Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Nets buy out Alston; acquire Quinn from Heat

The Nets bought out and waived Rafer Alston yesterday and then quickly moved to add a third point guard by acquiring Chris Quinn plus a 2012 second-rounder from Miami, essentially giving up only a $1.2 million trade exception.

Alston, in the final year of his contract, agreed to a buyout of roughly $2.1 million of the $3.1 million he has left on the $5.25 million he makes in this, the final year of his contract.

Alston is expected to return to Miami once he clears waivers. He "very recently" made it clear he wanted to play elsewhere, interim coach/GM Kiki Vandeweghe said.

"It was more of an understanding," Vandeweghe said of the move. "I was pleased we could help him out."

Miami will pay the $640,000 remaining on Quinn's $1.05 million salary. A fourth-season guard out of Notre Dame, he has been inactive all season.

The Nets receive a 2012 second-rounder while "trading" their 2010 second-rounder, which is protected to 50.

Gasol likely out Wednesday night too

Lakers forward-center Pau Gasol is out tonight against Houston and is almost surely out Wednesday against the Clippers as well, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

"We're hoping this is, like, game to game, although I highly doubt that he'll be ready for tomorrow's game," Jackson said.

Gasol has been diagnosed with a mild hamstring strain in his left leg. He missed 11 games earlier this season with a moderate hamstring strain in his right leg.

Is Cleveland Cavs star LeBron James now hawking McDonald's?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Could LeBron James and his LRMR Marketing company be close to landing a new major partnership?

On Monday, James flew to Indianapolis and spent the day shooting a commercial with Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird. It is believed that the commercial is for McDonald's and is planned to run during the Super Bowl, which would signify a significant new sponsorship opportunity for James.

Indiana Pacers fan blog Indy Cornrows reported the spot was filmed at Conseco Fieldhouse and that it is a throwback to a famous Bird commercial with Michael Jordan where the stars played a game of H-O-R-S-E. Jordan and Bird first debuted the spot on Super Bowl coverage in 1993 as they fought over a Big Mac and fries, creating and then hitting numerous impossible shots and adding "nothin' but 'net" at the end.

James has been in talks with McDonald's on and off for the last five years. Howard, who is represented by James' former agent Aaron Goodwin, has been doing McDonald's ads for several years and just signed a new three-year deal with the company. Bird has a long-standing relationship with McDonald's.

This would be James' third Super Bowl commercial. His first was in 2005 for Bubbilious brand gum. Last year he made a splash with an ad for State Farm in which he dreamt he was playing for the Cleveland Browns.

NBA denies Mavericks' protest

LOS ANGELES — Hours before the Rockets would tip off against the Lakers, they won a game that began Dec. 18.

NBA commissioner David Stern on Tuesday denied the Mavericks’ protest of the Rockets 116-108 win in Dallas, ruling that the technical foul called on Dallas center Erick Dampier was a judgment call and not misapplication of the rules as the Mavericks contended.

The Rockets never seemed concerned that they would be taking a third trip to Dallas this season.

“It was clearly the brilliant argument our legal department made that turned the case,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said via e-mail.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban initially argued that Dampier was given the technical foul, his second of the game, only after improper video review of a flagrant foul called on Rockets guard Aaron Brooks. In subsequent comments, he contended that the call itself was wrong and that Dampier should not have been given his second technical and the automatic ejection that came with it.

The Mavericks sought to replay the 1:01 left in the game after Dampier was ejected.

“All I can say is that we disagree with the ruling and that we will deal with the issue at the Board of Governors Meeting so hopefully it doesn’t come up again in the future,” Cuban said in an e-mail response.

“I don’t think anybody in this locker room was worried,” Rockets center Chuck Hayes said. “It would have been pointless (to replay 61 seconds). There was no grounds for a protest.”

Brooks, whose flagrant foul prompted the Dampier elbow and video review, called the protest “corny.”

“It had nothing to do with the game,” Brooks said. “It actually helped them out. They got a better free throw shooter (Kris Humphries) on the foul line, they got to shoot two free throws and got the ball back. I don’t think they would have turned the outcome of the game (to change the call.) It wasn’t a flagrant foul or a technical. We could have disputed it, too.”

In its statement, the NBA said “Commissioner Stern determined that the referees’ decision to assess a technical foul on Dampier was a judgment call, and not a misapplication of the playing rules, which cannot successfully be protested under NBA rules.”

The Rockets argued that the Mavericks were merely debating the merits of an official’s call.

“That’s good news,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman when told of the decision hours after the announcement. “I just could never believe they were going to do something like that. You have so many instances in games over the year and over the years. You start doing something like that and you’re going to have every game protested with the hope that things could change.

“If they are going to look at the elbow, they should look at the flagrant foul they called because that was the most unflagrant foul I’ve ever seen in my life. I did not think they were going to uphold that, but that’s good. I don’t want to go back to Dallas — not in the regular season.”


Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony won't rush back before he's ready

Few matchups at the Pepsi Center are more scintillating than Carmelo-LeBron — except for last season, when a banged-up Carmelo Anthony scored just 13 points, one more than Anthony Carter.

But Melo missed his third consecutive game Tuesday night with a bruised right knee, and now he's unsure whether he will play Friday night against James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"It's more motivation to get back, but regardless of how much I want to play in that game, or how big of a game that is for our team, I won't risk myself," Anthony said Tuesday. "I've been hurt since last Monday and haven't had any practice time, so I would never go out there and try to play without practice. I'll practice the next couple days and see how it goes. Some days feel better than others."

In his place, Joey Graham has started at small forward. Though he's known for his defense, Graham scored eight points in the first quarter Tuesday against Golden State.

"He's good at running (the floor). He creates a lot of easy opportunities," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "I think he's more of a committed runner than Melo is, and with the personality of our team right now, running is important. We want to get the ball in the point guard's hand, and Joey has helped us do that. His toughness adds a physical- ness to our (defense). Consistency to our defensive aggressiveness and attitude has been a problem all year long."

Point guard Chauncey Billups also is questionable for Friday. Reserve center Chris Andersen likely won't play.

Fitness first.

The league is running a cool campaign called the "NBA Fit Week," which encourages children to practice good fitness and nutrition fundamentals. Nuggets such as Anthony and J.R. Smith will join 100 students at West Middle School today. They will go through several fitness workouts with the Denver players and Steve Hess, the team's strength and conditioning coach.

Granger's return isn't imminent

It appears Indiana Pacers swingman Danny Granger won't be back to help his struggling teammates for another couple of weeks, according to coach Jim O'Brien.O'Brien said Granger's torn right plantar fascia will keep him sidelined at least two more weeks.

"I think Danny, he went up and down a little bit today. I still think he's two, 2 1/2 weeks away," O'Brien said before Tuesday's game against the Orlando Magic. "I haven't been told an exact time, but that's my understanding."

The team said Granger would miss between four and six weeks shortly after he injured his foot against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 5.

Granger said last week that he thought he'd be back before the six-week mark.

Other Pacers frontcourt players could return Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

O'Brien said Tyler Hansbrough (inner ear infection), Jeff Foster (back) and Troy Murphy (ankle) could play against the Timberwolves.

"Tyler tried to go up and down (Tuesday) but was too dizzy," O'Brien said. "He had to sit down as soon as he tried to run at all."

Foster has missed the past nine games with a sore lower back. He hopes to practice today.

Head feeling comfortable

Pacers guard Luther Head prefers to let his play do his talking.

If his recent performances are any indication, Head is speaking loud and clear.

Head, who has started the past four games, is averaging 17.8 points in the past seven games.

"I feel fortunate, appreciative," Head said. "I like it, especially since where I've come from, almost being out (of the league) to now playing. It just feels good. I'm going to take advantage of every second."

A bounce-back game

It was anybody's guess how the Pacers would respond following their 43-point thumping at New York on Sunday.

They not only had to try to forget about that game, they had to get ready to face the Magic, one of the best teams in the league.

The Pacers passed the test.

"Most teams would come out after getting beat like that, they'd have a letdown again at least the first five minutes or half the game, but we came out and had energy. We believe in each other," point guard Earl Watson said. "We believe in our team and we knew that the Knick game was tough.

"Not only did they play well, we came off a back-to-back. We didn't feel like we didn't have the energy."

Etc.

O'Brien used his 13th starting lineup in 24 games. ..... The Pacers attempted more free throws than their opponent for just the 11th time this season. ..... Tuesday ended a streak of seven games of allowing at least 100 points for the Pacers.

Feschuk: Calderon not rocking boat

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Toronto Raptors Jose Calderon of Spain reacts to a call against the Phoenix Suns in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game in Phoenix, Arizona, November 15 2009.

ORLANDO, FLA. — It's tempting, as Jose Calderon returns to the Raptors lineup Wednesday night, to draw parallels to the chemistry-killing controversy that dealt a fatal blow to Toronto's 2007-08 season.

That was the year that T.J. Ford, in his second season as Toronto's starting point man, hit the deck hard in Atlanta in December – this after Ford had played some beautiful basketball in a promising campaign's early days. In the wake of Ford's scary injury, Jose Calderon stepped into Ford's place as the starting point guard and offered some impressive contributions.

And as easy as it should have been to root for Ford once he returned to the floor – he was, after all, at increased risk of a life-altering spinal injury on account of a congenital condition – he soon became a locker-room disease. He couldn't seem to view himself as anything but the starting point guard. He wouldn't view Calderon as anything but in his way. And the tension ruined everything.

Fast-forward a couple of seasons to now, when Calderon has been out of the lineup with a sore hip for all but seven ineffective minutes of the past 13 games, and this edition of the Raptors, for all their obvious weaknesses of collective will, haven't enjoyed a more prosperous stretch. With Jarrett Jack as the starting No. 1, the Raptors, for various reasons not excluding a favourable schedule, have carved out a win-loss record of 8-5.

True, their grasp on near-respectability is tenuous. But Calderon, if he made the moment about himself, could make the argument, as Ford did, that he shouldn't lose his starting gig on account of an injury, and he'd have a point. He didn't make the point. Jay Triano, the Raptors coach, said he won't start Calderon in Wednesday's game against the Magic – "I'm not going to disrupt the unit that we have right now," the coach said – and Calderon wasn't exactly fuming.

"It's Jay's call. I'm ready to help the team, and keep winning games," said Calderon on Tuesday, after he participated in his first full practice with his teammates since his injury. "If I've got to be coming from the bench the first two, three, four, five games, or whatever, it's Jay's call. He's the coach."

Both Calderon and Jack spent Tuesday saying all the right things, that it's the coach's decision, that they'll do what's required. Far more telling, of course, will be the on-court performance of the group as Calderon works his way back into the fold. Certainly the coach's job is easier this time around because neither Jack nor Calderon have Ford's intractable streak.

"It's not like Jose and I haven't played together ever. We played together (earlier this season), and we co-existed well, I thought," Jack said. "So I'm sure however coach feels he's going to fit (Calderon) in, or however the strategy is, I'll be ready for it."

If the Raptors are going to claim above-average strength at point guard, maybe it'll be in numbers. A platoon will work here in the short term, even if it can't in this league in the long term. Calderon, though he makes $8.2 million (U.S.), has never proven himself as an elite-level player over a full season. He needs help in a big way. And heck, if Marcus Banks has his way, Triano will spend some game nights playing three point guards. Banks, considered dead weight at the season's outset, proved himself a serviceable contributor during Calderon's outage.

Every NBA squad, of course, has its cries of self interest. But on Tuesday, Jack's calm reason resonated. A team that has its share of problems doesn't have to worry about another point guard controversy just yet.

"I'm sure we'll make it work, however it's going to," said Jack. "We'll be able to make it work. I'm not worried about it. I'm not worried about it at all."

Prosecutors present evidence in Arenas gun case

Prosecutors began presenting evidence to a D.C. Superior Court grand jury Tuesday in the Gilbert Arenas gun case, but it could be days, if not weeks, before the panel decides whether to prosecute the star Wizards guard, two sources with knowledge of the proceedings said.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because grand jury proceedings by law are secret, would not say what evidence was presented.

Arenas could face charges of carrying a handgun without a license, which is a felony and punishable by up to five years behind bars. Because he has said he had four guns in the Verizon Center locker room, he faces a possible 20 years in jail. The panel also could issue a "no bill," which means that no charges are warranted.

If the grand jury decides not to charge Arenas, prosecutors could bring their own charge of possessing an unregistered firearm, a misdemeanor that carries a 12-month sentence.

But several law enforcement sources said that just because prosecutors are presenting evidence to the grand jury doesn't mean they are seeking an indictment. Often, they use the grand jury to evaluate evidence to see if there is enough for a conviction.

D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickels declined to comment on the Arenas case, but said that even if the U.S. Attorney does not prosecute Arenas, his office could file misdemeanor charges of unauthorized possession of a handgun, which also carry a one-year prison sentence and a fine. Arenas's guns were not registered in the District, making it illegal to have them at Verizon Center.

Ben Friedman, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office said that nearly 40 percent of the 104 people charged in D.C. with carrying a handgun without a license received a prison sentence in 2006, the most recent year for which figures are available. About 33 percent received probation, he said. He declined to comment on the Arenas case.

The guns became an issue after Arenas and Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton, got into an argument after a card game and Crittenton allegedly said he should shoot Arenas in his surgically repaired left knee, sources have said. Days later on Dec. 21, after a practice at Verizon Center, Arenas placed the guns on a chair next to Crittenton's locker with a note that said "pick one."


In a statement on Monday, without acknowledging the dispute with Crittenton, Arenas said he was joking and apologized to his teammates and fans. That same day, he and his attorney, Kenneth L. Wainstein, met for two hours with prosecutors and detectives. A team spokesman said Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld spoke with investigators Tuesday.

Complicating Arenas's case is his 2003 misdemeanor conviction on a charge of possessing an unregistered gun during a routine traffic stop in San Francisco. Police found a .40-caliber handgun in a bag behind the driver's seat and an ammunition clip in the glove compartment. The gun was properly registered in Arizona, but not California.

Officials said a grand jury of about 24 District residents met in the second-floor, amphitheater type room at the U.S. Attorney's office and heard testimony from witnesses and reviewed evidence. The sources said the jury was not convened specifically to hear the case, but was a standing grand jury picked to hear all current cases.

Mark Cuban blasts NFL for scheduling of Cowboys game

Mark Cuban is upset with the NFL – and its television partners – for scheduling Saturday's Cowboys playoff game in direct competition with the Mavericks' home game against Utah.

The Cowboys will play Philadelphia at 7 p.m. in Arlington. The Mavericks play the Jazz at 7:30 p.m.

"I know we're [small potatoes] compared to the NFL, but seriously, the NFL is turning into the ugly American when it comes to sports leagues," Cuban said before Tuesday's game against Detroit.

"They don't [care] about anybody but themselves. There's not much I can do, obviously, in terms of the schedule."

The Mavericks play Friday night at San Antonio, which eliminates the possibility of moving Saturday's game up earlier in the day.

Cuban made it clear that he has no beef with the Cowboys or owner Jerry Jones.

"It's not a Jerry Jones issue – Jerry's great," Cuban said. "But at some point in time, that will catch up to [the NFL] and hurt them in a big way."

Cuban said the NFL has never shown any interest in developing a scheduling cooperative with the NBA or the NHL and perhaps having designated days for each league to avoid overlapping.

The Mavericks have sold out all but a couple of hundred tickets for the Utah game, meaning their sellout streak (334 games) will stay alive. But Cuban expects to have a large number of no-shows because of the Cowboys' game starting 30 minutes before the Mavericks' game.

Things like this, he said, infuriate owners in other leagues.

"The owners in the NBA aren't the only ones taking notes," Cuban said. "There's a balance between all the leagues, and it's going to bite them in the end."

Jermaine O'Neal questionable against Celtics

MIAMI - Miami Heat center Jermaine O'Neal, who sat out Monday's rout of the Atlanta Hawks with ongoing hip and groin issues, went through aggressive shooting drills and corrective exercises Tuesday, but did not practice, leaving his status for Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics at AmericanAirlines Arena in doubt.

"It's not a serious injury, but it's a groin/hip, so those are always a little bit tricky,'' coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It's day to day. He wanted to play last night . . . and is feeling better.''

With a 10-day, six-game road trip to open Friday against the Phoenix Suns, it is more likely that O'Neal will miss his fifth game of the season, and that Joel Anthony again will start, with seldom-used center Jamaal Magloire also filling in.

Magloire played just 57 minutes this season before hauling down 10 rebounds in 20 minutes Monday.

"What he does is keep himself ready, the consummate professional,'' Spoelstra said of Magloire. "You don't know when your opportunity is going to happen, but it's such a long season that he's ready when it does happen. He showed that."

Iverson guaranteed through rest of Sixers' season

It was about as unexpected as Andy Reid saying he has to do a better job after an Eagles loss.

The Sixers yesterday announced that guard Allen Iverson's contract will be guaranteed for the remainder of the season.

"Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it," said Iverson, laughing. He said he loves being back with the organization that he called home for the first 10-plus years of his career. "I think the only frustrating part of the whole thing was trying to get into playing shape and dealing with my knee. That's been the only rough part of this whole thing.''

Iverson missed four straight games with an arthritic left knee, an ailment he says is getting better every day.

"As far as just the fans and the city embracing me like they did from Day 1, that's been great,'' he said. "That was something that I really wanted to happen and being that it happened it made me feel that much more comfortable. I'm happy, and I haven't been in a long time. You go back to feeling good about playing basketball, feeling good about the people around me and the situation."

Iverson played in his 10th game last night since returning to the team on Dec. 2, when he agreed to a prorated, $1.3 million, veterans-minimum contract after parting ways with the Memphis Grizzlies. Before last night, he was averaging 15.7 points and 4.7 assists in 33.2 minutes. He has become a calming influence on a very young team and a sounding board for the young players.

"Since his arrival, Allen has done everything asked of him and has been an excellent teammate," said general manager Ed Stefanski.

Said coach Eddie Jordan: "He's a guy that's added a lot to us, leadership, and things on the floor he does for us. He's a valuable part of what we're doing since he's signed."

And his short time here has been valuable for Iverson, also.

"A lot of times when you come into a situation and it's not a winning situation and things haven't been peaches and cream, a lot of times it gets so frustrating, the environment is so bad, it seems so dark when you come into a situation like that," Iverson said. "But this situation hasn't been like that. That's something I really want to be a part of, especially at this point in my career. I'm positive just like everybody else is around here and it feels good to try to accomplish something with these guys.

"I didn't know what to expect, how hard it was going to be, how easy it was going to be. Dealing with the injury has been the most frustrating part. Aside from that, everything has been perfect for me. I'm getting healthier. I'm at a point where I'm happy where we are. These guys in this locker room believe in each other. That's all that I want."

Jazz finally fill empty roster spot with D-League's Gaines

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz, as expected, turned to the D-League to sign a third point guard.

What might have surprised some, though, was that they didn't raid the roster of their Orem-based affiliate.

The Jazz, instead, picked up 6-foot-1 playmaker Sundiata Gaines of the Idaho Stampede for a 10-day contract. The transaction's approval is pending a physical examination, which will take place Wednesday in Utah.

If he gets the necessary medical approval, Gaines will fill the required 13th spot on the Jazz roster that has been open since the team traded Eric Maynor and Matt Harpring to Oklahoma City for salary relief two weeks ago. He could be made available for tonight's home game against Memphis.

Gaines, a University of Georgia product, has averaged 23.9 points on 52.2 percent shooting, 6.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds for Idaho.

The 23-year-old Queens, N.Y. native played for the Bulldogs from 2004-08, and led Georgia to a surprising SEC Tournament championship his senior season. Gaines began his professional career in Italy in 2008 with NGC Cantu before joining the D-League in the fall.

Gaines scored 31 points on 13-for-24 shooting to go with seven assists and two steals with Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor in attendance for a game against the Flash last week in Boise. That was Gaines' fourth 31-point game in 14 D-League outings.

The move might come as a surprise to some, considering Dontell Jefferson, an athletic combo guard from Arkansas, has been one of the D-League's top players this season and knows the Jazz system well. Jefferson has averaged 19.4 points, 6.0 assists and 4.4 boards in his second season with the Utah Flash.

Jefferson was high on the Jazz's prospect list, which the front office narrowed down to about a dozen players over the past two weeks.

Utah also considered making a trade but opted to go the free-agency route for this transaction. The franchise can still make a deal this season through Feb. 18, the NBA's trade deadline.

If Gaines doesn't work out with the Jazz after his short contract expires, it's possible Jefferson or former Flash guard Kevin Kruger could be signed.

Gaines joins Rusty LaRue, Mikki Moore and Louis Amundson as players the Jazz have called up from the D-League.

O'Connor, who spoke to the Deseret News prior to the pick-up Tuesday afternoon, was unavailable for comment about Gaines after the signing was officially announced.

NJ Nets acquire point guard Chris Quinn, pick from Miami for second-round pick

Chris Quinn Nets Heat Keyon DoolingNewly acquired Nets guard Chris Quinn, left, watched the Nets' Keyon Dooling fly past him while with the Heat in 2008.

Veteran point guard Rafer Alston, who started 13 of the first 15 games this season, filling in for an injured Devin Harris, was given his parole from the Nets, when the team reached a buyout agreement for the final season of his $5.25 million contract and waived him Tuesday afternoon.

In a separate transaction announced just before Tuesday night’s game against Milwaukee, the Nets acquired point guard Chris Quinn, cash, and a second round pick in 2012 from the Miami Heat for an exchange for a 2010 second round pick, which is pick is protected if it is between No. 31 and 50 overall.

Alston, 33, is expected to sign with Miami.

Nets GM/coach Kiki Vandeweghe had nothing but good things to say about Alston, who started 13 of the first 15 games of the season, filling in for injured point guard Devin Harris.

“I can’t say enough good things about Rafer Alston,’’ Vandeweghe said. “He was a consummate professional for us, he filled in for Devin Harris when Devin was hurt, played a lot of minutes, played very, very well – always enthusiastic, always performed very well.’’

But with Keyon Dooling returning to the lineup full time after missing 24 of the first 28 games following hip surgery, Alston had sat out four of the last five games. And that, Vandeweghe said, was a tough situation for the veteran from Queens.

“(Alston)’s been a star, he’s been a starter for most of his careerÂ… and played in the championship series (for Orlando) last year, and has a lot more basketball left in him,’’ Vandeweghe said. “And to be able to set up a situation where he, potentially, could get to a place where he wants to go – and out of a situation that’s not good for him, I think, is really good for everybody. Hopefully, it ends up good for him. We wish him only the best.’’

In 27 games this season (13 starts), Alston averaged 9.7 points, and he was second on the team in assists at 3.9 per game. He had $3.05 million coming to him for the remaining 49 games, and the Nets were able to convince Fegan to settle for roughly $2.1 million.

Forward Jarvis Hayes was asked what Alston will be able to contribute to another team.

“To a playoff team? He can contribute immensely,’’ Hayes said. “He’s got great awareness, he knows how to run a team – a good leader. I don’t know who’s going to get him, but he’ll be a great asset.’’

The 6-2 Quinn, in his fourth season out of Notre Dame, has been inactive for every game this season.

He has career averages of 5.6 points and 2.2 assists in 168 career games and is earning $1.05 million in the final year of his contract.

Josh Boone sat out the game with a sore left knee.

Nuggets rally past Warriors 123-122 behind Smith's late free throws

J.R. Smith twirled the ball in his hands, bounced two hard dribbles and lifted the ball into the air, where two questions hung:

Smith's past two weeks had been a downward spiral. Would this be his breaking point?

Or would this be the moment when Smith's confidence was resuscitated?

With the Nuggets trailing the Golden State Warriors by one point Tuesday night and four-tenths of a second left, Smith made his first two free throws (purposely missing the third) and the reserve guard, for a change, was the clutch hero. The warrior-like Nuggets won 123-122 in a thriller at the Pepsi Center that will be remembered all season.

"I've been missing a lot of 3s and a lot of open shots," Smith said. "So this gives me a lot of confidence to go out there, focus and just make shots."

The Warriors (9-24) called a timeout with one-tenth of a second left, but their inbounds hoist was swatted away by the Nuggets' Kenyon Martin, sealing the oh-so-big win.

Denver (22-13) played without Chauncey Billups (groin), Carmelo Anthony (knee) and Chris Andersen (ankle). During the game, Nene sprained his right ankle and Ty Lawson sprained his left ankle. Both are listed as day to day.

Still, the Nuggets found enough scorers to put up 123 points and win by playing occasional defense.

"We actually had some very good defensive possessions, but we had some very, very poor ones," said Nuggets forward Malik Allen, who played 22 minutes. "It was going to come down to who ever had the last possession."

That was Denver, after a frantic final minute.

Down 122-121 with 15.4 seconds left, Denver's Joey Graham (a season-high 20 points) missed a baseline jumper. But after a scramble, a jump ball was called with three seconds left. The Nuggets' Arron Afflalo tipped the ball to Smith, who recovered it near half court, and coach George Karl called a timeout with 1.4 seconds left. Martin (a season-high 27 points) inbounded at half court to Smith, who was fouled with four-tenths of a second left while hoisting an impossible, off-balance 3 from near the Warriors' bench. Monta Ellis was the culprit for the foul. After the game, asked about the controversial call, Ellis replied with a terse and telling "No comment."

Smith needed to make just one free throw to tie the game, but this is Smith we're talking about. He has struggled with mental focus at times and from the line he shoots 68.8 percent.

But think back to three games ago. The Mavericks were called for a second-quarter technical foul, and Karl chose Smith to shoot the shot. It seemed like a weird choice. But Karl said he learned from former North Carolina coach Dean Smith that you "coach the season, not the game," and that giving a struggling player a free throw can be a sign of confidence from the bench, a jolt of motivation. J.R. made that shot, and he made the two huge ones Tuesday.

"I was willing them in," Martin said.

Hawks request waivers on Hunter

The Hawks requested waivers on forward Othello Hunter on Tuesday, putting them below the mandatory 13-player roster minimum.

The team will have two weeks to add a 13th player. Hunter played in seven games this season, his second with the Hawks, and was primarily an inactive player. He played in 16 games for the Hawks last season as a rookie.

"Basically, it just gives us some options for the roster," general manager Rick Sund said. "We've got a two-week grace period in which we can have a 12-man roster before we have to get to a 13-man roster. It allows us to be able to look at the waiver wires a little bit right now."

Celtics’ Paul Pierce: I’m in

WALTHAM - The sight of Paul Pierce [stats] and Rajon Rondo [stats] - both walking through some late-practice plays yesterday with the first unit - was inevitable.

Pierce, recovering from two surgical procedures to drain an infection in his left knee, generally needs a bulldozer to pull him off the floor. Rondo, suffering from a strained left hamstring, comes from the same stubborn school.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Pierce is counting himself in for tonight’s game against the Heat in Miami. If his plan takes form, it will be Pierce’s first game after missing the past five. The Celtics [team stats] are 2-3 without him.

Rondo, according to coach Doc Rivers, is less certain and likely will be a gametime decision.

“Paul looked good,” Rivers said. “Rondo you couldn’t tell because he didn’t do too much. I think he’ll go, but I wouldn’t write that down in pen for sure. Paul probably will go . . . so just getting one of those guys back, I would be very happy.

“I’m more worried about our timing. I’m not worried about Paul as far as health. (Trainer Ed Lacerte) and the doctors know best, and they wouldn’t let him go out there if he wasn’t right. I’m more concerned that him and Rondo haven’t practiced in five days - Paul even longer - and then go play a team that played pretty well (Monday) night. But they have to be out on the floor at some point, and if they both can play, they’re going to play.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we play the game sloppy.”

Should both play, expect to see them immediately.

“In both of their cases they would have to start,” Rivers said. “In Rondo’s case he would be warm. What we don’t want is to go down that road where we’re concerned about taking him out. We want to make sure he’s just able to play.”

Pierce has little doubt about his own availability, even if by his own admission he’s not in top form.

“I got a good practice in today, felt pretty good. Probably not 100 percent, but it’s getting better,” Pierce said. “I got a chance to run last couple of days on the treadmill. I shot every day, rode the bike every day, so I’m as confident as I’m going to be. It’s just a matter of the swelling going down. I have a lot more flexibility than I have in the last few days. I saw some flashes today.”

Even at this, Pierce admitted that his practice performance was basic, with few if any high points.

“I went through the meat and potatoes of it,” he said. “I talked to the doctors, and the side effect is if it swells again. So I’ll continue to get treatment, take pills and go from there.”

Pierce attempted to dispel any notion that he is rushing back because the team is shorthanded.

“Not at all,” he said. “I’m coming back because I feel good. You know Kevin (Garnett is) going to be out, and maybe Rondo will play, I don’t know for sure. But I don’t feel pressure at all to come back out here. I wouldn’t do that to myself. I would do that to my body at this point in my career.

“I’m just a little stronger. I’ve tried to work on my quads, my calves, getting all of those things stronger. If you don’t get that flexibility, your muscles shut down. Strength in those areas takes pressure off.”

Gilbert Arenas indefinitely suspended by NBA

NEW YORK — Gilbert Arenas was suspended without pay Wtoday by NBA commissioner David Stern, who determined the player’s behavior made him "not currently fit to take the court."

A day after the Washington Wizards guard was photographed before a game in Philadelphia pointing his index fingers, as if they were guns, at his teammates, Stern warned the former All-Star that his conduct will "ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse."

Arenas is under investigation by federal and local authorities after admittedly bringing guns to the locker room. Stern originally planned to wait to take action, but he tired of Arenas’ behavior.

Arenas met with law enforcement officials Monday and said the next day that he feared Stern more than the authorities because the commissioner was "mean."

"Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game," Stern said in a statement. "Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA."

With each game he misses, Arenas will lose about $147,200 of the $16.2 million he will earn this season in the second of a six-year, $111 million contract. The punishment came on his 28th birthday.

A Wizards spokesman said Arenas left the team, which is playing in Cleveland, earlier Wednesday but didn’t know where he was going.

"It’s sad," Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson said. "You don’t want to see a player go down like that. We’re a family, and it hurts."

The Wizards supported Stern’s decision in a statement attributed to president Ernie Grunfeld and the Pollin family, which owns the team. The late Abe Pollin changed the team’s name from the Bullets because of the violent connotation.

"Strictly legal issues aside, Gilbert’s recent behavior and statements, including his actions and statements last night in Philadelphia, are unacceptable," the statement said. "Some of our other players appeared to find Gilbert’s behavior in Philadelphia amusing. This is also unacceptable. Under Abe Pollin’s leadership, our organization never tolerated such behavior, and we have no intention of ever doing so."

A lawyer who has been representing Arenas in the gun matter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Arenas does not have a traditional player agent.

Since the firearms language was strengthened in the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement, NBA players are subject to discipline if they bring guns to the arena or practice facility, or even an offsite promotional appearance.

Arenas originally said he brought four guns to the Verizon Center because he wanted them out of his house after his daughter was born. But two officials within the league who have been briefed on the investigation have told The Associated Press that the incident stemmed from a dispute over card-playing gambling debts and a heated discussion in the locker room with teammate Javaris Crittenton. The New York Post, however, reported that the two teammates drew weapons on each other.

In a statement he released after meeting with authorities Monday, Arenas said he took unloaded guns from his locker in a "misguided effort to play a joke" on a teammate.

"Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong," Arenas said. "I should not have brought the guns to DC in the first place, and I now realize that there’s no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns — even if unloaded."

Stern said members of the Wizards organization are still being interviewed by law enforcement authorities.

"Some are scheduled for appearance before the grand jury and the investigation is proceeding with the intensity that one would expect for such a serious incident," Stern said.

Kendrick Perkins sick, Eddie House home with flu

WALTHAM - The revolving door to the Celtics [team stats] sick bay remains in full swing.

On a day when Paul Pierce [stats] and Rajon Rondo [stats] returned to the practice floor - both with the goal of playing tonight against the Heat in Miami - Kendrick Perkins [stats] and Eddie House didn’t even show up.

Both flu-ridden teammates remained in their respective beds.

Perkins later was on time for the team flight to Miami. House, according to coach Doc Rivers an almost certain scratch for tonight’s game, stayed home.

“They’re both home in bed,” said Rivers, who returned to the team yesterday after leaving to tend to a family matter on Monday. “Right now Perk will be able to get on the flight, and it doesn’t look like Eddie will make the trip.

“This year especially the league has impressed upon us that if a guy has a fever, he has to stay away from the team because he’s contagious at that point. Perk’s feeling better. It started yesterday after practice. They weren’t sure if his was food poisoning or the flu, though with Eddie no doubt it’s the flu.”

And so the circus, as Rivers called it, continues.

“It was tough if we would have been healthy,” Rivers said of the recent 2-3 stretch, which coincided with Pierce’s departure from the lineup. “We looked at this stretch of games and we were concerned, but that’s when I thought we would have all our players with us. Obviously no one thought that this would happen. We just have to wade our way through it somehow.

“It’s a tough three-game stretch coming up with guys coming back and guys going out. It happens, and we have to work our way through.”

One constant will be the continued absence of Kevin Garnett, who will miss at least another week with a hyperextended knee.

“He may make the trip, but he’s not going to play,” Rivers said. “He’s definitely not going to play.”

Ugly stuff

Yesterday’s practice was predictably uneven.

“It was sloppy,” Rivers said. “Just that we were trying to play Paul at times and take him out, and then Rondo played three sets and we took him out. Put Tony (Allen) at the point and then you move him back to the 2. It wasn’t sloppy because they didn’t try. You just knew that would happen because of all the changes.”

Wade Heats up

The Celtics are about to face Dwyane Wade at his hottest. Miami’s star guard had 28 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a win against Atlanta on Monday.

“I’ve always found it very difficult to stop guys from Marquette,” said Rivers, a fellow Marquette alum. “Smart, high IQ players. But Wade is tough.

“He’s added low-elbow jump shots, the bank shots. He’s added so much to his game since he got into the league.” . . .

Though many expect Ray Allen or even House to receive an invitation to the 3-point shooting contest on All-Star weekend, Pierce wondered, “I want to nominate myself. I think I’m shooting a good percentage from 3. But between those two, well, they’re right up under me.”

Gilbert Arenas, Wizards top 76ers

One day after voluntarily meeting with law enforcement officials to explain why he had guns at the Verizon Center last month, Gilbert Arenas was in the starting lineup and scored 19 points to help Washington to a 104-97 win over the 76ers last night in Philadelphia.

Arenas said before the game that he expects he’ll have to meet with NBA commisioner David Stern soon, though he has yet to be contacted by league officials for his role in what he claims is nothing more than a joke gone awry.

Arenas laughed when he said he feared Stern more than the authorities because the commissioner was “mean.” Arenas said Stern could be feeling pressure to discipline him even before authorities make a decision on whether or not to press charges.

“Most likely he’s getting a lot of pressure with all the stories going around,” Arenas said.

The 76ers guaranteed guard Allen Iverson [stats]’s contract for the rest of the season. Iverson. 34, was signed by the Sixers as a free agent on Dec. 3.

Pacers 97, Magic 90 - Roy Hibbert scored a career-high 26 points, leading host Indiana over Orlando.

Lakers 88, Rockets 79 - Andrew Bynum scored 11 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and host Los Angeles rallied past Houston.

Bucks 98, Nets 76 - In East Rutherford, N.J., Andrew Bogut scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half and Milwaukee scored a rare road win, defeating woeful New Jersey, which lost for the 31st time in 34 games this season.

The Nets acquired point guard Chris Quinn from the Miami Heat, a move that could be a precursor to Rafer Alston’s return to South Florida.

Alston agreed to a buyout agreement with the Nets yesterday, and sources said the guard is hoping to sign with the Heat later this week.

Mavericks 98, Pistons 93 - Jason Terry scored 26 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 22 and host Dallas overcame a slow start to send Detroit to its 10th consecutive loss.

Bobcats 113, Bulls 108 - Gerald Wallace scored 32 points, Stephen Jackson and Flip Murray added 25 each and host Charlotte held off a late rally to beat Chicago for its third straight victory.

Suns 113, Kings 109 - Steve Nash had 30 points and 12 assists and Phoenix snapped a seven-game road losing streak with a win in Sacramento.

Nuggets 123, Warriors 122 - J.R. Smith hit two free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining, lifting host Denver over Golden State.

Grizzlies 109, Trail Blazers 104 - O.J. Mayo scored 27 points and visiting Memphis rallied past Portland.

Elsewhere in the NBA - The NBA denied the Dallas Mavericks’ protest of their 116-108 overtime loss to the Houston Rockets last month. The Mavericks argued that the referees improperly called a technical foul on center Erick Dampier following an instant replay review with 1:01 left in overtime of the Dec. 18 game. Because it was Dampier’s second technical foul, he was ejected.

Bynum, Odom lead Lakers over Rockets

LOS ANGELES — It’s been a fun few days for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lamar Odom hung out at a doctor’s office for a while. Ron Artest was tailed by a neurologist. Pau Gasol got reacquainted with an MRI machine.

Good times, all around.

Strange thing, though, they were able to beat the Houston Rockets in a game that was somehow uglier than the final score, 88-79, Tuesday at Staples Center.

Andrew Bynum had 24 points, Kobe Bryant had 22 and the Lakers improved to 28-6, the same record they held a year ago through 34 games.

Odom had 17 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists after battling intestinal flu-like symptoms most of Monday. Artest had only seven points after missing five games because of a concussion, but the Lakers won without Gasol, sidelined because of a strained left hamstring.

Both teams could have used a shot doctor, the Lakers leading after the third quarter, 59-55, a score that would have made infinitely more sense had it been halftime.

But things continued to click for Bynum, who has been solid since Gasol left early in Sunday’s game against Dallas.

Perhaps it’s as easy as the thick paperback he’s been carrying around, "The 48 Laws of Power" a look at the history of power around the world, with references to Machiavelli, Sun-tzu, Queen Elizabeth I and Henry Kissinger.

More likely, it’s the fact that the lane is less clogged without Gasol.

On one fourth-quarter play, as the shot clock wound down, Bynum found himself alone against David Andersen in the right post. He backed Andersen down with a body bump or two, briefly gathered himself and cleanly made a four-foot hook.

Later, Bynum took a feed from Odom, stood below the free-throw line and drilled a soft hook over Luis Scola for an 80-73 lead with 2:11 to play.

"I got a lot more touches in the block," Bynum said. "It just gets easier from there."

Other than Bynum, who made 10 of 16 shots, and Odom, who made seven of 10, the Lakers’ starters experienced a poor shooting night. Bryant made nine of 23, Artest three of 11 and Derek Fisher was one of four.

The Rockets were actually worse, making only 11 of their first 36 shots on the way to a 40.3 percent shooting night.

Despite all the missed shots, Bryant broke a tie with Patrick Ewing for 15th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He now has 24,837 points, 355 behind Jerry West, who is 14th among career NBA scorers and also holds the Lakers all-time record with 25,192 points.

The Lakers lost by 10 to the Rockets in November at Staples Center, but the Rockets never led in this one.

Former Lakers forward Trevor Ariza continued his season-long trend of scoring a fair number of points but shooting poorly, finishing with 12 points on five-for-14 shooting.

The game plodded along in the first half, neither team able to do much on offense, the highlight coming when Odom hustled for an offensive rebound, tipped it to himself along the baseline, and kept alive a possession that led to Bryant’s left-handed runner.

The halftime score was 41-33, Lakers. The box score confirmed it.

Perhaps the best Lakers news of the night came from Gasol, who said his hamstring strain was less of a problem than the one that sidelined him for the season’s first 11 games.

"It’s milder, so hopefully it will heal a lot faster and I’ll be back a lot sooner," he said. "It is a little disappointing. I’ve never had an issue with hamstrings and now I’ve had two issues in a very, very short period of time."

Pacers need Bird to take bold action

OK, Larry Bird.Your mess, your time to clean it up.

Everybody knows Bird, the Indiana Pacers president, has absolutely no desire to leave his office and coach the motley collection of talent he has cobbled together for this lost 2009-10 season. But he has no real choice, not as his team continues to circle the drain, losing by 20 points, playing with neither pride nor passion.

Tuesday night against Orlando? Yes, an astonishing aberration, a 97-90 victory that came out of nowhere. A career night for Roy Hibbert, who outplayed All-Star Dwight Howard. A solid two-way effort x from Brandon Rush. A glimpse into what-might-be if only the Pacers came to play every night, as opposed to once every five games.

It changes nothing.

Bird needs to fire coach Jim O'Brien now -- even though, truth be told, this isn't completely O'Brien's fault.

Bird needs to install himself as the coach.

His mess, his cleanup.

Larry, bring your ShamWow and some extra bleach. This isn't going to be pleasant.

What are the alternatives? Owner Herb Simon isn't going to let Bird punt O'Brien, who has another year on his contract, and then hire another coach for big bucks. There's nobody on the coaching staff who is viewed as a workable long-term replacement. And staying with O'Brien now isn't -- or shouldn't -- be an option, not with this team mailing it in eight nights out of 10.

Maybe it's a cosmetic change, maybe it qualifies as change-for-change's-sake, but something has to be done as this lost season slides into irrelevance.

This team already has lost by double digits as often as it did all of last season. A 43-point loss at New York? Unforgivable. I don't care if you're undermanned and fatigued. Still, unforgivable.

Let's see if Larry Legend can inspire Rush to do every night what he did Tuesday night. Let's see if Bird can bring T.J. Ford back from the emotional dead after a second straight season of losing his starting job. Let's see if he can continue to feed Hibbert, who has too often gotten lost in O'Brien's up-tempo offense.

Let's not hear about Danny Granger's injury, how Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster have been in and out of the lineup, how Mike Dunleavy has struggled to return to form.

The fact is, the Pacers were 6-12 and strangely listless even when Granger was in the lineup. The eyes don't lie: The Pacers aren't playing with one-third of the energy and passion they displayed the previous two seasons.

Two weeks ago, Bird said O'Brien was going nowhere and if changes were necessary, he would send away his underachieving players -- which would leave him with a roster of, oh, three guys.

While that sounds good -- see, Larry is holding the players accountable instead of pulling the plug on the coach!! -- it's unrealistic. You can punt the coach; you can't punt the players.

Trade them away? Who wants them? Who wants Ford and the $17.million he's owed the next two years? Who wants Dunleavy's knees? Who wants anybody not named Granger?

At least by shaking things up and making a change, Bird removes O'Brien as an excuse to underachieve.

Ultimately, I don't know if this team will suddenly find religion and start playing with purpose if Bird takes over, but something has to be done. Because if not, all you're doing it taking the fans' money and entering the John Wall Sweepstakes.

O'Brien walked into an impossible situation -- think Orlando's Stan Van Gundy made the right call when he turned down the Pacers' job? -- and Bird inherited a dysfunctional mess.

He inherited a bad situation and did a good job jettisoning Jermaine O'Neal's contract. But there have been too many mistakes during the rebuilding process, too many errors for Simon to ignore as he contemplates Bird's future at season's end.

The David Harrison selection. The Sarunas Jasikevicius signing. The Travis Diener signing. The empty draft featuring Shawne Williams and James White. The decision to draft Rush. The choice to let Jarrett Jack walk. And so on.

The long-term plan makes sense: Develop young players and then surround them with expensive free agents in the summer of 2011. Except those young players aren't growing as they should. So either Bird hasn't selected the right players, or his coach hasn't done the job developing them -- which is why the guy who bought the groceries needs to cook the meal.

If Bird can't turn Rush and Hibbert and the others into players, then it can be concluded that Bird missed on those picks, and he's not the executive you want making the big decisions in the future.

Tuesday night was fun, an undermanned team overachieving against long odds, holding the Orlando trio of Howard, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis to 21 points. But it was a Halley's Comet performance. Bird has to save this thing. And, in the process, save himself.

Spurs' Blair says he's ready for anything

DeJuan Blair has been a Spur for only 32 regular-season games, but he's already learned an important lesson: Be ready for anything from coach Gregg Popovich.

Blair was one of two Spurs frontline starters who opened Sunday's game against the Toronto Raptors on the bench. The other, of course, was team captain Tim Duncan, whose absence at the opening tip made Blair's return to the bench nothing but a footnote.

“It looked a little funny out there with Tim not starting,” he said. “At the same time, he did it for a reason. Tim needed a little bit of a rest, and he got it. He came in and still played well.

“Coach Pop knows what he's doing.

“You've just got to be ready on any given night. Whether you're starting or coming off the bench, you've got to come out there and bring energy. I think I'm the team's energy guy.”

Blair laughed at the suggestion he might be approaching the mythical “rookie wall.”

“Rookie wall?” he said “Uh-uh. I'm just playing. I think the rookie wall is for rookies who have a lot on their plate. I don't really have a lot. I just have to come and play and give a little energy. We've got the rest of the team. I'm just energy, so I don't think I'm hitting any wall.”

Finley update: Though small forward Michael Finley, who has missed the last 13 games with a sprained left ankle, has begun some light shooting drills, he remains a week or two from a return to action, according to a team spokesperson.

Finley suffered a Grade 2 sprain of the left ankle in the Spurs' Dec. 5 loss to the Nuggets, at which time the Spurs said he would be out about four weeks. The 15-year veteran has been with the team on its last two road trips but has yet to participate in any practice activities.

Cold hearted: Tony Parker is the latest Spur to complain about cold symptoms. The All-Star point guard blamed an Arctic cold front that gripped Washington, D.C., and Toronto when the Spurs played there.

“Like everybody. A lot of guys on the team have colds. You go on the East coast, and you're not used to it. I was in a short T-shirt and had to go to Toronto. It was freezing.”

Manu Ginobili, Matt Bonner and Marcus Haislip also have reported annoying cold symptoms.

Clearing Up The Nets Deal

The Rafer Alston buyout is done and the Nets are finalizing their deal with the Heat to acquire point guard Chris Quinn.

Alston, basically, agreed to knock $1 million off the $3.107 million he had remaining on his $5.25 million salary. Once he clears waivers, then he'll join Miami. The Heat, meanwhile, are sending the fourth-year PG Quinn – picking up the remainder of his $1.05 million salary in this his final contract year, about $640,000 – and a 2012 second rounder to the Nets.

The Nets are sending a $1.2 million trade exception plus a protected second rounder in this year's draft – a pick they'll never give up unless there is divine intervention in New Jersey. The pick is protected to 50. Anything lower, it stays put.

Right, it's staying put.

So everybody said real nice things about Alston but nobody really shed a tear.

"Skip came and played hard every day," said team president Rod Thorn.

"I can't say enough good things about Rafer," said interim coach/GM Kiki Vandeweghe who admitted the buyout was "more of an understanding."

Alston, who filled the voids created by the absences of Devin Harris and Keyon Dooling, inadvertently created problems. He was being honest criticized rookie Terrence Williams for not seeking veteran advice and later, while pointing out the Nets' penchant for dropping heads when trailing, caused a firestorm as it seemed he was ripping teammates. He wanted to be with a winner while seeking a deal for next year and he'll get his chance by returning to Miami.

Quinn, a 5.6 ppg career scorer, has not played this season. But then again, neither have the Nets.

One team source insists there are numerous "irons in the fire" on the trade front while another said virtually every deal that has become public, including Eduardo Najera to Dallas for Kris Humphries and Shawne Williams, is "stone dead."

Availability now Celtics’ toughest foe

WALTHAM - The Celtics continue to fight a battle of attrition.

Two players - Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo - have recovered from injury and should be available for tonight’s game at Miami. Two others - Eddie House and Kendrick Perkins - missed practice yesterday with flulike symptoms. House will likely miss tonight’s game, but Perkins was expected to travel to Miami, according to coach Doc Rivers.

Pierce (knee infection) and Rondo (hamstring) worked with the first unit at practice yesterday. But the team was shorthanded enough - Marquis Daniels (wrist) and Kevin Garnett (knee) are also out - that assistant coach Tyronn Lue suited up with the reserves, concluding the workout with his left thigh heavily taped.

“I am concerned because [Rondo] hasn’t practiced in five days and Paul even longer,’’ Rivers said. “And then we’re going to go play a team that played pretty well [Monday] night [in a win over Atlanta].

“They’re going to have to be out on the floor at some point; if both can play, we’re going to play them.

“In both cases, if they can go, they almost have to start, especially in Rondo’s case because he’d be warm. We don’t want to have to go down that road where we’re concerned about even taking them out or putting them in; we just want to make sure they’re able to play.’’

Pierce, who has not played since Dec. 22, said, “Good practice, it felt pretty good. Probably not 100 percent but it’s getting better and it’s feeling good enough.

“I got a chance the last couple days to run on the treadmill, been shooting every day, riding the bike every day, then came out and practiced and got up and down the court pretty well. So I’m about as confident as I’m going to be until it gets to 100 percent.

“I’m not feeling any pressure or pain when I push off on it, but like I say, it wasn’t ligament damage, just a matter of the swelling going down and it went down to where I can bend it a lot and have a lot more flexibility than I’ve had the past few days.

“Over the next week or two I’ll get that [timing] back. Thank goodness, I haven’t been out too long, so not too much has went away.

“I talked to doctors, and they said the only side effects are swelling. Infection is gone, so just continue treatment, see how it feels, and go from there.

“I’m coming back because I feel good, not because we’re shorthanded; that’s part of the game. Kevin is out, maybe Rondo. But there is no pressure to come back out here. I wouldn’t do that to myself, or to my body, especially at this stretch of my career.’’

Garnett is expected to travel with the team but not play against the Heat, Atlanta (Friday), or Toronto (Sunday).

“I wouldn’t be shocked to see us play sloppy, but we’re going to have to figure out a way to win the game,’’ Rivers said. “We were concerned with this stretch when I looked at the schedule when it came out - and that’s when we had all our players.

“We’ve just got to get through it, keep our heads above water during this period. It’s a tough three-game stretch, with guys coming back, guys being sick, guys being injured. But it happens and we just have to work our way through it.’’

Practice concluded with a first unit of Pierce and Brian Scalabrine at forward, Rasheed Wallace at center, and Ray Allen and Rondo at guard. Allen is expected to match up with Dwyane Wade tonight.

“Last game, we had a great rhythm on offense,’’ Allen said of Saturday’s 103-96 win over Toronto. “Everybody was getting good shots and we weren’t forcing shots, bad shots, taking tough shots early - just executing every play to the second and third option. That’s what makes the offense a lot easier, and everybody getting shots.

“With J.R. [Giddens] and Tony [Allen] in there, they’re not used to getting a lot of shots. I’m telling them, when the ball comes to you, don’t hesitate. We’re putting you in a situation where the ball’s swung two or three times, it’s OK to shoot the ball. You’re wide open, so shoot the ball, and it definitely makes the offense look better.

“And we’re not giving them easy stuff off the defense, where they’re running off turnovers and bad shots. We’re able to get back and set up our defense.’’

Ray Allen on the Celtics’ 24-8 record, tied with Cleveland (27-9) for best in the Eastern Conference: “We don’t worry about it. We figure we’re the best team, the team to beat. So every day we’re trying to figure out how to get better, and I think over the course of the season, getting healthy is part of it. Everybody’s got aches and pains, nicks and bruises. We all deal with it, so that’s part of it.’’

If you could have any NBA job

Which would it be?

People ask me that a surprising amount. It's a silly question: I have the best job I could imagine, and nobody in the NBA wants to hire me to do anything interesting anyway.

But I have come up with the right answer: Owner!

That's the NBA job I want. Your mission is to be involved, but not too involved. To hire the right people and trust them. (By the way, one way to demonstrate your trust is to go on amazing and long vacations.) To be strategic. To be judicious at most times, but occasionally daring as all get-out.

It's also always nice to get to make big decisions unencumbered, which in the NBA only owners and David Stern get to do.

And more than anything, you have to be passionate about the team, and express that passion in appropriate ways to fans, sponsors and basketball staff.

I'm telling you, I would be good at this.

But, alas, no one has yet offered me that job, nor the billions required to force my way in. But if you want to know which NBA job I covet, that's it.

But let's be clear: That job is no bed of roses.

Because along with all that responsibility and power come unbelievably big bills. Unless you're an owner in New York, L.A. or Chicago, it's wicked expensive to run a team. I mean, honestly, I kind of hate, for instance, how much my gym membership costs. It's a great gym and get a lot out of it. An NBA team is like that, only instead of $200 a month for the family plan, it's like you have to pay to construct the entire gym from scratch every week. All the land. All the bulldozers, the foundation, the framers, the sheetrockers, electricians ... the whole deal. And then when it's all done you just sign it over to your injured power forward and start again the next week.

And sometimes you get that money back.

Other times, not so much.

So, consider the Miller family that now runs the Utah Jazz. The team was mainly the passion of their father, who recently passed away. Larry H. Miller's son Greg, who is the CEO of the team, is a guy with a lot of passions. He's really into the Toyota dealership his dad bought that started the family empire. He's into the racetrack the family owns. He's into adventures with his kids, and biking. And, yes, he's also into the Utah Jazz. He swears he is.

But what a tough time to be at the helm of that deal. They are working with a business model where the team has to be more or less economically self-sufficient, and therefore, as you can read at the link above, they have long determined not to spend above the luxury tax line, which makes sense especially as they in a minuscule market by NBA standards.

And, on top of all that, they got kind quadruple-bamboozled last summer. They had opportunities to cut some costs, but sensing a bad economy Kyle Korver, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur all passed up the glory of free agency to opt in to their Jazz contracts. Then the conniving Blazers signed one of their best young players, Paul Millsap, to a front-loaded whopper of a free agent deal that the Jazz had to swallow hard to match. In addition, Matt Harpring -- a key contributor -- was lost to career-threatening injuries.

All that came after giving huge money to Andrei Kirilenko only to determine that, amazing though he may be, he's the kind of guy who needs to play alongside several other highly paid players.

That put them on course to become huge tax payers, around $12 million, even as the team arguably regressed in skill.

That's so much over the luxury tax line that they traded away a promising young guard in Eric Maynor (he had the play of the day last night for Oklahoma City) for a deck chair and a plate of cheese fries, just to shed salary.

Oh, and did I mention that the team has been really disappointing lately? Even though they have more or less the same squad that made the Western Conference Finals a couple of years ago, now they're around .500 and have lost three straight and six of the last ten.

Tough time to be an owner.

And here's where I am convinced that all most fans really want to hear is that you're not looking at the team for profits. You're looking to win. And you will keep putting money into the project, dammit. The owners who don't feel like that? They tend to be quiet and out of sight. (Notice how many owners are quiet and out of sight?)

Anyway, today marks the launch of a blog by Greg Miller. And in his first post about the Jazz, he walks a tough line. Fans are desperate for good news. Will that Carlos Boozer situation finally be resolved with a trade? Is there help on the way? Can you save us, dear owner, by waving your magic wand loaded with cash?

In his blog post, Miller says, essentially, that the team will not be spending its way out of trouble. My summary of his main points:
  • I love the Jazz.
  • We're spending a lot of money already.
  • We're trying to make trades, but trades are hard to make.
  • We will not take on long-term bad contracts.
  • We see the team as an asset. (This is important -- means it is not just an expensive hobby.)
  • We're telling you we're not throwing in the towel. (Isn't that assumed?)

You feeling inspired, Jazz fans?

Looking at things from Greg Miller's point of view, today's one day I'm OK being a blogger, instead of an owner. And if I were Greg? Maybe it's time for one of those killer vacations.

Raptors could have point guard controversy

Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon (R) returns to the lineup on Wednesday, but Jarrett Jack's performance in his absence has raised questions about the Spaniard's future.

Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon (R) returns to the lineup on Wednesday, but Jarrett Jack's performance in his absence has raised questions about the Spaniard's future.

TORONTO -- The problem with the Toronto Raptors' recent ascension to respectability, analytically speaking, is it is hard to know what is real and what is not because of the team's cushy schedule.

The quality of the Raptors' opponents always tempers the search for a cause to the effect -- namely six wins in their last seven games. Has the Raptors' defence become respectable because it has intrinsically improved, or did playing offensively inept teams such as New Jersey and Detroit exaggerate that? Is Sonny Weems really deserving of extra minutes, or has weak competition made him look more effective than he actually is?

And then, of course, there is the biggest question of all, at least in the short term: Are the Raptors really a better team with Jarrett Jack starting at point guard instead of Jose Calderon?

The question will likely become relevant Wednesday night, with Jose Calderon a good bet to return from a hip injury that had him in a suit for 12 of the last 13 games, and the better part of that other one, too. The odds are, with Calderon trying to find his game form, Jack will keep his starting role, at least for the three games this week.

However, if Calderon returns to peak health, there will be a debate as to which point guard should start for the remainder of the season, or at least for the next month or so. It will be T.J. Ford versus Calderon Redux, except none of the guards will have huge insecurity issues about coming off of the bench.

While Calderon makes the Raptors a more complex offensive team, Jack should be given the chance to steer the starting unit for the foreseeable future.

The facts are these: Calderon started the first 22 games of the year, and the Raptors went 9-13, playing historically bad defensive basketball. Jack has started the last 13 games and the Raptors have gone 8-5 in those contests, approaching acceptable defence, if not excellence, in the process. During Jack's tenure as starter, six of Toronto's opponents have shot 41% from the field or worse -- unheard of for the early-season Raptors -- while seven opponents have scored 95 points or less.

Yes, that period overlaps with the Raptors moving to a more aggressive defensive scheme, but Jack, a more capable one-on-one defender than Calderon, is no small reason for the progress.

Additionally, Jack does not need the ball in his hands to be effective, which has given Hedo Turkoglu more opportunity to distribute. Accordingly, at least before he hurt his knee and got a cold, Turkoglu was playing his most effective basketball of the season. Jack has also proven to be able to get into the paint on occasion, giving the starting unit a second player aside from Chris Bosh with an ability to get to the free-throw line.

Calderon, too, could benefit. There might be such a thing as having too many offensive weapons on the floor (especially when it comes at the expense of defence), and Calderon is an elite shooter. He has shot 52% from the floor this year and 40% from three-point territory, which is actually low for him. He could thrive as a player whose first task is to provide instant offence off of the bench instead of getting each of his teammates involved. Judging by the season's first 20-plus games, the former was not working exceedingly well.

Eventually, the Jack-Calderon issue could very well become a long-term debate, with trading one or the other a necessity. Calderon is under contract for three years after this one, owed more than US$29-million over that span. That is a lot of money to be tied up to a reserve, considering Jack is tied up for the same length at less than 60% of the price.

That is an integral bookkeeping question, but one for another day. For now, Jack has fit in with the starting group well, and there is no reason to upset that.

Sixers, Iverson happy together

PHILADELPHIA — It's not that Allen Iverson expected the 76ers to guarantee his contract for the rest of the season, which they had to do by today. He said he just never thought about it.

The Sixers could have released him by today and not owed him any money for the rest of the season. Iverson signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Sixers for the veterans minimum of $1.3 million Dec. 2.

He began the season with the Memphis Grizzlies, but left the team after three games and briefly announced his retirement.

"I hadn't been having fun for a long time," Iverson said. "I'm back to feeling good about basketball and coming in and going to work, and feeling good about the people around me, and my situation."

Iverson had played in nine games with the Sixers before Tuesday's game against the Washington Wizards. He has averaged 15.7 points and 4.7 assists in 33.2 minutes per game.

Those numbers are well off his career numbers of 26.9 points per game in 41.3 minutes per game.

Iverson is struggling with an arthritic knee, which forced him to miss four games recently.

"The only frustrating part of the whole thing was getting into playing shape and dealing with my knee," Iverson said. "That's been the only rough part. As far as the fans and city embracing me like they did from Day 1, that's been great. That was something that I really wanted to happen. It made me feel that much more comfortable."

Iverson said he wants to help the team reach its potential.

"This is something I want to be a part of at this point in my career," Iverson said.

Arenas and guns

Sixers coach Eddie Jordan has known embattled Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas for the previous four-plus seasons when Jordan was the team's coach.

Arenas has gotten himself into trouble lately after bringing unloaded guns into the Wizards locker room. He denied reports that he and teammate Javaris Crittenton drew guns on each other, saying rather that he was joking around when he brandished a gun in the locker room.

When asked about Arenas' personality, Jordan replied: "The impression I have of him is that he's a heck of a 3-point shooter. He drives to the basket. He's an assassin on the floor. He's a real good player. That's what we have to prepare for. That's all I'm concerned about with Gilbert Arenas."

Later, Jordan said he shouldn't have used the word "assassin" to describe Arenas.

Rookie Rankings: Plenty of choices for 'steal of the Draft'

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With moves like this, Detroit's Jonas Jerebko has a strong case for the biggest steal of the Draft.

Based on the emails I receive each week, the biggest debate among my readers is this: Who is the biggest steal of the draft?

Usually, the question is phrased in the form of an insult, in all caps, as in, "WHY ISN'T CHASE BUDINGER ON YOUR LIST" or "DEJUAN BLAIR IS THE STEAL OF THE DRAFT. YOUR (sic) AN IDIOT."

I get the drift, and it is a fun debate, especially since this draft has a plethora of "steals". I realize that Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans could be considered steals, but for this exercise, we're going to focus solely on the second-round picks. Let's take a look at the candidates (beginning with the lowest drafted player):

Chase Budinger, Rockets (44th pick)
Budinger was the early leader for steal of the draft after giving the Rockets energy and hustle off the bench. Budinger hasn't played since he injured his ankle Dec. 19, but his 8.2 points per game in just 18.5 minutes per game put him among the most productive rookies.

Marcus Thornton, Hornets (43rd pick)
Thornton has been a pleasant surprise for the Hornets and scored in double-digits in six games straight in November. With Jeff Bower taking over as coach, Thornton's playing time increased and you can bet Hornets fans are happy with this low-cost, second-round pickup.

Jonas Jerebko, Pistons (39th pick)
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Jerebko. He's been on my rankings since late November and it's hard not to love his hustle and energy. With injuries to Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton, Jerebko has made the most of his opportunity, winning over fans (if you don't believe me, check out this video) and his teammates while averaging 8.7 points (eighth among rookies) in 28 minutes per game.

DeJuan Blair, Spurs (37th pick)
After being projected as a lottery pick by many Web sites, Blair fell to the second round when the Spurs nabbed him with what Greg Popovich called a "no brainer". Blair is currently second among rookies in rebounding with 5.7 per game and first in rebounds per 40 minutes. Blair's got a strong case.

Sam Young, Grizzlies (36th pick)
Young is 12th amont gookies in scoring at 7.9 points per game -- and he's doing it in just 17.0 minutes per game. That puts him fifth amont all rookies for points per 48 minutes (22.3).

It's early, yes, but my pick for steal of the draft at this point in the season would be Jerebko. The impact he has had on the Pistons has been obvious and the fact that he's from Sweden makes it that much of a shrewd move. His energy and ability to play various positions will keep him in the league a long time and only help his case as the steal of the 2009 Draft.

So what do you think? Which player do you think will be the steal of this draft? Who am I overlooking?

(And yes, you can write in lowercase.)


Glut of talent can't mask Wizards' problems on defense

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Coach Flip Saunders (center) is still trying to get his defense-first message across in Washington.

The Washington Wizards have some serious problems to deal with off the court. Gilbert Arenas admitted Monday to bringing four guns to the team's locker room in December, a violation of the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

But the Wizards had problems before Arenas brought those guns to the Verizon Center. On the court, they've been the biggest disappointment in the league and, at 11-21, are 11th in the weak Eastern Conference after Tuesday's comeback win over the Sixers.

With the talent they have, the Wizards should be battling the Hawks for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Instead, they're battling the Pistons and Pacers for lottery combinations.

After a loss last Tuesday in which they allowed the Thunder -- not a strong offensive team whatsoever -- to score 110 points on 54 percent shooting, Wizards coach Flip Saunders blasted his team's defense.

"They can't guard anybody," Saunders said. "You know, I think I can go out there on that floor and take anybody on our team one-on-one, 52 years old, and drive right around them.

Since then, the Wizards have had four strictly defense practices, with a loss to the Spurs mixed in.

The Wizards are 20th in the league defensively, giving up 105.3 points per 100 possessions. That's not good. But it's also not much worse than could be reasonably expected for a roster not made to defend well.

The three most talented players -- former All-Stars Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison -- simply aren't very good defenders. There are role players who are good defensively, but if the Wizards' stars aren't leading the charge, the defense will never be very good.

So Saunders may be fighting a losing battle with his team's defense. Even worse, though, may be the offense ... especially when you consider the team's talent level.

Washington ranks 23rd offensively, scoring just 101.6 points per 100 possessions. Yet considering the talent level, the Wizards should be the Suns of the Eastern Conference: a top five offensive club that plays just enough defense.

"That's what we want to be," Jamison said. "You don't have to be the best defensive team. You've got to be somewhere in the middle of the pack. Offensively, we have a lot of weapons that we can make it difficult."

But 10 weeks into the season, those weapons are mostly silent. Injuries to Jamison (shoulder) and Mike Miller (calf) have been a small factor, but the bigger problem is the team's poor shooting. Of the five guards and wings who have been playing (Miller has yet to return), none is shooting better than 43 percent.

"We're clicking when we move the ball and we're aggressive going toward the basket," Jamison said. "When we're a one-pass, one-shot team and it's straight jump shots, we put ourselves in a position where it's difficult to win games consistently."

The Wizards' rank 27th in assist-to-field goal ratio and score 38 percent of their points in the paint, which is 26th in the league. Their offense is much more efficient (105.6 points per 100 possessions) when their assist-to-field goal ratio is above their season average of 50.2 percent than when the ratio is below the average (98.0 points per 100 possessions). But the ball movement is inconsistent from quarter to quarter and game to game.

Despite all these shortcomings, Jamison still has hope.

"I still think right now is a pretty good opportunity where we can salvage the season and really move up in the standings," he said. "And given time, you could see this team putting together a string of wins."

The Arenas situation may prevent that from happening. If he's suspended for more than a few games, the team's attempt to rally may be over before it starts. With their best scorer and playmaker gone, the Wizards' talent and depth is compromised.

Such a scenario may expedite the deconstruction of Washington's roster, which would be a good thing long-term for this flawed team. The Wizards should be contenders, but even at their best, their defensive DNA is what's keeping them from getting to that point.

Worse yet, the Wizards have no financial flexibility. Even before the gun incident, Arenas' contract was looking like a $111 million mistake. In today's NBA, that kind of mistake is impossible to fix overnight.

All of that means that the situation in Washington, both on and off the court, is likely to get worse before it gets better.


Hornets running out of time to reach their promise

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Chris Paul and David West (right) are trying to turn the slow-starting Hornets into a playoff team.

As Yogi Berra might have said if he'd ever dribbled a basketball through the French Quarter: It's getting late early for the New Orleans Hornets.

The brand new year has just begun and already the Hornets' season is on the brink. Even after Monday night's 91-87 win at Utah, New Orleans is just 3-13 on the road. That doesn't bode well for a team that is still facing 10 of its next 15 away from home.

"It's the hurdle that we're going to have to get over, finding a way to win road games," point guard Chris Paul said recently. "It's usually the measure of being a good team."

What the Hornets have become since coach Byron Scott was fired on Nov. 12 after a 3-6 start is a thoroughly mediocre team, treading water and getting by on a steady diet of home cooking. New Orleans has just three home losses, the same as the L.A. Lakers, Cleveland, Orlando and Denver, all considered championship contenders.

"It's about developing a toughness and a consistency and always doing the right things that we have to do late in games," Paul said.

The Hornets did all of those right things at home on Saturday night when they trailed Houston by seven with three minutes left to play and then practically ran the table to win the game. With Paul controlling the ball and game, the Hornets got good shots on seven consecutive possessions to finish the game.

Then Paul took the final minutes into the palm of his hand against the Jazz, scoring buckets, dishing a big assist to David West and sealing the win with a critical steal off a pass from Deron Williams.

"You can talk about new players getting adjusted to a new team and everybody trying to learn their roles, which might be different from before," said center Emeka Okafor, who came from Charlotte during the offseason in the trade for Tyson Chandler. "But we're more than 30 games and more than two months into the season now and that phase is over. We should be comfortable now. It's time to click."

Yet the Hornets (16-16) have continued to clunk along at a .500 pace since general manager Jeff Bower took over the coaching duties. Too often they don't play defense and most of the time they grasp vainly to find offensive support for the 1-2 punch of Paul and West. On Dec. 29 in a game at Houston, the Hornets managed to lose a game which West scored a career-high 44 points and Paul hung up a triple-double.

"We're working toward getting the results," Bower said. "At this point we've battled through some injuries and some changes and trying to become a strong group. Every year you start over. Every group has to build that energy, build that synergy between them."

Truth is, the Hornets haven't had the energy or the synergy since they won 56 games in the 2007-08 season and at home lost in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs to San Antonio. Despite making their way back to the playoffs a year ago, the meek first-round loss to Denver -- including that embarrassing 121-63 home loss in Game 4 -- still acts as an anchor around the Hornets' identity.

"It's something that we've got to put completely in the past and I'm not sure we're there yet," said forward James Posey, who came to New Orleans as a free agent last season.

"I think a year ago, what you saw was a young team that thought you just picked up where you left off the from the previous season. A lot of guys didn't understand that you have to build everything from square one. We did eventually put ourselves into a good situation getting into the playoffs. But again, I think there was a feeling that you were just picking up with that Game 7 against San Antonio from the year before and before you knew it, Denver hit us.

"Coach Scott was a veteran player of championship teams and he was aware of those potential problems and he talked about that. But sometimes talk doesn't work. You have to live through the experience that we had last season in the playoffs. When we came back this season, in a way I think some people were still shell-shocked. Then we had changes to the roster and it was a lot to digest. So we dug ourselves a hole and now we're trying to climb out."

While Bower has been unable to settle on a consistent lineup -- often keeping Okafor on the bench for entire fourth quarters -- the team has been unable to establish a real identity and that leaves questions swirling around the franchise once again.

"I have a contract with the Hornets and I'm not looking to go anyplace else," Paul said. "This is where I want to be and this is where I plan to stay. I'm happy in New Orleans and I'll be happier when we get things going right this season."

The Hornets were forced to practically give away shooter Rasual Butler to the Clippers over the summer strictly to trim salary, but they're still dealing with a $74 million payroll that puts them well over the $69.9 million luxury tax threshold. A cost-cutting deal that would have sent Devin Brown to Minnesota last week was sunk at the last minute when Brown wouldn't re-work his contract.

If the Hornets don't make a dramatic turnaround with their road record and jump solidly into the Western Conference playoff picture -- they're currently two games out of the No. 8 spot -- there could be an inclination to deal West and his $9 million salary before the Feb. 18 trade deadline.

"I still have a lot of confidence in this team," said Paul. "I think we can get it together. But we've got to do it soon."

With 10 more road games this month and a season on the brink, you don't need a clock or Yogi to know it's getting late early in New Orleans.