Pierce improving, still day to day

BOSTON -- Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers indicated Saturday that forward Kevin Garnett could be out for 10 days or more with a hyperextended right knee.

Discussing injuries to his three starters -- Garnett, Paul Pierce (right knee infection) and Rajon Rondo (sore left hamstring) -- prior to Saturday night's game with the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden, Rivers said Pierce and Rondo were the closest to returning, with Garnett looking at a three-week recovery window after being kicked in his surgically repaired knee twice during a three-game trip this past week.

Garnett Pierce

"KG's still 10 days, maybe, I don't know," said Rivers. "I have no idea, I honestly don't. There is some history with hyperextended knees that we kind of know that it takes at least two weeks, sometimes three. We know it won't be longer than that, but we don't know how quickly. There's a history there -- not with [Garnett] -- but with league history."

Rivers continued to stress that Garnett's injury should not be a long-term issue.

"It won't be that long," Rivers said after Friday's practice. "When I did this, I looked at the schedule and the days off, and I thought this was the time to do it."

As for Rondo and Pierce, Rivers was more optimistic they would return during the Celtics' upcoming three-game road trip.

"Rondo and Paul would be first in line," said Rivers. "I think Rondo will play in the Miami game [on Wednesday].

"I think Paul is fifty-fifty, he'll try to practice on Monday and we'll see how it feels. With infections, we don't know how to treat that, nobody [here] has ever had that. We'll find that out. We don't know what will happen once he practices. It could swell, it could feel great. We just have to wait and see."

Pierce spoke to the media Saturday for the first time since undergoing what he detailed as a pair of procedures to drain fluid from his right knee, including a previously undisclosed operation on Christmas Day.

"I'm getting better, feeling pretty good," said Pierce. "Right now it's day-to-day. I can't put a timetable on it, but the positive thing about it is it's been feeling better, showing improvement every day."

Following a victory over the Pacers on Dec. 22, Pierce returned home and started feeling pain in his knee. Within a 15-minute span, it became excruciating, forcing Pierce to phone team trainer Ed Lacerte, who went to Pierce's home to examine him.

Pierce went to the hospital Wednesday morning, but quickly realized he wouldn't be making the team's 10 a.m. flight to Orlando. Doctors performed the initial procedure, draining fluid from the knee.

While the knee felt better Thursday, it flared up again Friday, forcing Pierce to return to the hospital on Christmas night for a second procedure. Doctors didn't find an infection in a first sample taken Wednesday, but noticed a high white blood cell count. They later found the infection, but tests after Friday's procedure indicated the white blood cell count had dropped, suggesting the infection was eliminated.

"Things like this I've got to be positive," said Pierce. "I wasn't sitting there moaning because it was Christmas Day. There are people far worse off than I am on Christmas Day. I'm happy I'm still alive and, with this situation, I've just got to make the most of it. Even in the hospital I wasn't complaining."

Pierce said he is itching to get back on the court, but following the Celtics' mantra on injuries this season, he's hoping to completely recover rather than suffer a relapse later in the season.

Pierce, wearing large bandages over his entire right leg, jumped rope for the first time Saturday and got up some jumpers at the Garden. He still can't bend his knee fully and suggested that was one of the final hurdles for his recovery.

Pierce was on the bench, dressed in a brown suit and seated next to the coaching staff, on Saturday night while his teammates took on the Raptors.

"I'm always there in spirit," said Pierce. "I'll be out there today, hopefully we get a win."

Nate's dog days over with Knicks

Mike D'Antoni smiled when asked how Nate Robinson's 41-point explosion Friday night influences his rotation going forward.

"I'm going to sit him another 14 games, then get another 40-pointer," the Knicks coach said with a laugh. "That's how you do it."

Robinson's return from exile came with a bang against the Hawks. Robinson hit shots from everywhere and scored 21 of the team's final 25 points in the 112-108 overtime victory.

It was Robinson's first game since Dec. 1 against Phoenix, when Robinson found his way into D'Antoni's doghouse.

What followed was his agent asking for a trade, Robinson getting fined by the league and a whole lot of drama in Knicksville.

But D'Antoni celebrated New Year's Day with Robinson back on the floor, where he will be again when the Knicks play host to the Pacers tonight.

"He's playing," D'Antoni said. "I'm not going to grasp straws. Once you start to go down that road, I'm going to go down that road for a while.

"We're going with him."

Robinson was subdued after practice yesterday, crediting God for his performance and saying his time on the bench has not changed the way he plays.

"It was a humbling experience," Robinson said. "You don't want to take for granted the job we have. We have the best job in the world.

"I'm going to continue to be myself and keep playing the way I play."

D'Antoni went to Robinson to revive his team's offense after the Knicks lost three of their last four before Friday.

"We needed an offensive spark because I thought we were sputtering the last four or five games," D'Antoni said. "It seemed like we were slipping.

"I knew he could give us that. I just hope that the intensity, the level of concentration on defense, all of that stays the same. If it does, then he becomes a real good player for us and that's what we need."

Does the coach think Robinson got his message during the benching?

"I don't even go that far," D'Antoni said.

Robinson was ready when called upon Friday night, and said he'll remain that way.

"I'll do whatever coach asks me to do," Robinson said. "I'll be ready if I play two seconds, three minutes, 30 minutes, whatever.

"I'll be ready."

Robinson's resurgence means Larry Hughes will now take a seat on the bench.

Hughes has struggled since returning from a groin injury, leading D'Antoni to turn back to Robinson.

"I just felt like we needed something else," D'Antoni said. "Before then, Larry kind of gave us that. He was hitting 30 sometimes, 25 sometimes with good defense. He was a big part of why we were 9-6 in the month of December. For whatever reason, when he came back from injury he was kind of sliding down.

"He was like 3-for-22 in the last five games."

D'Antoni said Robinson could be a key in helping the Knicks get back to the playoffs.

"I knew at some time I would go back [to him]," D'Antoni said. "He's too talented of a player not to try again. I knew supposedly it's all personal. Nothing's personal. It's how can we make the playoffs and that's what this year is about.

"I'm going to try everything we can."

***

Jonathan Bender (sore left leg) is expected to return tonight after missing Friday's game.

The Pacers, without injured star forward Danny Granger since Dec. 5, broke an eight-game losing streak last night with a 122-111 win over Minnesota.

Utah Jazz likely to add player by Tuesday

SALT LAKE CITY — General manager Kevin O'Connor on Saturday said the Jazz "probably would wait" until Tuesday before adding a 13th player, a requisite move prompted by last month's trade of backup point guard Eric Maynor and forward Matt Harpring's expiring contract.

Waiting until Tuesday, the NBA's deadline for Utah to add a 13th, would allow the Jazz to sign a player to a 10-day contract.

But the Jazz aren't necessarily locked into using the 10-day option, O'Connor suggested.

Rather, a trade is possible.

"I don't want to paint it like we're definitely gonna do that (10-day), because we're talking to some teams about other players," O'Connor said before Utah's home game against Denver.

The Jazz haven't decided for sure if they'll add a youngster or a veteran, either.

"It's gonna depend on some of the calls that you continue to get," he said. "But right now I don't have a preference."

If they do bring in a youngster, it's unlikely he'd see extensive action right away.

Because they have only two real point guards now — starter Deron Williams and backup Ronnie Price — adding either a point or a combo guard remains most likely for the Jazz.

Available guards under consideration include Dontell Jefferson of the Utah Flash, ex-Flash point Kevin Kruger (who had been, but no longer is, playing in Italy) and former Jazz guard Keith McLeod of the D-League's Albuquerque Thunderbirds.

No consideration was made to bringing in a 13th player for Saturday's game even though Williams missed the Jazz's morning shootaround with what the team called "stomach flu."

"He'd be probably more confused than we are," Sloan said when asked about the possibility.

"That'd probably be the biggest thing ... unless it's been somebody that's played with us or somebody that's been here and gone through training camp, because we play kind of out of a system."

KORVER BACK: After skipping the Jazz's two-game trip to Minnesota and Oklahoma City last week to rehab his surgically repaired but still bothersome left knee, reserve shooting guard Kyle Korver dressed Saturday.

"It's real hard to rehab on road," Korver said. "You're limited to the hotel, and a little bit of court time before the game. So I stayed here and worked out with the physical therapist for the team for a couple hours every day ... and I feel a lot better."

Not necessarily totally healthy, though.

"If I feel like I can be out there to play I want to try to help. I feel a responsibility to do that," said Korver, who since returning from Oct. 28 surgery to remove a bone spur — and before Saturday — has played four games, missed two, played one and missed two.

"At the time same time, I don't want to do this all season," Korver added. "But I feel like I'm at a point now where I can start playing, hopefully, every game — I don't know how much — and maybe things will change. I don't know. But I'm gonna try."

Korver clearly remains flustered.

"I thought I was gonna be great by now," he said. "It just hasn't happened like that, for whatever reason. And it's been frustrating. But I just want to keep on trying to play."

UPON FURTHER REVIEW: After finally seeing a replay of the foul call on Paul Millsap that led to Oklahoma City's one-point win over Utah on Thursday, Sloan was no more pleased than he was when it happened.

"I just thought (Millsap) got fouled when he got the ball in his possession, and it's one of those things," Sloan said Saturday. "They didn't see it, and they called it the other way."

Johnson starting to gain Del Negro's confidence

The Bulls have two rookies on their roster, forwards Taj Gibson and James Johnson, and they have followed different paths through the first third of their first season.

Gibson, 24, out of USC, worked his way into the starting lineup quickly when Tyrus Thomas got injured. He has started 18 games, averaging 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Johnson has played in 22 games but averages a little more than 10 minutes a game. Now, though, coach Vinny Del Negro's confidence in Johnson appears to be growing.

"He makes some mistakes, but his preparation is better, and he can do a lot of things off the dribble," Del Negro said of Johnson. "I try to give him a little feel for the game. He's a good kid with good intentions. He's just got growing pains."

Del Negro said it is inappropriate to compare Johnson to Gibson.

"Taj is a little bit older, and those two years he has on James from a developmental standpoint are huge," Del Negro said. "Taj is older than 24 in the way he plays.

"Taj's game is more in a box; you know what you are going to get on a consistent basis," he said. "James' game is a little looser. Taj has been a great surprise; I shouldn't say 'surprise,' but I didn't know I was going to play him as much as I have, and he has earned every minute of it."

Thomas helping: Tyrus Thomas had 6 points and 5 rebounds in 15 minutes Saturday and continues to play a key role as a reserve for the Bulls after coming back from a broken arm.

"The most pleasing thing about Tyrus is he has had an effect on games when he is not shooting well," coach Vinny Del Negro said before the game.

"Tyrus gives us a lot more energy," center Brad Miller said. "He's our highlight guy. He can make a big block and get the crow excited, and he gets us excited, too. It certainly helps having him back."

Boarding up: Playing the No. 1 defensive rebounding team in the league, and one of the top rebounding teams overall, the Bulls outrebounded the Magic 54-48.

Taj Gibson had 12, Luol Deng had 9 and Brad Miller had 8, while Joakim Noah, the No. 2 rebounder in the league, had an off night with 5 rebounds in only 18 minutes of action.

The game featured the top two rebounders in the league in Dwight Howard (13.3 boards per game) and Noah (12.5). But Noah is a better offensive rebounder, averaging 4.1 offensive boards to 3.6 for Howard.

Bobcats could face upheaval in 2010

Charlotte Bobcats head coach Larry Brown directs his team against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009.

Five 2010 predictions on the Charlotte Bobcats:

1. The team is finally sold: I hear Bob Johnson is serious again about selling the team. If that's so, then perhaps he's gotten realistic about what it's worth in this economy.

A lot of fans will rejoice at the prospect of Johnson's departure. Certainly he's made numerous miscalculations and gaffes. But anyone who thinks Johnson selling is a panacea is missing the real issue.

The Bobcats are well over the salary cap this season and will be again next season. Meanwhile, they're losing tens of millions annually. If you think new ownership will start spending like the Cavaliers or Lakers, while facing the same limited revenues, you're dreaming.

2. Larry Brown could be gone after this season: I sure hope this doesn't happen, because Brown has injected energy and hope into the place. They're a smarter, tougher team for his presence.

But he's close to the end of his career and he misses his family terribly, back in Philadelphia. I don't know that he wants to spend what time he has left in coaching presiding over a franchise treading water.

3. Boris Diaw will keep looking out of place: He is extremely smart, both in general and basketball-wise. And yet he still hasn't figured out how to impact games with the ball in his hands less.

Stephen Jackson's presence means Diaw functions less like a point forward than last season. He isn't finding other ways to help; over the six games prior to Saturday's trip to Miami, Diaw was averaging 10 minutes between rebounds. His 3-point shooting percentage has plummeted, from 41 percent last season to 30 percent this season.

The Bobcats brought him here because he's an unorthodox power forward. The Bobcats had the worst ball movement in the league, so Brown needed someone beyond Raymond Felton to initiate the offense.

Now the Bobcats need a more orthodox power forward. It's unrealistic to expect Diaw to be that guy.

4. Either Felton or D.J. Augustin is gone: I'm not saying in the next month or even next summer. But it seems highly unlikely the Bobcats will commit long-term to retaining both point guards.

The only way I could see the Bobcats affording them both is if Augustin continues to struggle so much his eventual free-agent market dries up. And if that happened, I'd think he'd want to get a fresh start somewhere else.

5. Gerald Wallace misses the All-Star Game: Of course he's good enough. Of course, the coaches (who select the reserves) should value the extraordinary effort Wallace provides night after night.

But there are too many high-quality forwards on Eastern teams with better records not to anticipate he'll be squeezed out of a 12-man roster.

After a Bout With Injury, Griffin Still Waiting to Contribute to Clippers

LOS ANGELES — The shot by Baron Davis didn’t even nick the rim, lest it take a typical Clippers bounce and kick out. Instead, it swished right through, a buzzer-beater that upended the Boston Celtics last week and momentarily allowed the Clippers to feel better about a season that will probably end where it often does — at the door to the N.B.A.’s draft lottery.

Still, even this moment, the highlight of the Clippers’ season, was tinged with the bittersweet. For amid the mini-mob scene, as Davis was engulfed by his happy teammates, it was easy to spot Blake Griffin, wearing a pinstriped suit instead of a Clippers jersey and still waiting to play his first minutes in the N.B.A.

Griffin’s participation in the postgame celebration amounted to the most meaningful moments he has spent on the court this season. The first pick in last June’s draft, he had excited the fans of a snakebitten franchise, but then he sustained a stress fracture in his left kneecap in the team’s final preseason game.

As a result, any shot at the playoffs may now be a pipe dream for the Clippers, who, as usual, find themselves hemmed in a Western Conference filled with talented teams. And the rookie-of-the-year chase is probably out of Griffin’s reach. What is left for Griffin is to make some kind of impact this season, maybe beginning in late January, even if it will not immediately turn around the Clippers (14-18).

None of this is new for the Clippers, whose home base at Staples Center is down the hall from the Lakers’ but far removed from their gleam. Each Clippers season is viewed as the one that may wash away the wounds of all those that came before it, but that never happens. In the last 30 years, the franchise has finished with a winning record only twice, cycling through coaches and players without end.

Not that long ago, the Clippers held hope that Elton Brand would rally them; instead, he sustained a torn Achilles’ tendon that cost him much of the 2007-8 season. As Brand departed for Philadelphia, Davis arrived from Golden State, cast as the new franchise-changer before proceeding to struggle in Coach Mike Dunleavy’s system. That left the 6-foot-10 Griffin as the next savior in line.

“With Blake, the thing about him that makes him so special is that he can play big against small teams,” said Dunleavy, who also serves as the franchise’s general manager. “He can guard the smaller guys, and we can pound it in against them. Against the bigger teams, he’s got the quickness to run the floor. He’s a great finisher. He’s a great passer.”

He has yet to do any of that in a game that counts, continuing the Clippers’ dubious luck with the draft. They missed twice on their previous No. 1 selections, taking Danny Manning in 1988 and Michael Olowokandi a decade later. Manning ripped up his knee in his rookie season, later became an All-Star with the Clippers but was traded without ever turning the team around. Olowokandi suffered from weight issues and indifference and eventually washed out of the league. Several other high draft selections did not provide the answer either.

In some ways, Griffin’s injury aligns perfectly with the past. Griffin, though, represents the future and separates himself from whatever misfortune that came before him. He has maintained a positive attitude throughout his setback and displayed it during an interview in Los Angeles last week.

“Take Greg Oden,” Griffin said, referring to the young Portland Trail Blazers center who was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft and has now sustained two serious knee injuries that are jeopardizing his career. “People didn’t say, ‘Well it’s Portland.’ No matter what happens here, people are going to say stuff like that because of what’s happened. It’s going to take a lot to change that view. I’m no different than any other guy that’s gotten hurt. It’s not like I came to this organization and now I’m not going to be able to play anymore.”

Griffin, who played at Oklahoma, was the consensus top selection in June. And if the draft were held again today, Griffin would probably still top most mock draft boards, injury or no injury. The Clippers have not been second-guessed about selecting Griffin — at least not yet.

The initial prognosis was that Griffin would miss about six weeks. But more than two months into the season, as Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans perform a tug of war as early rookie-of-the-year favorites, Griffin is not ready, although he has resumed basketball-related activities.

“It’s part of the basketball, it’s part of athletics, it’s part of life,” Griffin said of the slow rehabilitation process. “It’s not like I’m going to sit at home and sulk and be mad. You’ve just got to work through it and hopefully be better for it.”

As for Jennings and Evans, Griffin said he was happy for them.

“They’re doing what they love and they’re doing it well,” he said. “And that’s the way it should be. People get carried away a lot of the time with consensus this, consensus that. It’s up to how you play, and you don’t know until the season starts. Those guys are doing a great job.”

Griffin and the Clippers would probably never have been linked if they had not leapfrogged the Sacramento Kings and the Washington Wizards to win the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery. Dunleavy, who was overseas to scout point guard Ricky Rubio, booked a flight home the next day and immediately signaled that the organization would select Griffin. The Clippers held only one predraft workout, which was more of an introduction, inviting Griffin and the season-ticket fan base to convene at the team’s training center.

The Clippers also parted with the statistic-stuffer Zach Randolph for little more than salary-cap relief to create playing time for Griffin. And as Randolph pours in 20.2 points and 11.4 rebounds a game for the surprising Memphis Grizzlies, Dunleavy’s Griffin-less Clippers limp along.

“In a lot of their minds, having played in the preseason with Blake Griffin, they feel that once we get Blake back in the mix — our starters have performed really well against other team’s starters,” Dunleavy said.

But for now, Griffin can do little about that. His days are a blend of set shots, weight lifting, jogging and treatment before taking a customary seat behind the bench.

“The key,” he said, “is to just keep moving forward and not rushing.”

For the Clippers, not rushing is nearly ingrained in their team structure. They continually eye a better tomorrow, and Griffin’s debut.

Walt 'Clyde' Frazier to LeBron James: Come to New York and you'll really be King

Knicks legend Walt 'Clyde' Frazier says LeBron James can be as big as Kobe Bryant if he comes to New York to play for the Knicks.

Walt Frazier has a message for LeBron James:

If you sign with the Knicks in July, you can put yourself on the same level as Kobe Bryant.

"I think LeBron would gain in stature by coming to the Knicks," Frazier said. "I think if he signed with the Knicks, he'd be right up there with Kobe. By being in L.A. and playing for the Lakers and winning four titles already, I think Kobe is above LeBron. I think playing in L.A., in that market, does that for him. But I think coming to New York would help LeBron get to be on Kobe's level."

LeBron already thinks he's there, but perhaps the Knicks should allow Frazier to be part of their recruiting team when July 1 rolls around.

Frazier would also tell James that as great as he and Willis Reed were when the Knicks won their only two titles, in 1970 and 1973, LeBron would give New York one of the game's top two players for the first time.

As hard as it is to believe, given Reed and Frazier's iconic status, New York has never been home to the NBA's No. 1 player, except, Frazier argues, for 1970, the year that Reed was named MVP of the regular season and Finals.

"That year, Willis was the best player in the league, and he has the awards to show it," Frazier said. "As great as he was offensively for us, he was a terror on defense. I was allowed to wreak havoc because I knew I had him back there to block shots and be our last line of defense.

"But I never felt I was the best player in the game when I played; I always felt like I was among the best players at my position," said Frazier, a Hall of Famer and one of the NBA's Top 50 All-Time Greatest Players. "And when Willis and I were playing, you had Wilt (Chamberlain) and Bill Russell.

"I looked at them as the best players; those guys were invincible," Frazier said. "The year Wilt had in my rookie season, when he was still with Philly, was the best year I ever saw a player have. He proved to people he was more than just a scorer. And Russell was winning all of those titles with the Celtics. They were the best players. And then later, there was Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), with his skyhook."

Abdul-Jabbar won five MVP awards in a seven-year span (1971-77), with his final two coming after he was traded to the Lakers.

"He took over for Wilt and Russell as the league's best player," Frazier said.

The only other Knick who approaches Reed or Frazier in greatness was Patrick Ewing, another Hall of Famer and Top 50 selection.

But Ewing had the misfortune of playing in an era against three all-time icons, with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan collecting nine straight MVP awards, from 1984-92; and winning 14 of 19 NBA titles, from 1980-98.

As it is now, there are some nights when James is better than Bryant, something Frazier does not dispute.

"But if he were to play in New York, he'd be even bigger than he is now," Frazier said. "He'd enhance his position."

Frazier has been around throughout all these lean years, providing his entertaining analysis on Knicks telecasts. Now that the Knicks have the cap space to finally get a player of James' stature, he sees it as the best chance they'll ever have of importing one of the game's greats.

"You can't get that kind of player in a trade," Frazier noted. "Red Auerbach isn't around anymore. So there's no more stealin.' No more dupin.'"

Fine mess

The NBA came off looking small and petty by fining the Knicks' Nate Robinson $25,000 for comments his agent made. Officially, the trade demand by Aaron Goodwin was categorized as "public statements detrimental to the NBA."

When a player asks to be traded or has his agent do it, that's not a detriment to the NBA.

Since it's not covered by the collective bargaining agreement, we can see Robinson winning his appeal to have the fine rescinded. Not surprisingly, the fine caused a buzz with his peers.

"Nate said he didn't have anything to do with what was being said by his agent, and now he gets fined? Now I've seen it all," said the Nets' Rafer Alston. "You really can't control what the next person is going to say about your situation. That's where I support him, because he said he didn't have anything to do with what his agent said."

Even if Robinson did, since when is asking for a trade so heinous a crime that it merits a fine?

Lawrence's best and worst trades of the decade

Best

The Lakers steal Pau Gasol: They've already won one title, been to two Finals and can plan a few more championship celebrations with Gasol, acquired in 2008. The best part of the deal, other than giving up no one of consequence (Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie): It made Kobe Bryant happy and he's guaranteed to sign another long-term deal with L.A.

Another Celtics Heist: Boston should have retired Kevin McHale's number again after he sent Kevin Garnett to his old Celtic teammate, Danny Ainge, in 2007. The Celtics gave up a lot of "assets" - five players and two future No. 1 picks - but it didn't come close to adding up to what the Celtics got in return. After a 22-year drought, the storied franchise got to raise banner No. 17.

The Nets land Jason Kidd: Can one player change an entire team's losing culture? That's what Kidd managed to do once he came to the Nets in 2001 for Stephon Marbury. For the first time in their history, they went to two NBA Finals, in 2002 and 2003.

The Heat's Big Play: With Shaquille O'Neal on the block for the first time in his career, Pat Riley couldn't resist parting with Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant (and a No. 1 pick and second-rounder) to get Shaq in 2004. In his second season in Miami, Shaq made good on his guarantee that the Heat, which had never been as far as the Finals, would win the title.

The Pistons Get Big Ben: It looked bleak for Detroit when Grant Hill opted to do a sign-and-trade with the Magic in 2000. But given the chance to take Ben Wallace or John Amaechi, along with Chucky Atkins, the Pistons took Wallace. While Hill's career in Orlando was marred by serious ankle injuries, Wallace blossomed into a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, with the Pistons winning it all in 2004 and playing in seven straight Eastern Conference finals.

Worst

Marbury Comes Home: Isiah Thomas wanted to make a big splash, but his signature move for Stephon Marbury (below) a month into his tenure as Knicks president turned out to be a disaster. Handing the hometown product the keys to the franchise in 2004 spelled nothing but losing and trouble as the Knicks became the laughingstock of the NBA. What made it worse was that Thomas' move allowed Phoenix to clear cap space and land Steve Nash, who went on to win back-to-back MVPs in '05 and '06.

The Sonics Go Bust: After spending four decades in Seattle, the Sonics traded Seattle for Oklahoma City after the 2008 season. Despite being a huge part of the Seattle pro landscape, the Sonics could never get the new arena they desperately needed, and were moved by new owner Clay Bennett, an Oklahoma City-based businessman.

The T-Wolves' Folly: All because he did not want to help the Lakers, his one-time arch-rivals when he played in Boston, Minnesota GM Kevin McHale turned down a deal with L.A. that would have given him Lamar Odom and young center Andrew Bynum for Garnett.

The Knicks deal Ewing: By trading off one of their all-time greats for Glen Rice and four other players, and not merely letting him walk - to reduce their salary cap to help in rebuilding - the Knicks in 2000 set the tone for a decade of poor financial decisions.

No Answer in Detroit: Trying to continue their decade-long run as an East power, the Pistons made a major goof by trading Chauncey Billups in 2008 for Allen Iverson. In his first season in Denver, Billups led the Nuggets to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1985. Meanwhile, Iverson was nothing but trouble for doomed, first-time head coach Michael Curry and was finally sent home by the Pistons before the season even ended.

Ron Artest cleared for full practice with Lakers

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Ron Artest could rejoin the Los Angeles Lakers early this week after missing five games following a fall at his home on Christmas night.

Coach Phil Jackson said Sunday night that Artest has been cleared to practice without restrictions Monday. He went through a no-contact practice Saturday and participated in the team's shootaround before Sunday night's game against Dallas.

If Artest practices without problems, Jackson said he could return Tuesday night at home against his former team Houston.

"It's up to them," Artest said. "It's not comfortable, but you're never 100 percent. I got the staples out today. My head was swollen, so that's better."

Artest fell at home on Dec. 25, causing a concussion, a deep cut on his left elbow and a slight loss of memory.

Bosh passes Carter for Raptors all-time scoring lead

TORONTO (AP) -- Chris Bosh became the Toronto Raptors' highest career regular-season scorer when he drained a 16-foot jumper with 1:39 to go in the third quarter against San Antonio.

Bosh went into the game needing 14 points to tie Vince Carter's mark of nine-thousand-420 points.

His 16th point of the game gave the Raptors a 65-51 lead.

Bosh is already the team's all-time leader in offensive and defensive rebounds, as well was free throws made, free throws attempted, blocks and minutes.

Billups, Anthony to sit again against 76ers

DENVER (AP) -- The Denver Nuggets will be without their two leading scorers for the second straight night.

Chauncey Billups (left groin strain) and Carmelo Anthony (right knee contusion) will miss Sunday night's matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Billups injured his left groin against Houston on Dec. 16 and has missed six of the last seven games. He played the first half against Portland on Dec. 25 and scored 10 points in nearly 20 minutes.

Anthony, second in the NBA in scoring at 30 points a game, will miss his second straight game.

Despite not having either player Saturday night, the Nuggets beat the Jazz in Utah 105-95. Denver coach George Karl said Joey Graham will start in place of Anthony and Ty Lawson will start for Billups.

League Celtics rising stars

Celtics youth has made serious strides this season, and as such this team is going to make a major request once the voting for All-Star reserves commences among Eastern Conference coaches.

Rajon Rondo [stats]’s merits have become especially apparent. Should Ray Allen once again slip in as a last-minute addition to join his “Big Three” mates Paul Pierce [stats] and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics [team stats] could match a feat last posted by Detroit in the 2006 game, when four Pistons (Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace) made the cut.

But the talk on Causeway Street exceeds even this. Kendrick Perkins [stats], who has arguably made strides on a par with Rondo, is also All-Star worthy. And that’s not just a parochial sentiment.

“Perkins is certainly deserving,” Nets president Rod Thorn said. “He’s become one of the best, if not the best, defensive one-on-one centers in the league.”

Only Perkins’ timing is bad.

Not so long ago the Eastern Conference was considered a wasteland for quality pivot men. Then Dwight Howard appeared, and won the pole position almost by default.

The Orlando Superman probably isn’t going to be challenged any time soon, but gone is the time when a player like Perkins can have a breakout year and count on an All-Star call-up.

The field has filled out so well this year, Cleveland’s Shaquille O’Neal isn’t even part of the center discussion. Shaq’s only shot at his 13th All-Star berth is if extreme sentimentality takes over in the voting ranks.

There’s simply too much else to choose from, starting with Thorn’s own young star. Brook Lopez is third among league centers with an 18.8 scoring average, while also averaging 9.8 boards and 2.06 blocks per game.

These would have been resounding numbers two years ago.

But double-double and near-double-double averages have become the norm, as evidenced by players like the Knicks’ undersized David Lee (18.9 points per game, 11.0 rebounds per game), Chicago’s Joakim Noah (10.3 ppg, 12.2 rpg), Atlanta’s Al Horford (13.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg) and Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut (15.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg).

Brendan Haywood, a player absolutely no one is talking about, is putting together a career season with averages of 9.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.33 blocks. Toronto’s Andrea Bargnani, a center with very few inside skills, is fourth in the All-Star balloting with a 146,595 votes.

So as convincing as Perkins’ numbers (11.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.97 blocks per game and a .643 shooting percentage) may seem, his intangibles as a defender are still his greatest asset. And intangibles generally don’t translate into an All-Star weekend invitation.

But according to Thorn, Perkins does have one major advantage. He plays for one of the best teams in the land. On the other hand, Thorn took a look at his own team’s three-win season and didn’t hold out much hope for Lopez.

“He’s improved this year, and he’s going to end up as a 20-10 guy, which is pretty good,” Thorn said. “Very few can do that, but because of our record it’s going to be very difficult for anyone on our team to get recognition.

“Back when I worked in the league office, Matt Winick (then the league’s media relations director) and I counted (All-Star) votes, and the coaches almost always voted for players on winning teams. As far as stats go, Lopez should be on the team, but that’s probably not enough.

“If we had even won 10 games, I think (Lopez) would be a lock, but because we’ve only won three it’s a lot harder. There’s at least three other guys. David Lee is having a great year for the Knicks. Who puts up double-doubles like that guy? There’s Joakim Noah. I honestly don’t know who is going to make it.”

Darko taking out trash

No matter where he goes these days, Darko Milicic seems to be getting a lot of mileage out of trashing the NBA.

The 7-foot Serb, who was supposed to revolutionize the league as the second pick (by Detroit) of the 2003 draft, has announced he will return to Europe next season and gladly not look back.cw-2cw-2

Basically a Knick in uniform only (he sits near the end of Euro-friendly Mike D’Antoni’s rotation), Milicic is on his fourth team.cw0cw0

He failed to earn minutes on some great teams in Detroit, a not-so-great one in Memphis, a decent one in Orlando, and now the Knicks, who could use the help if Milicic was truly able to make a contribution.

Milicic has covered the spectrum in this league. But as he’ll tell anyone who will listen, halfway through his seventh season, no one has given him a chance.

Perhaps the most instructive number is his 17.0 career minutes average, which drops a little further each day, if the 8.9 minutes he’s averaging for D’Antoni is any indication.

But consider what Milicic told a Detroit reporter prior to a recent game against his old team when asked if he believed that the Pistons lied to him about his prospects.

“Yes they did,” he said. “They lie to everybody. It’s the NBA. The NBA, all around the league, same (thing). ‘Your chance is going to come’ (they say). All that kind of (garbage). (Forget) that. I’ve got enough of that kind of stuff, so I decided I’m going to Europe.

“I’ve got to be real. There is no team in the league that is going to give me the chance that I am looking for. My only chance is back in Europe. I’m going to do that. I want to be happy. I want to play.”

Milicic then gave what is probably the best indication of why he hasn’t made the grade in any of these places.

“The kind of player I am, I’m all-in or all-out,” he said. “I play with my heart. If I see things are not working well and I see people are lying to me, I’m all out. That’s it.”

And once the season ends, Milicic gets to quit again.

Coach Jim O’Brien appreciates calmness in Paul Pierce’s long-range resolve

From a statistical standpoint, Paul Pierce [stats]’s knee couldn’t have filled up with fluid at a more inconvenient time.

In the three games leading up to his 21-point, 4-for-15 oddity against Indiana on Dec. 22, the Celtics [team stats] captain had shot 10-for-12 from 3-point range, including a franchise record-tying 6-for-6 during a Dec. 20 win over Minnesota.

Indiana coach Jim O’Brien, who has as much perspective on Pierce as anyone, points to Pierce’s downtown efficiency and defense as his greatest improvements.

“I haven’t studied his statistics, but one thing -- look at what he’s done over the last (three) games from 3-point range,” said the former Celtics coach who rode Pierce to the 2002 Eastern Conference finals. “It’s a great situation to have strength inside, and Kevin Garnett at the power forward and Ray Allen and a jet quick point guard.

“At some point in time on defense you have to come off of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce at the 3-point line. The thing about Paul is that he’s more effective inside than from the 3-point line, and it’s hard to believe because he’s been so great from the 3-point line. He’s just a great, great scorer.”

This, of course, isn’t new to O’Brien.

Even when his Celtics teams had other threats like Antoine Walker, Rodney Rogers, Kenny Anderson and Eric Williams, there was no doubt about the primary option.

“He carried us even more than he has to carry this team, obviously, with Kevin, Ray Allen and Rondo,” O’Brien said. “He was able to put us on his back and basically score against anybody.

“I see the same thing now. I see a much more focused defensive player because the staff here really takes great pride in their defense, and I see that in him.

But he’s always been a very calm player from the standpoint of understanding what he has to do to help his team win.

“I don’t see a dramatic difference, other than that he always seemed to me, coming out of Kansas, to have a calmness to his game. He felt confident that he could score pretty much on anybody in any situation. He was just a rookie who had that viewpoint very early in his career.”

Glen Davis no baby anymore

A lot has happened on the Boston sports scene since the last time Glen Davis was struttin’ on the Garden parquet.

Let’s see: Mike Lowell was traded to the Texas Rangers . . . until the Rangers got a look at an X-ray of the third baseman’s thumb. Richard Seymour [stats] went to the Raiders. Phil Kessel [stats] went to the Maple Leafs. The Bruins [team stats] went to Fenway Park [map].

Celtics [team stats] co-owner Steve Pagliuca ran for the Senate.

But while it’s been a long time since the Artist Formerly Known as Big Baby last played at the Garden, we can all agree that, based on his performance in the depleted Celtics’ 103-96 victory over the Toronto Raptors last night, it was well worth the wait.

And, worth the weight: Though Davis is probably no lighter than he was at the end of last season, it’s clear that some of what he’s got has picked up stakes and moved from the belly to the chest. As for the thumb injury that had kept him on the sidelines until he was slowly integrated into the lineup during the Celtics’ recent road trip, it’s not so banged up anymore. Davis is back.

He logged just under 20 minutes last night, scoring 15 points. He did take a couple of shots from the outside as soon as he touched the ball, but, as Doc Rivers said later, “That’s not what he does. He goes out and he sets picks and he pops. Those are his shots. I thought after that he was absolutely fantastic.

“He did hit the wall a couple of times, but that’s fine. We don’t know what the minutes will be for him. We’ve just got to gauge fatigue, and sometimes that’s tough to see.”

Considering all the controversy over what landed him on the injured list in the first place, Davis has made a very quiet return to the Celtics. Remember all the calamity when he was first injured? He was, what, duking it out with a buddy? Inside a car? And hurt his thumb? When it happened, it sounded like something from The Three Stooges.

Yet to hear Davis talk, it’s as though that all happened three years ago, not three months ago.

“I’m glad to finally get out there and have a chance to play,” he said. “It’s been a while, and I felt kind of rusty. Real rusty.

“I’m glad I got a chance to play some on the road before this game,” he said. “It helped me pick up some rhythm and flow.

“Just to get out there and have a chance to run up and down again felt great. I’m trying to get my wind back. I feel stronger than I did a year ago, but I’m going to have to work to keep my cardio up.”

Does he still have that nice jump shot he picked up last year?

“I still have it,” he said, “but when you break your hand you have to re-train it. You have to re-invent it, just get that feeling back. You know, I’ve got tape on it. I just have to mentally get back in that mode.

“But right now, I don’t have to shoot from outside. I just have to keep working on it to develop it.”

Because of the goofy nature of the injury, coupled with all the lost time, Davis is more or less exactly where he was when he was first drafted by the Celtics: a work in progress.

Yes, it’s his third season. Yes, he has already played on a championship team. But, again, he’s starting over. That’s just the way it is: When you get into a fight with your buddy, and hurt your thumb doing so, and fall out of the car as the police arrive, you have to start over.

When he stepped onto the court last night, a lot of fans were yelling, “Welcome back, Big Baby.” But it was Celtics [team stats] co-owner Wyc Grousbeck who said that maybe it’s time we stopped addressing Davis as “Big Baby,” and that’s not an unreasonable request.

Big Baby can be an entertaining, fun-loving guy. But what the Celtics need is Glen Davis. And for most of his 19-plus minutes last night, that was Glen Davis on the court.

Damage control: Paul Pierce plays it safe with planning return

Paul Pierce believes that his return to action is near, but after his ordeal of the last week, the Celtics [team stats] captain wants to be absolutely certain of his recovery from two surgeries to drain an infection in his left knee.

“At this point it’s all in my pain threshold,” Pierce, who yesterday jumped rope and rode an exercise bicycle for the first time since the issues arose, said of not worrying about further damage to the knee. “No ligament damage, no tear. The swelling is going down every day. I measure it every day, ice it, keep my leg strong. . . . Right now I can’t bend it all the way back when I want to, but when I can I’ll probably be able to play.

“Of course you want to play, but you don’t want to be dumb. You have to pay attention to the longevity of it. I want to get out there when I’m feeling better and healthy.”

Pierce plans to accompany the team on its next road trip, a two-game jaunt that starts Wednesday in Miami and ends Friday in Atlanta, and also hopes to play in the opener against the Heat. But the ordeal of the last week has redefined time for Pierce, who after rushing to the hospital the morning after a Dec. 22 game against Indiana had to return on Christmas for a second procedure.

“All day actually,” Pierce said of the initial visit. “I was supposed to spend the night. But then the next three or four days I had to go back. First time they drained it, but then Friday morning I woke up (and) it was swelled up again. Then they found the infection, and I had to have surgery again - so I had two surgeries, actually. When I talked to the doctor, he mentioned that I had 40,000 white blood cells, so it had to be fighting something. On Friday, the white blood cells went down, which means the healing started.

Pierce felt fine immediately following the Pacers game.

“I got home, sat back relaxing, and then I felt a slight pain in my knee,” he said. “Over a 10- or 15-minute period it just got worse and worse, from sore to bad to extreme. It was crazy. That’s when I called Eddie (Lacerte, the team trainer) at 1:30 in the morning, and he knows I never call him. So he came over to the house, and we went to the hospital that morning. (The) infection somehow got into the leg. I got a cut on my toe from the locker room and it could have been that, but I have no idea.

“You’ve got severe pain in your knee and you’re watching it swell up, that’s not normal. . . . But you have things like this, you have to be positive. There are people far worse off than I am on Christmas day. I’m still alive and in a good situation.”

Sheed T-akes over

Rasheed Wallace, courtesy of a double technical foul in the first quarter of last night’s 103-96 win against the Toronto Raptors after an entanglement with Hedo Turkoglu, moved back into first place in the league with 11 techs. Wallace had been tied with teammate Kendrick Perkins [stats].

“That was some B.S.,” Wallace said. “We both went up for a rebound (and got tangled up). He swung his arm and hit me in the chest. If anything, it should be a double foul. I know why they did it, but I ain’t even tripping on it.”

Perkins, who is appealing his two most recent techs, talked Friday with NBA discipline czar Stu Jackson. The league has yet to announce a decision on the appeal.

“I think we’ll get something accomplished,” Perkins said.

Doc takes aim

Reports of gunplay in the Washington Wizards locker room between Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton left Celtics coach Doc Rivers shaking his head.

“I heard that and said, ‘Wow, that’s a new one,’ ” Rivers said. “The league has changed. The sad thing is our league is phenomenal, we have a bunch of great guys, and every time something like this happens it puts a black mark on our league.

“I still don’t get the gun thing, period. What the hell do you need a gun for. I guess we’re in the wild, wild West now.”

After latest episode involving guns, it's clear Wizards' Gilbert Arenas is his own worst enemy

Gilbert Arenas has an enemy in the Washington Wizards' locker room, undermining his confidence, questioning his on-court decisions and confusing his off-court behavior.

That enemy is not Javaris Crittenton. That enemy is Gilbert Arenas.

To a degree, this has been the case since Arenas joined the Wizards in 2003, but it's never been more apparent than this season. Since his return from nearly two years out of the league due to injuries, Arenas has struggled on and off the court.

Arenas's problems seemed to reach their nadir on Christmas eve, when it was learned that Arenas had brought firearms -- plural -- into the Wizards' locker room at Verizon Center. The action is being investigated by the NBA and local authorities, the Wizards said. Could things get worse?

Yes. Now come reports from the New York Post and Yahoo Sports that Arenas and his 22-year-old teammate, Crittenton, both had guns in the locker room because of a dispute, like two idiots in an Old West saloon.

Terrific.

As far as we know, this situation is unprecedented in sports -- and that in itself is saying something -- but if anyone was going to set a new standard, it was Arenas. His reliance on alter egos -- Agent Zero, Hibachi, what have you -- has always been seen as an amusing affectation. But the addition of Gilbert the Kid is not the slightest bit funny.

When he was healthy and in NBA shape, Arenas made the cast of characters in his head work for him. But two years away from the game is a long, long time. While Arenas's scoring numbers are fine -- 22.7 points a game, exactly matching his career average -- his running of the floor is not. The Wizards are out of sync, in part due to Arenas's self-confessed obsession with assists this season. His stated reason: He wants to be labeled a point guard. Sadly, that's not the label that's going to stick this season.

Arenas's attitude profoundly affects the Wizards' game, not the least because Arenas is clearly keeping a scoresheet in his head the entire game. It also affects ball distribution: If Arenas doesn't think a teammate can score, that teammate is less likely to get a pass, because Arenas is less likely to get the assist. That's not the hallmark of a floor leader, and it's certainly not going to win him any friends among his teammates.

Neither, of course, is coming strapped into the locker room.

It's been clear since the beginning of the season that Arenas is confused, even troubled. He declared that he would no longer talk to the media. That didn't last. He declared that Agent Zero and Hibachi were dead. That didn't last. He declared he wouldn't Twitter. That didn't last. He calls out his teammates with vague insults such as "The players who care are frustrated. The players who don't, don't care." He made remarks about fellow captain Caron Butler after one practice that led Butler to call him and demand an explanation. Once, his veiled references to "hidden agendas" among his teammates during a postgame interview led Brendan Haywood to sing Beyonce's "Ego" in the background.

He has long seemed to crave attention, and he's about to get his wish, from the D.C. police, the feds, the media, his teammates, opponents and fans. Road games are about to become very interesting for Arenas, and of course for his teammates.

Despite a $78.2 million payroll, the Wizards are 10-20. Their 54-year-old coach told the media earlier this week that he could score on his own players, so dreadful was their defense. And their gun-toting guard, still owed $96 million, just became untradable. On the first day of the New Year, their season may actually be over.

Meanwhile, they are content to let the investigations play out, issuing their standard statement: "The Washington Wizards 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."

Of course, Arenas and Crittenton are innocent until proven guilty. But let me get this straight: Late owner Abe Pollin dumped the Bullets name because of his concern over gun violence. Yet the franchise can't at least declare, "The Washington Wizards believe the presence of firearms in the workplace is a bad, bad idea"?

The new owner will have his work cut out for him. Ted Leonsis engineered the rebuilding of the Capitals, but of course the NBA is a different kettle of fish: fewer players, bigger contracts, less flexibility. I do think, however, he will have no patience for this kind of shenanigans. The players' union would likely have kittens if Leonsis tried to void Arenas's contract -- but that's a legal fight I'd like to see. After all, a dozen other union members also use that locker room, probably with the expectation of no gunfire.

Until the investigations have played out, however, there are 96 million reasons that Arenas, in all his incarnations, will remain a Wizard. Fans, however, will likely find fewer reasons to continue to support this troubled team.

Robinson, back in lineup after 14-game ban, scores 41 points

ATLANTA -- It was one of the most remarkable, dramatic performances under adversity in Knicks history. Nate Robinson made Hotlanta hotter than it ever has been on New Year's.

Robinson waited 14 games, a full month, to unleash his fury on the court. He did so last night on the Hawks in a stunning return -- a LeBron James-esque performance that ushered in a new decade and sparked a magical New Year's night.

Escaping Mike D'Antoni's doghouse, Robinson, scoring every which way, from put-backs to scooping layups to 3-pointers to pull-ups, poured in 41 points in 38 minutes to will the Knicks to a thrilling 112-108 overtime victory at Philips Arena.

PHOTOS: NATE HELPS KNICKS BEAT HAWKS

In rallying the Knicks from a 15-point, early fourth-quarter deficit, Robinson's performance raised the debate on whether his exile was too severe. Perhaps D'Antoni should be fined $25,000 for benching Robinson 14 straight games.

"I wanted the world to see I can still play the game of basketball," said Robinson, who was fined $25,000 for his agent publicly requesting a trade. "It's a new year, new start and I'm not looking back."

And neither is D'Antoni, who acknowledged "Nategate" is over after Robinson scored 19 of the Knicks' last 21 points. Robinson made 18 of 24 baskets, killing Atlanta from the outside in the first half and on drives in the second half. Robinson tied his own franchise record for most points by a reserve in a game.

"Obviously, he had a lot of pent-up emotions," said D'Antoni, who leaked he was likely going to play Robinson at yesterday's morning shootaround. "And it all came out. He played great and now we have to concentrate on winning."

Asked if he had any regrets about the month, D'Antoni said: "I can't see what would've happened if I didn't do it. When I did it, we were struggling, we had as good a month as we had in eight years. Would we have had a better month? I don't know, but we're going forward."

Going forward with Mr. Robinson, who will make his Garden return tomorrow against Indiana. The casualty for now is Larry Hughes, a DNP.

"We've seen this a lot of times," D'Antoni said. "Thank goodness the new year brought a new solution. We had a great month. Maybe we'll have a better January."

Asked what the exile taught him, Robinson said, "It taught me a lot how to be humble. We have the best job in the world and not to take it for granted."

Robinson entered with 3:01 left in the first quarter after D'Antoni called timeout and chewed out the players as they trailed 20-11. Robinson didn't realize D'Antoni wanted him in the game, mistaking the call for "Nate" with "Dave."

"He's got that accent and I thought he said Dave and my teammates said, 'You're in,' " Robinson said. "I got nervous, butterflies and my stomach got sick."

None of it showed. He was effective immediately. Robinson missed his first shot -- a 3-pointer that rimmed out. But the Knicks got the offensive rebound and Robinson scored on an offensive put-back, his first points since late November in his first action since Dec. 1 against Phoenix.

Robinson saved his best for the end, catching fire in the fourth quarter and into overtime. Robinson scored 11 points in OT, making 4 of 5 baskets, driving around all Hawks defenders, including Mike Bibby and his buddy Jamal Crawford, who hugged him at the final buzzer.

Robinson sealed it in OT when he scored high off the glass on a layup, completing a 3-point play to break a tie and give the Knicks the lead for good at 108-105 with 2:09 left.

Robinson's teammates fully embraced this magical night -- chest-bumping and high-fiving him across this torrid late stretch. When Robinson hit a 3-pointer from up top with 1:33 left, making it 111-105, several players poured of the bench and onto the court to chest-bump Robinson, led by Chris Duhon and David Lee.

"I have nothing but happiness for him," Lee said. "I'm happy he was able to get his moment after being out so long."

Hawks file official appeal to NBA over shot-clock blunder: Cavaliers Insider

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The Atlanta Hawks want a re-do.

On Friday they filed a formal protest with the NBA office requesting a review of the Cavaliers' 106-101 victory Wednesday night, a league spokesman confirmed. The Hawks want the final 1:56 of the game re-played because they believe a shot clock error limited a key late-game possession.

On the play, guard Mo Williams missed a jumper off the side of the backboard and the Hawks got the rebound and started a possession but the shot clock did not re-start to 24 seconds as it should have. The Hawks instead had about 14 seconds to shoot. With five seconds left, LeBron James stripped Josh Smith for a steal.

Getting a protest upheld is extremely rare in the NBA. Two years ago, the NBA upheld one for the first time since 1982, ironically involving the Hawks and current Cavs center Shaquille O'Neal. The final 51 seconds of a Hawks-Heat game was re-played after O'Neal had been incorrectly disqualified.

The Cavs now have five business days to reply to the protest and then the league will rule.

The Cavs' defense likely will be the Hawks' possession resulted in a turnover and was not impacted by the shot clock. In fact, on the play the Hawks didn't even seem to be in a hurry though later coach Mike Woodson said it caused his team to hurry.

The burden would be on the Hawks to prove the mistake caused irreparable harm.

As long as the league is looking at the fourth quarter, the Cavs may want a review of a Daniel Gibson jumper with 9:40 left. Gibson was credited with two points on the play but replays indicated Gibson may have been behind the 3-point line.

The NBA is already reviewing a protest filed by Dallas Mavericks in a game against the Houston Rockets last month. That protest, like the Hawks', both seem unlikely to be upheld based on how the league has handled such matters.

Net results: Count coach Mike Brown among those surprised to see the Nets with the worst record in the league at 3-29.

"They have some talent," Brown said. "A lot of it is young talent. When you get into a cycle of losing, it can be hard to overcome. You can play a whale of a game for 45 minutes, but if you've lost enough, now it becomes a psychological thing towards the end of ball games.

"People will laugh at me when I say this, but they're a good team. They have some pretty good talents -- Devin Harris and Courtney Lee and [Brook] Lopez to start, and they have some veterans to help out. ... They're going to have a chance. They just have to get over the hurdle of not letting losses affect them late in ball games.

"Hopefully, they don't get to that point quite late. I hope they wait a couple days."

All-Star update: James is the top vote-getter in the Eastern Conference after the latest returns of All-Star balloting announced on Thursday. James had 1,579,530 votes.

Kobe Bryant, a three-time All-Star MVP who shared the award with Shaquille O'Neal last year, is the overall leader with 1,606,032 votes.

O'Neal ranks second among the Eastern Conference centers, with 536,681 votes compared to 1,479,625 for Orlando's Dwight Howard.

The 2010 NBA All-Star Game will be played Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Paper balloting will continue through Jan. 10, while wireless balloting and voting on NBA.com will conclude Jan. 18.

Updated results will be issued regularly leading up to the announcement of the All-Star starters on Jan. 21. After the starters are determined, the head coaches in each conference will vote to determine the remaining All-Stars in their respective conferences. The reserves will be announced Jan. 28.

Hayes expected to return tonight

When Yi Jianlian returned from injury four games ago, interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe said he would play Yi a few minutes, "not like 30 or anything." Yi played 30 minutes and scored 22 points.

Chris Douglas-Roberts came back from a three-game injury absence on Wednesday night and Vandeweghe said he didn't want to play him a lot of minutes. Douglas-Roberts played 37 minutes and scored 17 points in a 104-95 win over the Knicks.

Next up is Jarvis Hayes, who has been out since tearing his left hamstring on opening night.

"I talked to Kiki earlier in the week," Hayes said. "Maybe three-, four-minute spurts and just see how it goes. Obviously not 30, 40 minutes."

So pencil him in for 35 minutes against LeBron James and the Cavaliers today.

Getting Hayes back -- Josh Boone, who has been out for two games because of a sore left knee, also returns -- makes the Nets as whole as they have been all season. Hayes was the Nets' most reliable reserve last season and he gives them another perimeter threat to stretch the defense.

* Rafer Alston said that when he sat Wednesday night against the Knicks despite good health, it was the first time that happened in eight years. But Alston said he understood that Vandeweghe is searching for working combinations.

"I was OK. Kiki told me he was trying different lineups, wanted to give some guys more of an extended look, more minutes," Alston said. "With our record the way it is, I understand."

* Devin Harris on getting the team whole (they had 13 players in uniform against Knicks): "It was great. It lifts your spirits up when you have 13 bodies in uniform. We have all our weapons and guys are playing together. We rebounded and ran. Those are the things we can do, but we have to show it more than just a game here and there."

* Vandeweghe said he prefers a shorter rotation -- he used eight against the Knicks. But he stressed that it will depend on opponent and matchups.

"To me, the optimal thing is certainly a shorter rotation. Against different teams, you're going to play 10 guys, 11 guys. But your main guys, you like to keep on the floor and keep on the floor together," Vandeweghe said. "Especially for us, because they haven't been together much, so the longer they can get together quicker, the better off we'll be."

Gomes out of Timberwolves' lineup for now

The Orlando Magic showed Friday night why three-point shooting, considered a risky offensive strategy by some NBA coaches, is one of the reasons the team has the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Orlando (24-8) raised its league-leading made three-pointers to 335 after draining 15 against the Timberwolves to spark a 106-94 victory at Target Center.

The Magic, who shot 15 of 37 from three-point range Friday night, average 10.4 made three-pointers. Seventeen three-pointers is the season high for the Magic, who reached that milestone Nov. 1 at Toronto.

"We have a different philosophy on three-point shooting," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Some people say we shoot too many threes and that style of play can't win championships. We happen to have the combination you need to be a good three-point shooting team...good shooters and a strong low-post presence."

The Magic have all-star center Dwight Howard (17.4 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.52 blocked shots) to help open up opportunities for teammates.

Forward Rashard Lewis leads the Magic with 61 made three-pointers. Five other players have hit 40 or more, including Vince Carter (46), Michael Pietrus (50), Ryan Anderson (45), J.J. Redick (43) and Jason Williams (42).

Gomes remains a reserve: Wolves forward Ryan Gomes will have to adjust to coming off the bench for awhile — or at least until coach Kurt Rambis has a notion to make a lineup change.

Rambis has started Damien Wilkins at small forward since Gomes went down with a high left ankle sprain on Dec. 12 at Sacramento. Gomes had started the Wolves' first 24 games before the injury.

"I like the way we're going right now," Rambis said of staying with Wilkins.

Wilkins made his sixth consecutive start Friday night but struggled with two points on 1 for 9 shooting in 28 minutes. Gomes, who returned to the lineup for the Wolves' Dec. 26 game against Washington, had seven points on 3 for 8 shooting in 20 minutes. His best game since returning was against Utah on Wednesday when he had 11 points and two rebounds in 21 minutes.

Tucker still waiting: Guard Alando Tucker, acquired in a trade with Phoenix on Tuesday, was inactive Friday night. Rambis said Tucker needs more practice time.

Tucker is not expected to play in tonight's game at Indiana. He will have more practice opportunities next week with the Wolves home all next week.

Briefly: Wolves forward Kevin Love posted his 11th consecutive double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. His eight offensive rebounds was one shy of his single-game career-high.

Jonny Flynn's four three-pointers was the most by a Wolves player this season.

Cavaliers' Gibson is 'odd man out'

CLEVELAND: It has been a case of now you see him, now you don't for Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson this season. The 6-foot-1 Gibson, who hit a single, yet pivotal shot against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night, has become a victim of a deep bench and the numbers game associated with it.

Gibson, who ranks second in the league in 3-point shooting, has watched consistent playing time evolve into being called on less and less. During the Los Angeles Lakers game last week, he received the dreaded ''coach's decision — did not play'' on his stat line.

''[Gibson] is a guy who should play a lot of minutes. It's hard for me to play six perimeter guys and four big guys,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ''If I try to do that, the minutes are going to be disjointed and it would be hard to get a rhythm.''

One of those perimeter players is Delonte West, who has slowly worked his way back into Brown's rotation after dealing with personal issues. In the meantime, Gibson has to do what's expected of bench players.

''There's going to be an odd man out. It just happens to be [Gibson],'' Brown said. ''But. . .not only is he a terrific guy, but he's a pro and he keeps himself ready. And when he came out on the floor [Wednesday], it's a big shot he made at that time [cutting the Hawks' lead to two points]. It gave us great momentum.''

No protest, yet

The Hawks left Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday planning to protest to the league over an error in the shot clock. With about two minutes left in the game and the Hawks ahead by one, Cavs point guard Mo Williams missed a shot. The Hawks rebounded, but the shot clock didn't reset properly, denying them the allotted 24 seconds.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson said they would lodge a protest with the league, but as of early afternoon Thursday, they hadn't. A league spokesman said it would investigate should there be a protest.

A quick payoff

A 3-point shot clinched the sixth victory in a row for the Cavs on Wednesday but it certainly came from an unexpected source in forward Anderson Varejao.

It was his first 3-point basket in 19 attempts in his career and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time, with the Cavs and Hawks tied and 17.2 seconds left in the game.

Varejao, LeBron James and Brown all joked that the play to Varejao was the plan all along. What few realize is that the Cavs forward, along with center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and former Cavalier Joe Smith, all used to practice the shot when John Kuester was an assistant with the Cavs.

''You just worry that he'll fall in love with that shot,'' Brown said.

Birthday celebration

James' 48 points Wednesday on his 25th birthday were the third most scored by a player on his birthday. He came close to second-place holder Dominique Wilkins, who had 53 points on his birthday on Jan. 12, 1987. James didn't come close to the record held by teammate Shaquille O'Neal, who scored 61 points on his birthday on March 6, 2000.

James, however, does have the highest point average for games played on his birthday, with 35.3 points in four games.

All-Star results

James continues to lead the Eastern Conference in votes for the NBA All-Star Game and ranks second only to Kobe Bryant of the Lakers in overall balloting.

James has 1,579,530 and Bryant enjoys a relatively slim lead with 1,606,032.

James leads all of the East's forwards and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat leads the conference's guards. The top center in the East: Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, followed by O'Neal.

The All-Star Game will be played in Dallas at the new Cowboys Stadium on Valentine's Day.

Cavaliers push win streak to 7

LeBron James scores 28 points yesterday against the Nets.

LeBron James had 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New Jersey Nets, 94-86, yesterday in East Rutherford, N.J.

It was the Cavs’ seventh straight victory.

Mo Williams added 18 points for the Cavaliers, who have won 12-of-13. They have defeated some of the NBA’s top teams during their winning streak, but struggled against the league’s worst for much of this game, leading by only four with 4 minutes left.

Spurs 97, Wizards 86 - Tim Duncan scored 23 points and reserve Roger Mason Jr. added a season-high 20 to lead San Antonio to its fifth straight victory, this time against host Washington.

Tony Parker had 12 points for the Spurs, whose winning streak matches a season high.

Bulls 101, Magic 93 - Derrick Rose scored 30 points to lead five players in double figures and help Chicago to its season-high fourth straight win against visiting Orlando.

Hornets 99, Rockets 95 - Chris Paul had 28 points and nine assists and host New Orleans closed the game against Houston on a 13-2 run.

Bobcats 107, Heat 97 - Stephen Jackson scored 13 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, D.J. Augustin added all 13 of his in the final 11 minutes and Charlotte won a road game for just the second time this season in Miami.

Jackson shot 11-of-20 from the floor and added eight rebounds for Charlotte, which erased an early 19-point deficit and improved to 2-14 away from home.

Pacers 122, Timberwolves 111 - At Indianapolis, Roy Hibbert and Luther Head each scored 21 points to help Indiana snap an eight-game losing streak against visiting Minnesota.

Bucks 103, Thunder 97 - Michael Redd scored six of his 27 points in overtime to help host Milwaukee snap a four-game losing streak with a victory over Oklahoma City.

The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Oklahoma City.

Nuggets 105, Jazz 95 - Ty Lawson had 23 points and nine assists and Denver ended a three-game losing streak despite playing without injured stars Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, beating Utah in Salt Lake City.

Grizzlies 128, Suns 103 - O.J. Mayo had 25 points, reserve Sam Young added a career-high 22 and Memphis scored its most lopsided victory of the season, beating the host Phoenix.

Mavericks 99, Kings 91 - Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points to lead visiting Dallas to a win over struggling Sacramento.

Jose Barea scored 17 points for Dallas, which has won three-of-four.

Trail Blazers 105, Warriors 89 - Brandon Roy pumped in 37 points for host Portland against Golden State.

Monta Ellis had a team-best 30 points for the Warriors.

Miles acknowledges confidence has become problem

SALT LAKE CITY — Small forward C.J. Miles started last Thursday for the Jazz, as he has for the past five games since reclaiming his starting job following preseason thumb surgery.

But he didn't finish in a one-point loss to Oklahoma City, instead watching while subs Ronnie Price, Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap and rookie Wesley Matthews all played five-plus minutes in the fourth quarter.

Afterward, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was blunt as can be when asked about Miles' 1-for-5 field-goal shooting and – in essence – why he sat.

Confidence issues evidently continue to plague the 22-year-old fifth-season pro.

"He gets down on himself so easily," Sloan said. "He feels like the world's against him. Well, you know, when you play in (the NBA) there's 29 teams against you.

"But you have to sometimes compete against your own teammates to get a job, and that's the tough part of this business. You've got to learn how to do that."

Miles acknowledged confidence woes have been "a little bit" problematic.

"Of course shooting the ball has a lot to do with confidence, and having a couple bad games, you press a little bit," he said.

"I had a decent one (Wednesday at Minnesota, hitting 6-of-12), and was kind of feeling good. And then I was shooting the ball (Thursday) the same way I was (Wednesday). I even came on the early bus (to the arena) to get extra shots, just to make sure I could get all the kinks out. And I shoot it fine. Then I get in the game and shoot it the same way, and it just wouldn't go in.

"So," Miles added, "I've just got to find more ways to make the game a little bit easier on myself."

Miles doesn't think the inconsistency is related to a wrap he's wearing following surgery to repair a ruptured shooting-thumb ligament.

"Because I shot as good as I've ever shot before with it," he said. "It's not like I'm missing bad. I'm right there. It just won't go in."

COMPETING LIKE CRAZY: Regarding Price and Matthews, who both had a rare chance to play all or most of the fourth, Sloan said, "They gave us some life, gave us some energy. It looked like they wanted to compete like crazy."

Like Miles, starting shooting guard Ronnie Brewer also sat all of the fourth.

And starting power forward Carlos Boozer was limited to less than five minutes in the period, even without foul trouble.

"We had moments it looked like we didn't think we could win, didn't believe we could win. Then somebody else would pick it up and fight back," Sloan said. "That's why you've got to stay after it and give yourself a chance – and that's how you learn to be good, rather than just put numbers up."

DEADLINE LOOMING: If Matthews remains on the roster through the end of business Wednesday, his $457,588 salary for the season becomes fully guaranteed.

There's ample reason to suspect he'll be retained, as his salary is payroll friendly and - even after losing his starting job to Miles on a pre-Christmas trip - he's been a part of Sloan's regular rotation most of the season.

Others whose season salary becomes fully guaranteed if they make it through Wednesday's deadline include ex-Jazz big man Jarron Collins (expected to be retained by Phoenix at $1,181,803) and former Jazz guard Carlos Arroyo (making $1,107,572 if Miami keeps him).

NEUTRAL OPINION: He has no known bias.

But TNT analyst Charles Barkley did have a pointed opinion on the foul rookie referee Kane Fitzgerald called against Millsap in Oklahoma City, leading to Nick Collison's winning free throws with 4.5 seconds remaining.

"That's a terrible call," Barkley said.

"The players need to decide the game. I don't think you can make that call."

TWEET TWEET: Jazz point guard Deron Williams is passing the buck on fielding Twitter complaints.

Tweeted Williams from Oklahoma City: "Just landed in OKC. ... Follow @GregInUtah CEO of the jazz! He needs some followers and u can vent to him instead of me ; )" That's right: Jazz CEO/auto dealership boss Greg Miller now has a Twitter account, GregInUtah.

Recent entries include direct quotes from Sloan's locker room halftime talk with his team, tales of a cross-country drive this week and this Christmas Eve dandy: "I dropped my van off at our Ford store for service earlier today and they loaned me a Taurus. This car is amazing."

Redd still isn't in sync

Michael Redd never thought he would simply jump back into the lineup and start scoring 25 points a game.

The Milwaukee Bucks guard knew he had work to do after suffering different injuries to his left knee during the past year, including anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament tears that required major surgery in March. Then he strained the patella tendon in the same knee in the home opener Oct. 31, providing a fresh setback.

But the 10-year veteran never thought it would be like this, either.

"I've been in funks before, but this is a little different," Redd said. "I'll find my way out of it."

Redd is hoping 2010 will prove to be the year he returns to health and is able to play again at a high level. The Bucks desperately need him to do it, and at age 30 he faces a critical time in his career.

He has seemed slow and often tentative on the court since returning from the patella injury Dec. 12. Redd has played in the last nine games and been up and down, with the highlights being a 25-point night against the Los Angeles Lakers and a 32-point effort against Washington.

But in the last three games he has hit just 5 of 25 shots, including a 3-for-12 outing against Orlando in the Bucks' 117-92 loss Wednesday night.

"I hate to put any excuses on it," Redd said. "We all know what I came back from. I'll keep fighting; I won't dwell on the negative.

"I've just got to keep playing, keep playing, keep playing, and it will click. My confidence is never hurt. I have to stay in the gym, work my way out of it. And in the games I have to continue to find my way through our offense."

The problem for the slumping Bucks is they need a productive Redd to stem their current slide. They have lost seven of their last eight games entering Saturday night's home game against Oklahoma City.

They have fallen to 4-15 after opening the season 8-3.

"It's a little bit foolish (to think) that he would just seamlessly come back," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "We have to have some patience. At the same time though, we're 4-15.

"Michael is healthy now but he has missed a lot of games the last couple years. Each step, hopefully he can figure out who he's out there with and what guys can do, and we can pick up the pace with that."

Redd is adjusting to a number of new teammates, including point guard Brandon Jennings and forwards Ersan Ilyasova, Carlos Delfino and Hakim Warrick.

Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said he saw some of the same transition pains when Magic forward Rashard Lewis returned from a 10-game suspension at the start of the season. Magic point guard Jameer Nelson also is struggling now after missing time earlier this season with a knee injury.

"It's hard enough to come back off the injury, but now you're coming back and playing with guys you haven't played a lot with, Jennings and Ilyasova," Van Gundy said. "It's not an easy thing, no question about it."

Van Gundy always has admired Redd's ability and believes he can overcome the injuries that have plagued him since he competed for the U.S. team in the 2008 Olympics.

Redd also missed 14 games in November 2008 with a right ankle sprain, before he suffered the major knee injury in a home game against Sacramento on Jan. 24, 2009.

"You just need playing time and repetition," Van Gundy said. "I see Michael Redd being very, very aggressive, looking to score. You can tell he's trying to get his game going. At some point, he will and he'll be back to the Michael Redd of old."

One element Redd brings is an ability to attack off the dribble and draw fouls. He set a career-best mark by going 15 for 15 at the line against Washington on Dec. 23.

"We need to get to the line, and he's one guy who can get to the free-throw line for us," Skiles said.

"But we need him to step up and make open shots. He's not the only one. We're getting plenty of open looks. We have to be a much better shooting team than we are right now."

Complicating the situation is Redd's six-year contract, which has one year remaining. Redd has a player option worth $18 million for the 2010-'11 season, which could make it more difficult for Milwaukee to make him part of a trade.

But Redd's focus right now is on emerging from his self-proclaimed funk. He is averaging 11.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 14 games, including eight starts, while shooting 32.9% overall, 26.1% from three-point range and 69.8% from the free-throw line. His field-goal percentage is far below his career mark of 45.2% entering this season, and he also lags behind his three-point career mark (38.6%) and free-throw percentage (84.3%).

"I'm out of sync right now," Redd said. "I've got to get going.

"I just have to make simple plays but don't force it. Be aggressive. I'm just trying to find my way."

BUCKS VS. THUNDER:

7:30 p.m. Saturday

at the Bradley Center (FSWis)