gomes, and Ryan Gomes has 33 points, so the Timberwolves are going to Ryan Gomes in the post. Smart move. The ball moves, a shot is missed, but the collapsing Warriors are out of position and Antoine Walker gets a tip-in rebound.

Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis have been bringing Golden State back offensively, but the Warriors are still down two, though they have the ball, with two minutes left to play.

6:21: TNT shows the interior, the actual studio, within Sun Studios. Dick Stockton calls it "Graceland." I die a little.

6:22: The Golden State cheerleaders are wearing those knee socks again. OK, the pain is gone.

6:24: Geesh, the Timberwolves play some dumb, and uninspired basketball at times. Two minutes to go in a two-point game, close to winning their second road game of the season, and they can't be bothered to box guards out.

6:25: The Warriors don't talk on defense, Ryan Gomes squirts free, Gomes hits two freebies, and the Wolves are up one.

6:26: Baron Davis takes and misses a bad three-pointer.

6:27: Marko Jaric takes and misses a three-pointer he wanted nothing to do with. Warrior ball, down one point, 6.9 seconds to go. Warriors have to go the length of the court.

6:28: Baron Davis just missed a layup that he would like to have back. Timberwolves win for the sixth time this season. As bad as they are, this is a team that should have more wins.

6:31: For the eight of you that are left: I'm taking a break, and will be back after halftime of Grizzlies/Bulls.

6:56: Actually, we're just going to call it quits on this one. A fun, strange day. Thanks for your eyes.

Now, the overwhelming majority of NBA players see their per-minute numbers rise with an increase in per-game minutes. But we can’t think of a single player, with the possible exceptions of youngsters Dwight Howard and LeBron James, who would deserve to play the entire 48-minute term of a regulation NBA game. And 33-year old Wallace, whose 2006-07 per-minute stats are easily the worst of his career, certainly doesn’t deserve the treatment one month into a season that some saw Chicago extending well into June.

Wallace was miserable in the loss to Dallas, unable to register a single block or steal while coming through with an Eddy Curry-like eight rebounds. Actually, that last part isn’t true: Curry averages nine rebounds per 48 minutes. Yikes. Skiles’ reaction?

"I don't particularly care for playing anybody 48 minutes, generally, unless they're really, really playing well. Several times I thought about going to Joe (Smith). We were having trouble shooting the ball, maybe putting another shooter out there. But each time, we would close the gap a little bit."

“Really, really playing well?” Really? Eight rebounds in 48 minutes? Missing eight shots in 10 tries? No blocks? You weren’t shooting well (34 percent on the game), so you thought about playing Joe Smith (who received a DNP-CD), but eventually decided to pass on actually putting a good shooter into the game?

“One of our struggles is, 'What is the alternative?' What about the guy behind him, is he performing well? What about the guy behind him, is he performing well?”

"The alternative?" Joe Smith. Or more minutes for Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah (who combined for nine rebounds in 21 minutes). Or anything different than Wallace, who is only asked to block shots and rebound yet is ranked 38th in the NBA in rebound rate.

But 48 minutes for Ben Wallace, who rebounded poorly, didn’t play particularly sound defense and was a millstone offensively? Take it away, Patsy.