Wizards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton pull pistols on each other

Guess they're still the Bullets at heart.

NBA all-star Gilbert Arenas and his Washing ton Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton drew guns on each other in the team's locker room during a Christmas Eve dispute over a gambling debt, The Post has learned.

League sources say the pistol-packing point guards had heaters at the ready inside the Verizon Center, the Washington, DC, home of the Wizards -- whose name was changed from the Bullets over gun- vi olence concerns.

It was the three- time all-star Arenas, 27, who went for his gun first, sources said, draw ing on the 22-year-old Crit tenton, who quickly brandished a firearm as well.

FREEZE! Washington Wizards Gilbert Arenas (above) and Javaris Crittenton had allegedly been arguing over a bet debt when they drew guns.

It was not clear whether other teammates saw the shocking standoff, which happened on a practice day.

The duel in DC -- unprecedented in sports history -- was sparked when Critten ton became enraged at the vet eran guard for refusing to make good on a gambling debt, a source said.

"I'm not your punk!" Crittenton shouted at Arenas, according to a league source close to the Wizards.

That prompted Arenas to draw on Crittenton, who then also grabbed for a gun, league security sources said.

A playground pal of Crittenton's from Atlanta, Kendrick "Bookie Ball" Long, confirmed the locker-room standoff and said he learned of it directly from the third-year player out of Georgia Tech.

"He [Arenas] was f- - -ing with him; he [Crittenton] was just defending himself!" declared Long, who said the dispute was over money but would not elaborate.

The Wizards announced on Christmas Day that Arenas had admitted to bringing guns to the locker room and had turned them over to team security. No ammunition was handed over.

Today, the Wizards in a statement said they "take this situation and the ongoing investigation very seriously. We are continuing to cooperate fully with the proper authorities and the NBA and will have no further comment at this time."

The NBA club's statement didn't disclose how Wizards officials discovered that Arenas was storing weapons on the job.

But a league source said Arenas' weapons were uncovered only after the confrontation with Crittenton.

Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld declined to comment. "It's in the hands of [Washington] authorities," said Grunfeld, a former star Knicks player and president. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, if there is a bottom to this."

Washington police said they were investigating Arenas for gun-possession violations. But the Wizards' gun grab has also drawn the attention of the feds.

"We're working with the Metropolitan Police Department on the investigation. That's about all we can say at his point," said Ben Friedman, a spokesman for the US Attorney's Office in DC.

The feds have been investigating gambling within the NBA since disgraced ex-referee Tim Donaghy admitted betting on games and feeding information to bookies. It was not clear whether the gambling debt that sparked the Arenas-Crittenton duel had anything to do with league games.

A top players-union official said he was shocked by the allegations. "This is unprecedented in the history of sports," said Player's Association Executive Director Billy Hunter. "I've never heard of players pulling guns on each other in a locker room."

Team owner Abe Pollin -- his sensitivity heightened by the fatal shooting of his good friend Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 -- changed the club from the Bullets to the Wizards in 1997 because he didn't like the violent overtones of the original name. Pollin died in November.

Arenas, who has three kids, reportedly told team officials he brought guns to his Verizon Center locker so they wouldn't be close to his newborn at their home in Great Falls, Va.

He denied pulling a gun on Crittenton and even mocked the suggestion he would ever point a weapon at a teammate.

"You guys, I wanted to go rob banks, I wanted to be a bank robber on the weekends," Arenas said sarcastically after a game this week.

Firearm laws in Washington are among the nation's strictest. Until a recent US Supreme Court ruling, private ownership of guns was illegal in the nation's capital.

As it stands now, gun owners are allowed to transport firearms only within DC under very limited circumstances -- such as taking the weapon to be registered or to a practice range. There's no provision under current DC law for a private citizen to have a gun at work.

In 2003, Arenas pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of carrying a concealed weapon in San Francisco.

Arenas claimed the gun was legally registered in Arizona -- where he was star player for the University of Arizona Wildcats -- and said he forgot he needed California authorization to carry it there.

Crittenton hasn't played a minute this season for the Wizards and has struggled to overcome a bone bruise and strained tendons.

Rockets will reward Adelman

Rick Adelman, the 11th head coach in Rockets history, is in his third season with the team.

With the Rockets ending the year surprisingly in the thick of playoff contention, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said Thursday he was going to extend the contract of Rockets coach Rick Adelman in the coming weeks.

Adelman, whose winning percentage with the Rockets is better than any coach in franchise history, had gone into his third season with the Rockets in the final guaranteed of year of his contract, with the Rockets intending to address his contract situation in the off-season.

“I’m going to pick up his option,” Alexander said. “We’re going to do it soon, relatively soon.

“I think he’s done a terrific job. He’s taken a team that has lost two key starters and he melded the team and he’s won. That’s what we want here. He’s very self-effacing. He only cares about — which I love — is the team and winning.”

Alexander did not have a precise timetable for making the move, but said it would be done by the All Star break. He had not told Adelman of his plans.

“I didn’t know anything about that,” Adelman said. “I figured it would play itself out and we’d see how we did. I said at the start of the year I thought we had two really good years with everything that went on. I was always concerned more about my assistant coaches and what their situation is because their contracts are up at the end of the year.

“I’ve been doing this a long time. Sometimes you keep your job for whatever reasons and sometimes you lose a job for no reason. If the team does well, things take care of themselves. I’ve always told players that. If we do well as a team, people will all get more credit.”

The Rockets went into Thursday’s game 19-13, seventh in the Western Conference. In his three seasons with the Rockets, Adelman had gone 127-69 despite frequent injuries to Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. He is 879-550 in 19 seasons as an NBA coach, moving to 11th in career coaching victories and taking two teams to the NBA Finals.

The Rockets advance to the conference semifinals last season for the first time since 1997. In his first season with the Rockets, the Rockets had a 22-game winning streak, the second longest in NBA history, despite losing Yao Ming for the season 12 games into the streak.

“It’s well-deserved, very much well-deserved,” Rockets center and co-captain Chuck Hayes said. “For him to come in and lead this organization and the teams he’s had since he’s been here has been great. The first year, we went on a winning streak. The second year, we advanced to the second round of the playoffs and take the champions to seven games. This year what we’re doing with team, how everybody was doubting us, he has taken the guys he has and make us play as a team and win, he is well deserving of them picking up his option.”

Alexander said that he had decided to pick up the option on Adelman’s contract based on his coaching, but also praised how Adelman handled Tracy McGrady’s comeback attempt and the team’s eventual decision to try to grant McGrady’s trade request.

“When I read his comments all t he time, I couldn’t help but think this is the truth. There is nothing that was in any way protective or trying to obfuscate. He was just saying what was the reality. He wants as a coach to win every night and Tracy wasn’t ready to participate in that.”

McGrady, granted a leave of absence on Monday, likely will not be back. Alexander had decided to make Adelman will be.

Rodney Stuckey's ankle sprains put scare into Pistons

The way Rodney Stuckey went down, and looking at the replays, it appeared Pistons fans might have seen the last of Stuckey for at least Thursday's game.

And, maybe, much longer.

The guard's left ankle buckled and rolled on a fast break with 4:38 left in the first quarter. He immediately fell to the floor, grimacing in pain, and The Palace fell silent, suspecting another long-term injury.

"It was one of those things where I said, 'You can't be serious,' with all the injuries we've had this season," said Richard Hamilton, who sprained an ankle opening night and missed much of the first quarter of the season.

Stuckey returned, in the first half no less, but amazingly, rolled the same ankle again. This time he left for the locker room, where strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander taped the ankle tightly and securely.

Amazingly, Stuckey returned and was one of the few Pistons bright spots in a 98-87 loss. Stuckey led the Pistons with 22 points, and had six assists and four steals in 32 minutes.

"Stuckey showed a lot of courage by coming back," coach John Kuester said. "I was very concerned when he got hit and fell down. I didn't expect him to come back and play. That just speaks volumes for him."

Stuckey said the first sprain looked much more gruesome than it was.

"The first time when you sprain your ankle, you get that pain and then it goes away," Stuckey said. "Arnie does a good job of taping me well, so I just came back and put some more tape on it."

And the second time Stuckey was hurt?

"Yeah, I just fell, it just gave out on me," Stuckey said. "But I'll be fine."

Stuckey wasn't sure how he'd feel the next few days. The Pistons don't play again until Tuesday in Dallas.

"It is sore but if I can play through it, I will," he said.

Rare victory

Chicago hadn't won a road game since Nov. 17 in Sacramento, and had lost eight consecutive road games.

"I hadn't really thought about it, just happy to get a win," said Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro, whose imminent firing has been rumored for weeks. "We just have to keep on grinding, finding ways, and I was pleased with how we started the game. Our energy was up for most of the game."

Slam dunks

No Piston is in the top 10 at any position in All-Star Game balloting.

... Charlie Villanueva had 10 points in 28 minutes a day after having a lengthy chat with Kuester after questioning his low minutes Tuesday in a loss.

"He showed a different type of style I wanted to see from him," Kuester said.

Garnett (knee) is sidelined

PHOENIX - Doc Rivers didn’t like the way Kevin Garnett was moving the past two games. Garnett’s surgically repaired knee was ailing, and with the Celtics in a stretch in which they play only two games in eight days, Rivers made the difficult decision to hold Garnett out of last night’s 116-98 loss to the Suns.

Rivers said Garnett also won’t play Saturday against Toronto, but emphasized that the injury, a hyperextension, has nothing to do with the bone spur surgery Garnett underwent last May. Garnett told Rivers he was kicked in a midair collision during Sunday’s loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles, though he did play Monday against Golden State.

After facing Toronto, the Celtics don’t play again until Wednesday against the Heat, so Garnett will get eight days of rest.

The Celtics started Rasheed Wallace at power forward last night, and Shelden Williams will get more minutes with Glen “Big Baby’’ Davis out with a sprained ankle. And Paul Pierce missed his fourth straight game after having a procedure on his right knee last week to clear out an infection.

“I didn’t like the way he ran in the second half of the Clipper game,’’ Rivers said of Garnett. “That’s when I started watching it. That was the first I noticed anything.

“He looked great in Orlando [on Christmas Day]. That’s why he was so frustrated, because he said, ‘Man, I felt great, and how do you get hit up in the air?’ I don’t know what he’s talking about.

“I didn’t think he ran right in the last quarter and a half of the Clippers game, and I didn’t think he looked right at all, ever in the Golden State game.

“Someone said, ‘Are you being too cautious?’ Probably. But I would rather be safe than sorry.’’

Rivers reiterated that as long as Garnett is healthy, he will play. The coach said he and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge are not looking for open spots in the schedule to give Garnett rest.

“My only issue is how long it takes to get him right from this,’’ Rivers said. “A week? Three days? Four days? It could be three days.

“The way I looked at the schedule, obviously this is a tough game, but when you look at the schedule and you see the two days and then the game and three more days, there is no better time to rest him than right now.’’

Pierce, meanwhile, will not return for Saturday’s game, as first projected.

“I would say Paul is realistic for the Miami game,’’ Rivers said. “He hasn’t worked on the court yet.’’

Pierce rode the stationary bike yesterday.

Eye on Rondo

While Rivers decided to sit Garnett, he allowed Rajon Rondo (strained left hamstring) to play against Phoenix. Rondo was laboring at times Monday at Golden State but participated in yesterday’s shootaround and was in last night’s starting lineup. It wouldn’t have taken much for Rivers to remove him, too.

“I’m actually far more concerned about that than Kevin,’’ Rivers said. “Kevin I’m shutting down but Rondo I am watching closely because a hamstring injury is a tough injury. If I see anything in the game, he’s out, too, and we’ll just play with who we got left.’’

Rondo played 32 minutes and had 13 points and eight assists.

Heinsohn sidelined

Longtime Celtics commentator Tom Heinsohn told a team spokesman that he hopes to return from a bout with pneumonia by Saturday. Heinsohn did not make the trip west . . . It is uncertain when Davis will return, but his injury is not as serious as first feared . . . The Celtics will fly back to Boston today and may not practice until Saturday morning . . . Lester Hudson returned to the Celtics from NBDL Maine, joining his teammates after shootaround. He took a 6 a.m. flight from Boston following a drive from Portland, Maine. He played five minutes and scored 2 points.

Bulls' Del Negro won't campaign for job

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. --- Asked yet another round of questions about his job status in the wake of reports from the Tribune and Yahoo! Sports that management's lack of support upset him, Vinny Del Negro refused to self-promote.

"That's not my decision," the Bulls coach said when asked if felt he deserved to finish his three-year contract. "It's easy for me to make that decision, but it's not mine. I have a lot of confidence not only in myself, but I think my staff has done a tremendous job.

"They're very experienced and have been around. I'm going to keep on making sure we're prepared. Get these young guys continually developing and try to move in the right direction."

Del Negro calmly declined to answer a question about whether management's lack of support bothered him, as the Tribune and Yahoo! Sports reported.

"It's been beat up so much," Del Negro said. "I want to just focus in on the game, concentrate on what my job is with this team. I think all that stuff will play itself out. We have to try to move forward a bit."

Suns' Nash passed by McGrady in All-Star voting

Maybe it was how the Houston Rockets played well without him. Maybe it was that sparkling 45 minutes of play in six games. Maybe it's how his team put him on an indefinite leave even though it is paying him $23.2 million, more than anyone else is being paid in the NBA this season.

Regardless of the reason (most likely heavy voting in China), Rockets on-the-trading-block guard Tracy McGrady has moved back in front of the Suns' Steve Nash for the second starting guard spot on the Western Conference All-Star team.

It's only by 1,005 votes (649,563 for McGrady, 648,558 for Nash) yet still noteworthy.

New Orleans' Chris Paul is close, too, with 622,619 votes. Suns fans likely would find it more understandable if Paul were the other starting West guard alongside Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who leads all vote-getters (1,606,032).

One might think McGrady, as an inactive player, would be ineligible for the honor but the early indication from the league office is that he would be able to start. There have been parameters for injured players previously but this likely is new territory.

Of course, McGrady could be traded to an Eastern Conference team by then, making the issue moot. China-influenced voting helped put McGrady, Yi Jianlian and Bruce Bowen (he's popular over there) all one spot away from starting at their positions in last year's game.

The good Suns news is Amar'e Stoudemire keeps expanding his lead for the starting West center job. He now has 1,143,849 votes, which is 467,215 more than second-place Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Butler: I got the message

If Caron Butler really did have to take on Flip Saunders 1-v-1, he'd have a plan.

"I know he can’t go left, so I’m going to sit on his right. But at 54, he probably would get a bucket or two, but he ain’t going to be out there doing what he wants to do. We understood where he was coming from when he made the statement. But he jumped out there on that one."

A smile accompanied the reference to Saunders's assertion that he could've played better defense than the Wizards did against Oklahoma City on Tuesday, but Butler said it wasn't a joking matter.

"I’m a man first," he said. "I got pride. I take pride in everything I do, particularly in the court. To see that, just to see him, and we exchanged words. He told me that he expected more from me, in particular, some of the things he wanted. I just said, don’t worry about it. I got the message. I’m pretty sure everybody else did too, but hone in on it and try to set the standard in practice."

Saunders singled out Butler after practice on Thursday, and Butler seemed to accept that if the Wizards are to improve defensively, he's the guy that can set the pace - it just might help him figure out how to fix his own struggles.

"Some of the things that I need to get back to, not second guessing yourself out there at all," Butler said when asked what Saunders had talked about with him. "Don’t try to fit in, just be you out there. I think that’s what’s been going on a majority of the time, just trying to fit in and do the right thing. Obviously, instead of just playing your game, just being free out there, not thinking too much. That’s when I’m at my best, and I had a good practice today."

It's been said before that Butler had perhaps the most challenging role coming into the year as he stepped back into the shadow of Gilbert Arenas after stepping up with Arenas injured most of the last two seasons. It's affected the consistency his play offensively (how about 14-25-13-24-10 points the last five games) and defensively, and the only way to fight back is through effort.

"i do a combination of a lot of things," said Butler. "Gilbert’s back, he’s scoring, doing a lot of good things out there, Antawn [Jamison] as well. It makes my job easy. I get a chance to roam and do a lot of things out there so I just gotta stay active, continue to stay active and do a lot of things, fill up the stat sheet and be everywhere out there."

"There’s definitely a lot of room for improvement," he said of his defensive play. "I’m getting down into the defensive schemes of thigns. I've just got to be more energetic, keep your hands up and out. Watching a little film and some of my instincts that I have, I just want to jump into passing lanes, and I get caught with my hands down a lot, and I’m used to always having my hands moving, and always getting deflections and stuff like that. Just little stuff that can help me out tremendously in protecting the middle."

Butler's leadership throughout the Wizards' struggles this season has never wavered. He just needs to be similarly solid on the floor.

"When it all goes back, it's going to fall back on us," said Butler of he, Arenas and Jamison. "We’re the captains, the leaders of the ball club, we got great personnel. We got guys back healthy. We got to lead our ball club to wins. That’s the truth of the matter. We’ve got to get it done."

Jameer Nelson's knee will be tested in 1st of 4 back-to-backs

The Magic play the first of four consecutive back-to-backs tonight, an ordeal that might test starting PG Jameer Nelson's left knee.

Nelson's practice time has been limited since he returned four games ago after missing 16 games following Nov. 18 knee surgery.

He said he began experiencing swelling in the knee after the Boston game on Christmas Day. Nelson played 32 minutes in the loss to the Celtics after playing 14 and 29 the two previous games. He participated in about half the practice on Monday and Tuesday, much to coach Stan Van Gundy's frustration.

He scored just four points on 1-of-7 shooting in 23 minutes in the victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. Backup Jason Williams came off the bench to score 16 points and added seven assists.

Williams could re-emerge as a factor. Nelson has yet to play in a back-to-back since his return.

The Magic open a three-game road trip tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, then play the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

Grateful Bass

Little-used PF Brandon Bass counts his blessings each time he makes it onto the court.

Bass was called upon by Van Gundy against the Bucks, playing 16 minutes --- the most for him in five games --- and scored four points. He has played in only 20 games, missing one with the flu.

"Basketball is my life; that's what makes it so hard," Bass said. "But I'm giving it my all every time I get out there. It's been tough, I won't lie. Toughest thing I've ever had to go through, but the veteran guys have really helped me, encouraging me."

Unbeknownst to Bass, Van Gundy said he was planning to use Bass against Bucks forward Hakim Warrick, hoping he could use his quickness to defend Warrick.

Layups

Van Gundy's decision to use Bass meant that PF Ryan Anderson wound up being the odd man out against Milwaukee. It was the second game of the season that Anderson was confined to the bench. . . .

The Magic are 7-1 in games following a loss. Orlando's only back-to-back losses this season came at Utah and Phoenix. . . .

The Magic's next home game is Wednesday against Hedo Turkoglu and the Raptors, which closes out the four-game series against Toronto. Orlando has won all three games.

Heat's Beasley defends heated exchange with Richardson

SAN ANTONIO - Michael Beasley isn't a rookie anymore. And he isn't backing down.

In a significant step in his NBA maturation, the second-year Miami Heat forward said Thursday he had no regrets about his heated exchange with Quentin Richardson during the third quarter of Wednesday's loss to the New Orleans Hornets, and felt did not deserve any admonishment from his veteran teammate.

"I'm not a rookie no more," Beasley said before his team faced the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on New Year's Eve. "I felt like I was where I was supposed to be."

On the play in question, Hornets 3-point specialist Peja Stojakovic was left open for an uncontested successful attempt from beyond the arc.

Asked if he would have taken as demonstrative an approach last season, Beasley smiled.

"I would have shut up," the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft said. "He would have thought he was right."

While the Heat often is characterized as a young team, Beasley said it has reached the point where there simply has been too much input, albeit well-intentioned, from the veteran likes of Richardson, Jermaine O'Neal and others.

"A couple of weeks ago, we had our little talk and I told 'em, 'I'm all for suggestions and I'm for guys trying to help, but when everybody is telling me different things, that's when things kind of get mixed up,' " he said, having been mentored from his arrival by veteran power forward Udonis Haslem. "I told them I'd take their opinions, but I kind of only listen to U.D.

"I listen to everybody, but when it comes to mentoring and learning and doing what I'm supposed to do, Udonis is my main mentor. That makes it a whole lot easier."

Coach Erik Spoelstra said he had no issue with Beasley demonstratively addressing the play in question with Richardson on the bench during the timeout.

"I like those," he said. "We talked about it. There's got to be more of that, as long as it's done in a respectful way. I think the body language may have been interpreted wrong, because it was a healthy discussion, what they had.

"We talked about it in the film session. We need more of that as a young team. To tighten up our defensive rotations, there's got to be more communication."

Spoelstra said Beasley has earned the right to state his case.

"He's become a little bit more sure of where he's supposed to be," he said.

As it was, Beasley's place at the end of the game in New Orleans was on the bench, utilized for only six seconds in the fourth quarter of the 95-91 loss.

"It just happened that way," Spoelstra said. "I already talked to Michael not to look too much into it. We were down and had to change something with the dynamic."

Nuggets' Melo top forward so far in All-Star votes

Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony wrangle Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki this month. Anthony leads Western Conference forwards in votes for the NBA All-Star Game. Nowtizki is second. (Hyoung Chang/ The Denver Post)

Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony leads all Western Conference forwards in all-star voting, the NBA said today after its third "return" of votes.

Anthony, at 30.0 points per game this season, is second in the league in scoring behind Kobe Bryant (30.4). And Anthony trails only the Lakers guard in Western Conference voting (1,410,356 to 1,606,032).

Nuggets center Nene is third in the voting for the starting center. And point guard Chauncey Billups is seventh in the voting for the guards.

The NBA All-Star Game is Feb. 14 in Dallas.

The Nuggets (20-12) next play at Utah (18-13) on Saturday. The Jazz is 1 1/2 games behind the Nuggets in the Northwest Division. Both Anthony (knee) and Billups (groin) didn't practice today, but while Anthony is probable for Saturday, Billups is questionable — he hasn't practiced once all week.

As Billups goes, so go Nuggets

The plan made sense — rest Chauncey Billups during Denver's back-to-back games earlier this week, take four days off, and by Saturday, he'd be back.

Not so fast.

On Wednesday, when Billups was asked about playing at Utah on Saturday, he said softly: "I don't know man, I really don't know, to be honest."

Billups' groin strain remains a pain on the court.

"It doesn't hurt to walk around or even jog — I feel good — it's the cutting, trying to get by a defender," he said. "That's my problem most of the times."

The all-star point guard has missed five of Denver's past six games. He played one half at Portland and has since determined he tweaked the groin and "kind of weakened the muscle."

The lingering injury for Billups has led to the Nuggets (20-12) losing five of their past six games.

The Utah game is a big one, since the Jazz is also in the mix for the Northwest Division title, which the Nuggets won a season ago.

If Billups doesn't go, Ty Lawson will have his toughest matchup yet as a starter — Utah's Deron Williams, third in the league with 10 assists per game. As for the rookie Lawson, he averages 3.4 assists and had six against Sacramento.

"I thought Ty in the Sacramento game had a very good passing game. He could have had a big number (of assists)," Denver coach George Karl said. "I think you should give a guy an assist if he's fouled while shooting. He had 4-5 plays where he delivered to the guy that was fouled. I thought it was a 10-assist-type night."

Lawson is known for energizing a game off the bench with his speed, but he explained that as a starter, "I am more of a facilitator. I got to get Carmelo (Anthony) going, Nene going. Starting off a game, everyone's trying to get warmed up."

If anything, Lawson's extended playing time has given him an opportunity to expand his game. For instance, Lawson has developed a nice little pick-and-roll play with Nene.

"When Nene sets the screen," Lawson said, "I can get him assists a lot on the pick-and-roll because I can dump it into him and he's so long that he can dunk it."

Even while out of the lineup, Billups continues his contributions as Lawson's mentor. One key piece of advice he's given Lawson is how to defend a guard who isn't a "shoot first" player. He told Lawson to stay "under" the pick-and-roll while on defense to help clog the dribbling lane, opening up space to shoot.

Opponents have been doing the same to Lawson, letting him fire away from deep but clogging up the lane.

In the deciding fourth quarter at Sacramento, Lawson missed all three of his jump- shot attempts, including two 3-pointers.

Elton Brand booed in Clippers' victory

Mike Dunleavy doesn't coach because of a back injury. Chris Kaman scores 26 points.

Seventeen-plus months can be an awfully long time to hold back emotion, keeping in those boos buried deep inside.

Clippers fans, at long last, finally had their moments of release, a chance to let Elton Brand really know how they felt about his mysterious departure from Los Angeles in the summer of 2008.

And so they booed the 76ers' forward and former Clippers standout when he entered the game with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter Thursday. (So much for the diversionary tactic of having Jrue Holiday go in at the same time).

The jeering of Brand continued right on through what turned out to an emphatic 104-88 victory by the Clippers against Philadelphia at Staples Center. Clippers assistant coach Tony Brown was in charge because Mike Dunleavy aggravated a herniated disk in his lower back, brought on by what Brown called a "hard sneeze."

Chris Kaman led the Clippers with 26 points and 10 rebounds, Baron Davis added 20 points and the game turned when the Clippers held the 76ers to 14 points in the third quarter. Rasual Butler made four three-pointers, all in the second half and three in the third quarter.

"It was real strange," Brand said. "It was definitely strange. It was kind of surreal. A few plays, we'd do something good and I wanted to give Kaman a high-five. It was kind of weird."

He fully anticipated the full-on treatment. This was his first game back here since leaving, and he had played the Clippers twice in Philadelphia since opting out.

"A lot of jeers, a few cheers too," Brand said. "I've seen games where guys went to teams and every time they touched the ball . . . so I expected that.

"It's just different. It's kind of a strange breakup, that's what it was."

Then again, by Philadelphia standards, the reaction qualified more like a sturdy hello.

Kidding aside, Brand wasn't much of a factor in the second half. He finished with 17 points overall, only two in the fourth quarter with the outcome long decided.

Said Kaman: "He made his decision based on what was best for him and his family. I can't be mad at him for that. Obviously it would be nice to play on the same team with him.

"He's going to hear it from the fans every time he plays here because I don't think they're too happy with what went on."

Brand joked about his interaction with Kaman during the game, saying: "He didn't stop talking. He's always talking. He's talking about his family. I'm, like, 'Listen, I'm focused on the game.' "

This may have lacked the drama of the Clippers' overtime win against the 76ers about two weeks ago, but who wants intrigue when a team is in desperate need of a win? This was only the second victory in six games for the Clippers (14-18) since they beat Philadelphia on Dec. 19.

Still, Brand's return wasn't the only compelling subplot at Staples Center. Dunleavy, who has long been suffering from a cold, was getting ready for the game in the afternoon when he hurt his back.

"From what I understand a hard sneeze really escalated the back issue," Brown said. "I feel sorry for him. The last thing you want to do is have a cold and have a bad injury like that."

Brown also filled in as head coach on an emergency basis once in Boston when Doc Rivers had to leave because of a death in the family and another time in Milwaukee. The Clippers don't have an official lead assistant, but this happened to be Brown's game.

By the way, he is 3-0.

Like this head coaching gig?

"I could get used to it if we get the results like this," Brown said, smiling.

Technically, he has problems

PHOENIX - After his embarrassing ejection Dec. 18 against the Philadelphia 76ers, Rasheed Wallace heeded Doc Rivers’s words and has cooperated more with game officials. Wallace is the NBA’s perennial leader in technical fouls, and he was racking them up at an alarming pace in his first season as a Celtic. The coach and some veteran teammates suggested he soothe his anger.

Perhaps the same speech is being readied for Kendrick Perkins, who picked up his 10th technical of the season in the second quarter of Wednesday’s 116-98 loss to the Phoenix Suns, tying him with Wallace for the league lead.

The technical came at a particularly inopportune time, when the Celtics had finally sliced a double-digit deficit to 9. Steve Nash drained the free throw, then followed with an 8-footer after the Suns were awarded possession, and the Celtics lost all momentum.

Moreover, any player who reaches 16 technicals will be suspended by the league for one game. And one-game suspensions follow for every two technicals following the 16. So Perkins is putting himself - and his team - at risk for late-season suspensions if he continues his unruly behavior.

Perkins was scheduled to speak yesterday with NBA president of basketball operations Stu Jackson in an attempt to have his previous two technicals rescinded. Monday in Golden State, Perkins was whistled for using his elbow to clear space from rugged Ronny Turiaf.

He insists he is under control.

“I didn’t do nothing,’’ said Perkins. “It’s nothing I ain’t never been in before. Refs and techs, I have been going through this the last three seasons.’’

And that’s Rivers’s point. The question is whether Perkins has matured enough and worked enough to improve his relationships with officials. At first, it could be attributed to youth, according to Rivers, but now the coach is getting impatient. He didn’t hold back any words immediately following the Suns game.

“He’s just got to get better, and I told him that at halftime,’’ Rivers said. “We cut it to 9 points and then he gets a tech. I had no idea over what.

“He’s got to grow up. He’s got to get better. No doubt about it. They’re going to listen to Kevin [Garnett]. They’re going to listen to Ray [Allen] a little bit. They are going to listen to Paul [Pierce]. They have to listen to Rasheed. They’re not going to listen to anyone else. That’s enough.’’

Perkins freely admits that he plays with a scowl on his face. He is the Celtics’ enforcer; he protects his teammates, snaps at opponents, and relays his share of complaints to officials.

It starts in the first quarter and doesn’t end until the buzzer, and it appears officials are getting more irritated with Perkins’s grinding style, especially when they also have to hear from Wallace and occasionally Garnett.

According to Perkins, in Wednesday’s game, he said nothing to official Monty McCutchen, who told Perkins to stop complaining. McCutchen began yelling at him, according to Perkins, who responded, “Why are you talking to me like that?’’ Official Zach Zarba then called the technical on Perkins.

“They are allowed to scream at you like you are their child, huh?’’ Perkins said. “It ain’t nothing that I can’t stop, so it’s just something I’ve got to control and do a better job. Obviously these last two just wasn’t my fault, so I’ve got to do a better job of controlling myself.’’

Like Wallace, Perkins is amassing “reputation technicals.’’ It’s one thing if Allen gets upset, but when it’s Perkins, officials have a shorter fuse, especially when he looks so unpleasant during games. Perkins said he isn’t going to change his demeanor.

“If you don’t know me by now, from when I start the game to when I finish the game, there’s always a frown,’’ he said. “So it’s not like I am changing my emotions throughout the game.

“I am frowning up the whole four quarters. So it’s not like it’s at the ref. I play with a frown. I am trying to do a better job. Ain’t like I am cursing at them or saying something crazy to them.’’

Rivers said he doesn’t have much sympathy. Perkins is a key component on this team, but his emotions have been an issue for years. On Sunday against the Clippers, Perkins got into an on-court exchange with Garnett about his focus and frustration in guarding Los Angeles center Chris Kaman.

Perkins acknowledged afterward that a “few little things took me out of the game. I just feel like I have to do a better job of holding my composure.’’

Rivers agrees.

“He does have a reputation,’’ said the coach. “But do you know how you get a reputation? You earn it. It’s not like they just give you one.

“He may get reputation techs, but he made the bed; now he’s going to have to make it up. He’s going to have to do it all over again.

“The sad thing is, he’s a great kid, he really is. He gets so emotional about it, but he has to learn how to control it.’’

Kobe Bryant’s 3-pointer at buzzer gives Lakers win

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant hit yet another buzzer-beating 3-pointer and finished with 39 points as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame a 20-point deficit to beat the Sacramento Kings 109-108 on Friday night.

Lamar Odom had a season-high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the NBA-leading Lakers (26-6). Pau Gasol had 17 points, 16 rebounds and four assists — one of which set up Bryant’s clutch basket from in front of the Sacramento bench.

Andrew Bynum added 16 points and four rebounds.

Ron Artest missed his fourth straight game because of a concussion.

Spencer Hawes had a career-high 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Kings, Omri Casspi scored 23 points, and Beno Udrih added 19 points and 13 assists.

Report: Wizards teammates Arenas, Crittenton drew guns on each other

NEW YORK - Washington Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton drew guns on each other during a Christmas Eve locker room argument over a gambling debt, according to The New York Post.

Citing an anonymous source, the newspaper reports in Friday’s edition that the standoff was sparked when Crittenton became angry at Arenas for refusing to make good on a gambling debt. That prompted Arenas to draw on Crittenton, who then also grabbed for a gun, league security sources tell the Post.

Asked by the Post about the confrontation, Arenas denied pulling a gun on Crittenton.

"This is unprecedented in the history of sports," Billy Hunter, executive director of the Player’s Association, tells the Post. "I’ve never heard of players pulling guns on each other in a locker room."

The Wizards said on the night of Dec. 24 that Arenas had stored unloaded firearms in a container in his locker at the arena and that the NBA was looking into the situation. On Tuesday, Washington, D.C. police said they were investigating a report that weapons were found inside a locker room at the Verizon Center.

Now, the federal government is also involved. Ben Friedman, a spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office in DC, tells the Post "we’re working with the Metropolitan Police Department on the investigation."

Rashard Lewis, Matt Barnes help Magic beat Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS — Rashard Lewis scored 21 points, and Matt Barnes added 17 to help the Orlando Magic snap a three-game road losing streak with a 106-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

Jonny Flynn led Minnesota with 23 points, Kevin Love added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Al Jefferson [stats] had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Magic, who have won five of six overall, won despite below-average scoring nights from Vince Carter and Dwight Howard. The two entered the game averaging a combined 36.5 points, but Carter was held to 12 points and Howard had nine.

With Orlando’s two leading scorers limited, the Magic relied on Barnes’ energy plays and Ryan Anderson’s 3-point shooting.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy inserted Barnes into the starting lineup Wednesday against Milwaukee because he wanted to add more energy to the starting unit.

Barnes responded by leading Orlando in scoring for the first three quarters against a Minnesota team that hung around against a Magic team that trails only Cleveland in the Eastern Conference.

In the fourth, Anderson’s long-range shooting helped put the Timberwolves away.

The Magic led by only two points after three quarters, 73-71, and Minnesota briefly took a 77-75 lead when Wayne Ellington hit a 3-pointer with 10:06 to play.

But Orlando responded by making threes on its next four offensive possessions, three by Anderson. The final 3-pointer in the stretch gave Orlando an 87-81 lead with 7:56 to play.

Anderson, who entered the game averaging 9.3 points, made four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points.

Orlando, which leads the NBA with 10 made 3-pointers per game, finished with 15 long-range jumpers against Minnesota. When Jameer Nelson (16 points) made a 3-pointer with less than 5 minutes to play, the Magic lead was 95-88.

Nate Robinson powers Knicks past Hawks in OT

Knicks guard Nate Robinson shoots while Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams defends in overtime at Philips Arena, in Atlanta. Robinson led the Knicks with 41 points for the night as they won 112-108 in overtime

ATLANTA — Nate Robinson scored 11 of his 41 points in overtime in a dramatic return to New York’s lineup, and the Knicks beat the Hawks 112-108 on Friday night for their second win in Atlanta this season.

Playing for the first time since Dec. 1, Robinson entered the game with 3:01 remaining in the opening period. He made 18 of 24 shots from the field, came within four points of his career high and had eight assists.

Robinson had 30 points in regulation and then dominated the overtime by scoring 11 of the Knicks’ 13 points. Three of his baskets in the extra period gave New York a lead, including a three-point play with 2:09 remaining for a 108-105 advantage.

Wilson Chandler added 24 points for New York.

Joe Johnson had 28 points for Atlanta, which has lost three straight for the first time this season. Josh Smith had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Al Horford had 22 points and 19 rebounds for the Hawks, who had only 12 points off their bench.

Atlanta led 80-67 entering the final period. New York, which beat the Hawks 114-107 in Atlanta on Dec. 4, cut the lead to two points on Robinson’s basket with 1:37 remaining. Following a miss by Horford, Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni called a timeout with 45 seconds remaining to set up Robinson’s tying drive down the baseline with 38 seconds remaining for a 97-97 tie.

Johnson answered with a short jumper, but Robinson again tied the game with a drive past Smith with 11.3 seconds left.

Marvin Williams missed a 3-pointer at the end of regulation.

Robinson returned after missing 14 straight games. He played about 10 minutes against Phoenix on Dec. 1 and didn’t play again the rest of the month.

Robinson was averaging 11 points in only 12 games. He had 24 points against Orlando on Nov. 29.

Robinson’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, recently told reporters he’d asked the Knicks to trade the guard. The league fined Robinson $25,000 on Monday because players are not allowed to make public trade requests.

The Knicks led 55-54 at halftime, but Johnson had two 3-pointers in the third quarter as the Hawks took an 80-67 lead into the final period.

NOTES: Knicks F-C Darko Milicic (upset stomach) and F Jonathan Bender (sore left leg) did not play. ... New York’s David Lee was called for a flagrant foul against Smith early in the fourth period. ... The Knicks were 9-6 in December. ... Hawks G Mike Bibby had seven assists, including the 5,000th of his career in the second quarter.

Utah Jazz notebook: Eric Maynor adjusting to Oklahoma home

OKLAHOMA CITY — He was welcomed to Oklahoma City with open arms, and so many more amenities than are offered in Utah that rookie point guard Eric Maynor couldn't help but fill in old teammates on his new digs.

"I told all of them, 'Y'all should see the locker room, y'all should see everything,' " Maynor said. "They have a chef every morning at practice, and stuff like that."

Maynor was traded by Utah to the Thunder — whose Ford Center locker room is palatial compared to that of the Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena — 10 days ago, as a part of a cost-cutting deal.

He faced his former team for the first time Thursday, scoring four points on 2-for-5 shooting — including a fastbreak layup sparked by a strip of center Mehmet Okur — and dishing six assists while logging 15 minutes in Oklahoma City's 87-86 win over the Jazz.

The initial surprise of being dealt less than two months into his first NBA season, Maynor said, wore off "the next day ... (when) I had to play in Phoenix, with a new jersey on."

That would be Dec. 23, when Maynor took a 6 a.m. commercial flight from Miami, where the Jazz were when the trade was made, to Oklahoma City, where he underwent a quick physical, then hopped on a private plane headed for Phoenix in time to join the Thunder for that night's game against the Suns.

"Of course (being traded) was gonna be a shock," said Maynor, the Jazz 's first-round selection in last June's NBA Draft and their backup at the point before he was relocated. "I thought I was gonna be in Utah. You know, I was settled in Utah.

"When I got the news, and it hit me, it upset me a little bit. But (Jazz) coach (Jerry) Sloan came and talked to me, and we both had an understanding of why it happened, and I felt better about the situation."

The deal — which saves the Jazz more than $10 million — also involved injured forward Matt Harpring's expiring contract going to Oklahoma City for rights to a German player Utah has no intention of signing.

Harpring didn't have to report to the Thunder, and the only sign of his presence here (Oklahoma City won't waive him so insurance pays a significant portion of his $6.5 million salary) is the listing of his name and usual No. 15 on the team's official roster.

But Maynor?

He's been made to feel at home in Oklahoma City, where — soon to be joined by his mother, who previously planned to move to Salt Lake City — he intends to have a house of his own.

New teammate D.J. White kidded Thursday about owning the old No. 3 of Maynor, who now wears No. 6. "There might be a price on it," White joked.

And Thunder star Kevin Durant made it known he's happy to have the 22-year-old Virginia Commonwealth product on board with one of the NBA's youngest clubs.

"He's a guy that's gonna step right in and help us," Durant said of Maynor, who is backing up Thunder starting point Russell Westbrook and averaging about as many minutes — 13 — as he was playing behind Deron Williams in Utah. "Very poised, and plays like a veteran. So, he's a good addition ... a guy that's gonna come in and bond with the guys off the floor first, and that always helps on the floor.

"He's gonna be a guy that's gonna help us grow throughout the years, and we're excited to have him," Durant added. "We got the good end of the deal."

Maynor thinks so, too.

"Sometimes you have to say, 'Why me?' " he said. "But, you know, the choice (the Jazz) made, I have to live with that."

Finding out he was headed to the Thunder — which evidently shares some things with the Jazz, even if a team chef is not among them — made the move much more palatable.

"I said, 'Cool with me,' " Maynor said, "because I'm leaving an organization I learned a lot from — from Coach Sloan, the coaching staff, some of the players on the team — but then you come to something like this, with a bunch of young guys, great coaches, guys that work every day, and they're up-and-coming.

"I didn't really know too many offensive sets, too many defensive schemes, but (Thunder) coach (Scott) Brooks told me, 'Just go out here and play hard; it will be all right,'  " Maynor added with reference to his quick integration into Oklahoma City's lineup. "Both coaches really just want you to play hard, play together."

Cavs are enjoying the view early

There were doubters coming from all angles this season regarding the Cavaliers.

Even though the Cavs were quite active in the offseason reshaping the roster, many observers wondered if the new pieces would fit.

After the 2009 portion of the season is over, many of those questions have been answered.

The Cavs (26-8) have won more games than any team in the league.

Once again, the Cavs are talking about winning a title.

But this time, teams are starting to take heed.

"One of the biggest things of winning a championship is the belief that you can do it," Cavs center Shaquille O'Neal said. "Once the guys have that belief, anything is possible."

The Cavs have vaulted to the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They've won six games in a row and 11 of their last 12.

They face the team with the worst record in the league, the New Jersey Nets (3-29), at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Izod Center.

The Cavs might not match last year's record-setting, 66-win campaign, but if they get a step further in the playoffs, no one would utter a peep. They were upset in the East finals last year by Orlando.

"I liked our team last year, but (I) felt we had some holes," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "It showed (in the playoffs). This year, it could be a little different."

The Cavs were very up and down early in the season. Once they totally bought into Brown's defensive mindset, they've become an absolute terror.

Heading into Thursday night's games, the Cavs had overtaken the league lead in opponents' field-goal accuracy (43.2 percent), are second in points allowed (93.8) and sixth in opponents' 3-point shooting (32.6 percent).

The Cavs haven't allowed a team to shoot 50 percent from the field in 24 games, the longest streak in the NBA.

They had problems with turnovers and giving up transition points a few weeks ago, but they've cleaned that up.

The Cavs are also limiting teams to one shot and controlling the boards.

Brown loves the way post players Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao and O'Neal protect the paint.

"It's been big having Shaq in that paint," he said. "Coach (Hank) Egan made a comment the other day. He said, 'Being able to play your minutes with Shaq and then coming in with Z, it makes Z that much more of an effective defender.'

"Z doesn't have to be that main guy. He has another guy over 7 feet who can do it. Then you throw Andy in the equation. We have three very big guys who don't have to play a ton of minutes. It makes it tough to score around that basket."

Varejao played great pick-and-roll defense against the Hawks on Wednesday. He was a main cog in the Cavs' come-from-behind win.

O'Neal's numbers have fallen off, but he definitely protects the rim. Players who venture near the basket are subject to being knocked on their rear end.

"We expected this from Shaq," Brown said. "As time goes on, he's going to get better. He's extremely intelligent, agile, big and strong. To have that kind of guy in the paint is a positive for us."

Brown said his post players are the reason why the Cavs are the league leader in fewest points in the paint.

Quick shots

-- As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the Hawks had not filed a protest with the league office over Wednesday's shot-clock snafu, a spokesman said. If they do file, it's a long process that takes at least two weeks.

The shot clock wasn't reset after a missed shot by the Cavs with less than 2 minutes to play. Hawks coach Mike Woodson said they were going to file a protest. Official Ken Mauer had no comment to a pool reporter after the game. That wasn't the only disputed call in Wednesday's game. The Cavs claim Daniel Gibson's field goal with 9:40 to play was a 3-pointer and not a two-pointer.

-- LeBron James remains the leading vote-getter in the Eastern Conference after the third returns of the All-Star balloting. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is the overall leader with 1,606,032 votes, and James is the runner-up with 1,579,530.

-- In the fourth quarters of the back-to-back games against the Hawks, the Cavs held Atlanta to 26 points total, forced 10 turnovers and 29.4 percent shooting (11 of 37).

LeBron's new shoes say, 'I Love New York'

I have no idea what LeBron James plans to do this summer. I'm not smart enough to speculate nor do I really want to even try. I'm perfectly content with just waiting and seeing. But you must admit, things like his new shoe (which had photos leaked today), the Nike Air Max LeBron VII Hardwood Classic Edition, make this whole thing very... interesting.

Now, I'm no sneaker guy, so I don't really know much about it all, but the fact the shoe is clearly in Knick colors (even down the orange speckles on the shoe laces) is something to take note of. But then again, in the 80s, the Cavs wore orange and blue uniforms and LeBron's Cavs have been known to wear those unis as throwbacks. Ah, case closed. However, I don't think those old uniforms had an "I Love New York" patch on them. Well then.

Gordon came back too soon to face Bulls

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- In retrospect, Ben Gordon believes his desire to play against his former team caused him to rush back from a sprained left ankle before he should have for the first meeting between the Bulls and Detroit Pistons four weeks ago.

''I definitely did,'' Gordon said Thursday before the rematch between the teams at the Palace of Auburn Hills. ''I was still out there limping. I didn't come back when I was ready and had to sit out nine more games.''

After playing against the Bulls on Dec. 2, Gordon played in another game, then sat for the next nine. He didn't return to action until Sunday, and Thursday's game was just his third since then.

''It just wasn't getting any better,'' he said. ''I had a pretty bad sprain. Everybody will tell you the best thing to do is to stay off of it so it can get better. I didn't do that, so it just kind of lingered.

''It's feeling a lot better. I'm still not all the way there, but it's feeling a lot better than it was before. It's probably one of those things I'll have to play with, and eventually it'll go away.''

When he arrived at the United Center on Dec. 2, it was unclear whether Gordon would play. He tested the injury and admitted he got caught up in the excitement of playing against his former team for the first time.

''When I got there, I was a little more excited to play, and that's why I played,'' he said.

Moving forward

Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro didn't answer directly when asked before the game if he was satisfied with general manager Gar Forman's remarks Tuesday about his job status.

''It's been beat up so much, I just really want to focus in on the game and what my job is with this team,'' Del Negro said. ''I think all that stuff will play itself out. I think we just have to try to move forward a little bit and see what direction things go.''

At this point, Del Negro probably believes a winning streak is his best hope to stop the speculation.

Dallas Mavericks can finish No. 1 in the West ... and here's how

OK, I'm going to trot out an unthinkable idea here, so give me a little latitude.

The Mavericks can finish No. 1 in the Western Conference.

No, wait. Hear me out on this one. Going into New Year's Eve's games, the Mavericks were three games behind the Lakers, who have played 20 homes games and just 11 on the road.

The Mavericks have played 16 at home and 15 on the road.

The Mavericks are a plus-six in terms of road wins vs. home losses. The Lakers are a plus-give. Of course, the Lakers' ratio will go up, most likely, as they play a slew of road games in January.

Still, there are plenty of places they could lose in the month, too. Their road games include visits to Portland, Dallas, San Antonio, Cleveland and Boston.

If the Mavericks continue to take care of business and play at the level they have been at pretty consistently for the last month, it's not out of the question that they could be the Lakers' shadow (or vice versa) going into February.

At least, not completely out of the question.

So go ahead and laugh now. But if the Mavericks are pressing the Lakers a month from now, I'll be the one writing "I told you so" in this space.

MAVERICKS Q&A

Q: OK, Big Ed, I clicked my heels three times and instead of going home, I ended up as the Mavericks GM in the summer of 2010. So trying to make the best of an awkward situation, I hire you as my consultant for a million dollars a week or until they fire me.

After thrashing around for a couple of days I say, "You know, Big Ed, I'm not sure we can get bigger and better than Erick and Drew in the middle. It also doesn't feel like LeBron or Dwyane will sign with us. I say let's see if we can re-sign Dampier for about $16 million for two years and try to re-sign Josh Howard at a discount for one year.

That's about $10 million off last year's payroll alone. What do you think about talking to Tracy McGrady about a one-year deal with a club option for a second year? Ed, put down that David Moore cashmere swimsuit calendar and let me know what you think.

John, Clearwater, Fla.

SEFKO: You had me at "a million dollars a week."

Actually, I love this question because it saves me having to do the gratuitous weekly jab at D-Moore. Plus, it's pretty sensible stuff. I do think you'll be able to get Dampier for less than $8 million yearly. I can't see anybody out there going over the mid-level exception to get him, so why outbid yourself. Shoot for closer to $6 million.

That's about where we part ways, though. It's not a given that Howard will stick around with the Mavericks, who likely will not exercise their option on Howard's contract for 2010-11. That will make him a free agent.

But where you really lost me was with Tracy McGrady. Perhaps you overlooked the job he did dividing the Houston locker room. They were absolutely relieved to have McGrady part ways with the team, even if it's not official yet.

There's no sense in bringing in that kind of questionable locker room influence to a team that genuinely has good karma.

• • •

Q: What are your beliefs on reducing the number of minutes of our eldest player, Jason Kidd? The Spurs have reduced Tim Duncan's time by three minutes per game. Do you think it makes a difference in the long run?

Ryan

SEFKO: The guy plays without a hint of athleticism, so I'm not a big believer that he will break down or wear out.

If you could back it down to 32 minutes per game instead of 36, it probably wouldn't hurt him. But when the playoffs come around and there are always days off and lots of TV timeouts, will a few extra minutes in December really come into play?

I rather doubt it.

In this season, I think it's worth it to pile up the wins. Finishing second in the West as opposed to fourth could make the difference between starting the playoffs against Oklahoma City or Houston rather than Phoenix or Portland or San Antonio.

Big difference in those.

• • •

Q: Great work on the blogs as always. My sister and I were at the game Saturday, and while the Mavs are having a good season so far, one thing we're concerned about is the trouble younger, athletic teams present.

This got us thinking about possible trades, and we wondered if the Mavs would have any interest in bringing in either Chris Bosh or Andrea Bargnani from Toronto. We could trade Dampier and Carroll for Bosh, if my math is right. Bargnani is not a power center, but he is a good offensive player and much younger. Any thoughts about going after these guys or someone similar? I'm just worried that four of our starters are in their 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th seasons.

Reggie

SEFKO: So you're the dude reading the blog. I appreciate that. I thought my editor was the only one reading.

As for your question, you should be worried about the age of this team. Older players are not always more susceptible to injury, but when they do get nicked up, they sometimes require longer to return.

Like everybody else, I think Chris Bosh is terrific. But the Raptors aren't just going to give him away, which is what getting Dampier and Carroll would be. That's not a fair return for a perennial All-Star.

The Mavericks would love to get a player like Bosh, but it won't be easy. As always, my recommendation for amateur GMs is to put yourself in the other team's shoes and ask yourself honestly if you'd do the deal you're proposing.

For now, with the Mavericks humming along and solidly No. 2 in the Western Conference, I wouldn't waste too much time scheming for big trades. They're going to see just how good this group can be.

I'd use that time praying for good health instead.

• • •

Q: Is there a reason why coach Rick Carlisle continues to not use Shawn Marion in the fourth quarter?

T.S.

SEFKO: Don't know if it's a trend or just the ebb and flow of a long season, but Marion is getting less time in the fourth quarter than Josh Howard.

My guess is there will come a time when both Marion and Howard will be in the lineup together, probably as starters and finishers.

Marion's minutes are holding pretty steady at 32 per game, so it's not like he's sitting for long stretches at any point in the game. Again, if I had to predict one way or the other, Marion's crunch time minutes will come sooner than later.

• • •

Q: Do you see Tracy McGrady playing in the NBA again this year? If so, where?

L. Arthur, Granbury

SEFKO: He'll probably end up somewhere in the Eastern Conference playing for a bad team that wants to lose his $23 million contract at the end of the season. It'll be up to Houston to figure out if they get enough value in return to trade him.

Another scenario could be that McGrady agrees to forfeit the last six weeks of his salary and gets waived in late February. That way he could sign with another team before March 1 and be playoff eligible.

• • •

Q: The Mavs' pre-Christmas doldrums seem to have coincided with Carlisle screwing down the rotation to eight or nine players. Their deep roster was used extensively, and to good effect, earlier. Yeah, yeah, I know rotations close down late in NBA seasons, but this seems to be a bit early for that.

Could this be part of the team's problem? Why did it happen so soon, and do you think this constriction might relax a bit in the near future?

Ken B., Dallas

P.S., my holiday gift to you is no mention of The Jet.

SEFKO: Kenny B. usually has something to say about Jason Terry, so that's sort of an inside joke. But he's also like most fans. They're never satisfied.

Last year, I remember fans being ticked off that Carlisle would never settle on eight or nine guys to go to war with. He was shuffling lineups all season, it seemed like.

Now, he's narrowed it to eight guys for most games and we wonder why he won't use the others.

But here's the easiest prediction I've ever made. James Singleton will get lots of chances in the last 50 games of the season. So will Kris Humphries, Quinton Ross and Tim Thomas. And even Roddy Beaubois and Matt Carroll will get a chance or three the rest of the way to contribute to what is looking like a charmed season so far for this team.

It's just the way the NBA is. Whether it will be because of a whim Carlisle has or an injury or whatever, they will play. Bank on it.

• • •

Q: It's been a long time since I submitted a question. I'm wondering what you think J.J. Barea's future looks like and do you think Dirk will retire a Maverick?

MouthyGirl

SEFKO: Indeed, it's been a long time, MG. Let's tackle J.J. first. The team has an option year on his contract for next season at the very palatable salary (for the team, not necessarily Barea) of $1.8 million.

Unless the Mavericks hatch some wild plan to go after Chris Bosh or Joe Johnson and need every available dime to get as far under the cap as possible, they will pick up the option for next season.

Beyond that, Barea is playing well enough that he will create lots of interest on the open market. It's hard to envision him as a starting guard on a great team. But then again, I guess he already is. If he embraces that role here – 20 to 25 minutes to fill up the basket and create energy on both ends of the court – no reason why he can't stay here for several more years.

Of course, if somebody throws crazy money at him in a year, it would be silly for him not to take it.

As for Dirk, the goal of every icon should be to stay with one team for his entire career. But it rarely happens. Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Parish, even Michael Jordan, all left their "career' teams and finished up elsewhere.

I think there's a better chance of Nowitzki staying with the Mavericks because there seems to be genuine love and respect between him and the franchise and the fans and the Dallas area. Even Dirk has said it just wouldn't feel right going somewhere else.

Let's face it: a coach goes before Dirk. Avery Johnson found that out. As long as Mark Cuban owns the team, Nowitzki probably isn't going anywhere.

• • •

Q: Maybe you can tell me what I'm missing with the Mavericks. I see a team that was not going to make the playoffs, but now might because of injuries and poor play by other teams. I see the Mavs as an average team. They got a bunch of players this summer (Marion, Thomas and Gooden) that nobody else wanted. And they'll never win anything as long as Dirk is the main man. I don't see any of their starters, including Dirk, fitting into another team. Where am I wrong?

SEFKO: Just about everywhere, especially because you didn't sign your e-mail. How exactly does an "average team" get to 22-10?

And you are among a dwindling number of Dirk bashers. He's convinced just about everybody with his play throughout his career and especially this season that he is on the short list of NBA superstars.

Sorry to go grumpy on you in the New Year, but that hits a nerve.

Bosh remains Raptors' man in the clutch

Sonny Weems contributed nine points last night in a victory over Charlotte in Toronto, including this slam dunk on the Bobcats' Gerald Wallace.

TORONTO - Chris Bosh has been miscast as a crunch-time scorer in the past. Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo knew that, and that helps explain the US$53-million spent on Hedo Turkoglu this summer.

The merit of that decision can be debated, but it is temporarily beside the point after last night's game, a 107-103 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats, the Raptors' fifth straight win. With Turkoglu out of the game with a right knee contusion, all sorts of funky things happened when the Raptors had the ball. Most notably, guard Marco Belinelli went on a series of bizarre, out-of-control trips to the basket.

With that in mind, just like in years past, Bosh needed to come through for the Raptors. And he did. With just more than a minute to play, and his team having just blown a late five-point lead, Bosh delivered a layup for Toronto. He beat his man, Gerald Wallace, with a fake, and avoided several defenders to do so.

Perhaps, as a power forward, he is not the ideal finisher. When the situation calls for it, though, he can come through.

"Chris had a great night," coach Jay Triano said.

Indeed. With 33 points and 13 rebounds, Bosh was typically sublime, helping Toronto avenge an embarrassing 35-point loss the Raptors suffered the last time the two teams met, in November in North Carolina.

Andrea Bargnani scored 28 points on a steady diet of baseline jumpers. Bargnani's three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining gave Toronto a four-point lead that, in effect, iced the game.

With Turkoglu out of the lineup, the Raptors' best option was to pound the ball inside. Charlotte went to a small lineup, with 6-foot-8 forward Stephen Jackson often serving as the Bobcats' de facto centre.

Triano thought about matching the Bobcats with a smaller lineup, but ultimately went with the club's remaining strengths.

"I thought Andrea was equally as good [as Bosh.]. They went small right off the bat," Triano said. "We got them in foul trouble early and they went small, and they had success with it. They stayed with it. Our goal was to keep pounding it inside: Andrea at one time, [Bosh] at another time."

The Raptors, 9-4 in their last 13 games, delivered far from a perfect effort. Charlotte, not close to spectacular offensively, shot 54% from the field. There were plenty of breakdowns on the perimeter, particularly in the second quarter, which Charlotte won 30-24.

However, the results just keep coming for the Raptors.

"The last time we played these guys, we showed the tape, we were five feet off of guys and let them do whatever they wanted to do," Triano said. "Even though we knew we were going to get blown by tonight, and we did, we just felt more pressure on the ball would create more turnovers and create deflections. That's how we've been playing for the past 13 games. We've decided not to just be positional players. If we're going to get beat, let's get beat aggressively."

And as the year turns, the story appears to be swinging further in Toronto's favour -- despite the fact Toronto's road is about to get rougher with games against Boston, San Antonio and Orlando.

Even more so without Turkoglu, who first hurt his knee on Tuesday.

"He's been hurt. He was questionable as to whether he was going to play [yesterday]," Triano said. "We knew he might have to pull the plug at some point during the game."

Alas, Bosh was there to stand in.

Phoenix Suns getting more production from reserves

There were times in these winning Suns years that they could not test the depths of their bench for fear of drowning the team.

Depth no longer means darkness on Phoenix's bench, which is giving the Suns their best bench offensive production of the past six seasons. And it is coming from a unit that figured to be known more for defense.

Guard Leandro Barbosa's return to the bench has given a particular lift, returning players to their natural roles and giving the Suns an instant injection of speed for the tempo they desire. The Suns are 15-3 this season with Barbosa and have averaged 121.3 points since he came back from an ankle sprain that sidelined him for 12 games, a stretch in which the Suns went 4-8.

The recent 3-1 run includes consecutive wins over conference leaders, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, with two of the NBA's better defenses.

"I try to make everyone feel comfortable," Barbosa said. "Sometimes, I think Goran (Dragic) feels a little pressure to take care of the team but I'm helping him to go with the flow. The second unit has been doing such a great job, even when I was hurt. We have so many talents. Each one of us has been given a little bit and this has made the difference."

Barbosa has not played first and third quarters, keeping his minutes to fewer than 20 until he played 23 Wednesday and had 17 points, four assists and four steals.

The bench's impact has kept the starters' minutes down. The starting five have the NBA's fourth-best plus-minus this season but you'll find no Suns in the top 50 for playing time. Forward Amar'e Stoudemire is 53rd, at 34.3 minutes per game.

"We have to somehow, throughout the season, relieve pressure from Steve (Nash) and Amar'e," reserve forward Jared Dudley said.

Dudley is the NBA's top 3-point shooter who, more importantly, brings persistent defense and spirit to the floor. Dragic is emerging into a steadier backup point guard but has improved his shot enough to play off-guard, too. Louis Amundson remains the team's best

rebounder, averaging 15.3 for every 48 minutes. Robin Lopez was a physical presence and opportunistic scorer in the wins against the big front lines of the Lakers and Celtics, with center Channing Frye saying they would not have beaten the Lakers without him.

"Whenever I can get on the court with Goran and LB, I just feel very comfortable," Lopez said.

T-Mac passes Nash

The Houston Rockets have decided to leave Tracy McGrady as inactive while they pursue trading the NBA's highest-paid player who has logged 45 minutes of play this season. Yet, he still could start the All-Star Game over Nash.

McGrady retook the second spot among Western Conference guards in the latest fan-voting returns, slimly leading Nash by 1,005 and well back of overall vote-leader and Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (1,606,032).

Behind McGrady's 649,563 votes and Nash's 648,558, New Orleans' Chris Paul remains close, with 622,219 votes.

McGrady would be eligible to start even if he remains inactive.

Stoudemire kept his hold on the West's starting-center job for the Feb. 14 All-Star Game. He has 1,143,849 votes, which puts him 467,215 ahead of Lakers center Andrew Bynum.

Voting concludes Jan. 18 and starters will be announced Jan. 21.

On the Beat

Vinny Del Negro is still the Chicago Bulls’ coach, which rates as something of a surprise.

There was a feeling Del Negro would be the third coach to be fired by the Bulls on Christmas Eve in this decade, joining Tim Floyd and Scott Skiles. Then there were rampant reports in the early part of this week that Del Negro was about to get the ax.

However, Del Negro is still the coach, even if Bulls general manager Gar Forman is stopping short of giving him a vote of confidence. The Bulls are 12-17.

“Vinny is our coach,” Forman said. “Our goal is to get better each and every day. As a management team, we’re exploring all our options in order to get better. We expect our coaches to work each and every day to get better. I feel we shouldn’t talk about evaluations with any personnel we do internally. We are all being evaluated at all times. That goes from me to our management to our coaching staff to our players and those are things we keep internally.”

Del Negro has stayed consistent in his answers about his job security in recent weeks, insisting that he does not dwell on it.

“It’s funny to me,” Del Negro said of the reports he will be fired. “There is nothing to say. You have all these people who have rumors, and they all have their sources but it is just not accurate. I don't have time to deal with rumors. I talk to Gar and Pax (vice president John Paxson) every day. My focus is getting the team ready. It is a little frustrating because I know how hard the staff works. You are judged on wins and losses and I am not pleased where we are at.”

Though the Bulls are five games under .500 more than one-third of the way into the season, Forman said he is not ready to give up and start looking to 2010-11. Amazingly, Chicago would make the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference if the season ended today.

“There’s a lot of season left,” Forman said. “We're still optimistic. We like our young core. We like our players. That doesn't mean we're not exploring options to get better as far as our team is concerned because we do each and every day.”

Robinson Fined for Agent's Trade Request

Knicks guard Nate Robinson was quite surprised to be informed he had been fined $25,000 by the NBA for publicly requesting a trade.

Robinson’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, said on Dec. 19 that he had asked the Knicks to deal his client because coach Mike D’Antoni had a personal vendetta in removing him from the rotation. However, Robinson came back the next day and said he did not desire a trade and that his agent had spoken without consulting him.

Nevertheless, Robinson is being docked $25,000. It was the first time in league history that a player was fined for remarks by his agent. The National Basketball Players Association is appealing the fine.

“It is not merited or justified by the circumstances,” union president Billy Hunter said.

Minnesota Changes Course, Deals for Tucker

The Minnesota Timberwolves traded rarely used point guard Jason Hart and his non-guaranteed contract to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday for forward Alando Tucker’s $1-million contract, a second-round draft pick in 2010and enough cash to pay Tucker’s expiring contract.

However, it was quite obvious that the Timberwolves almost traded Hart to the New Orleans Hornets for guard Devin Brown before making the deal with the Suns. In fact, a press release announcing the purported trade appeared on the Timberwolves’ website briefly Tuesday morning before being taken down.

The release included Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn saying, “It was a rare opportunity to add a proven player with three-point shooting capabilities that will help our offense. Devin should be a nice addition to our team defensively, as well. He has a reputation as a tough kid and hard-nosed defender.”

Perhaps that’s why the Hornets kept him.

McGrady, Rockets Go Separate Ways

The Houston Rockets have decided to cut all ties with guard Tracy McGrady, who has been upset with his limited playing time off the bench since returning from microfracture knee surgery earlier this month. The seven-time All-Star will remain on their roster but will not dress for games or take part in practices while the Rockets look to trade him.

“He's coming back from major surgery and rehabilitating, and who knows when he's going to get there?” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “Right now, he wasn't there. The explosiveness definitely wasn't there. That's to be expected. The thing people want to write about is who he was two years ago. He isn't that right now. We have a whole team. It's not just about what he wants or what he was going to want. It was about what can he do to help us win?”

D’Antoni admitted the Knicks have interest in trading for McGrady.

“I think you always have to be intrigued with someone of the stature of Tracy McGrady,” D’Antoni said.