Nets trade Najera for Humphries, release Williams

SAN ANTONIO -- Sean Williams, a Nets first-round pick, was viewed as the possible successor to Kenyon Martin as a shot blocking, rebounding big man.

Eduardo Najera signed a four-year, $14.25 million contract before last season with the hope he could bring a tough, enforcer presence while serving as a mentor to the Nets' younger players.

Williams had problems off the court and magnified them when the Nets dispatched him to the D-League to work on his game last season and he behaved terribly. Najera essentially became Carl Pavano, never healthy. Now Williams will be released, while Najera is headed to Dallas for Kris Humphries in an agreed-upon trade that will be finalized tomorrow.

So the Nets, who bought out and waived Rafer Alston on Tuesday, continue a veteran purge in their 3-33 nightmare season that continues tonight against the Spurs here (7 p.m., YES, WBBR 1130 AM).

"I'm still here and I'm just looking forward to our next practice and our next game," said Williams, a 4.3 point, 3.5 rebound performer in 126 career games who played dumb about his status.

The Nets won't go the buyout route to create the roster spot. Williams will be waived outright, as the Nets take on two bodies from the Mavericks for Najera, 33, and a $2.4 million trade exception. They'll get Humphries, 25 next month, a 6-foot-9, sixth-season energizer who has been nondescript with three teams, and Shawne Williams, who also will be waived.

Humphries ($3.2 million) adds at least $200,000 to Nets payroll next season, but it's one less year. The trade will be finalized when the NBA offices re-open tomorrow.

Najera played 27 games last season, 13 this year.

Team sources who confirmed the deal said the Nets also are looking to deal other veterans as they prep for the big free agent summer. They're shopping Josh Boone (interest, nothing close), Tony Battie (some interest) and Bobby Simmons (not much interest). Figure Boone goes next.

* Devin Harris (sore right wrist) and Tony Battie (left leg cramp) sat out practice. Harris was headed for X-rays.

Orlando Magic notes: Vince Carter sits out against the Atlanta Hawks because of his left-shoulder sprain

Orlando Magic SG Vince Carter, who didn't play in Saturday's game, said he has a painful but mild separation in his left shoulder and he has no timetable on his return. He said there was no discussion of possible surgery with the team doctor Craig Mintzer.

"Day-to-day, I guess," Carter said before the club faced the Atlanta Hawks. "It's all the same to me: sprain, separation, pain. They're all intertwined. It made for some uncomfortable sleep."

J.J. Redick started in Carter's place.

Carter was injured Friday night when he ran into a pick set by Washington Wizards forward Andray Blatche. Carter said he heard a "loud pop" when he ran into Blatche. "I've had a bruised shoulder before and this didn't feel the same," he said.

The terms "separation" and "sprain" are interchangeable when they involve the shoulder joint.

Carter said the team put him through a series of "basketball movements" Saturday morning that were "very uncomfortable."

Carter managed a laugh describing a funny moment when the team prepared to board its plane after the loss to the Wizards. He said he could not lift his arm high enough to satisfy a TSA security agent who was searching him with a wand. "He tried lifting my arm and that's when it really hurt," Carter said.

Status quo — for now

Aside from Redick subbing for Carter, Stan Van Gundy put the same starting lineup on the court that he had used in previous games: Jameer Nelson at point guard, Matt Barnes at small forward, Rashard Lewis at power forward and Dwight Howard at center.

But Van Gundy left open the possibility that he'll make some changes in the future.

"We're gonna have to look at some things after this," Van Gundy said before tipoff. "I think that's it's really tough in these stretches where you don't practice to make a lot of significant changes in your lineups. So, there may be more changes coming."

Layups

● Van Gundy said he'd play PF Ryan Anderson against the Hawks. Van Gundy hadn't played Anderson in Orlando's previous two games because he felt PF Brandon Bass matched up better against the Toronto Raptors and the Wizards.

● Against the Raptors and the Wizards, Bass totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes. But Bass said it's been tough to get into a groove offensively. "I've been helping through defending and rebounding," Bass said. "I don't have [any] offensive rhythm. I think that comes with time, just playing consistently and getting on the floor with the offense. But effort — I've been playing with a lot of effort when I'm out there."

● Redick's start was his seventh of the season. He started five games last season.

● The Magic entered Saturday with a 3-5 record in the second contest of back-to-back games. The Hawks were 5-4.

Tania Ganguli, Josh Robbins and Brian Schmitz

High stakes: In wake of Gilbert Arenas incident, NBA Commissioner Stern & teams rethink card games

Coming home from road trips during their run of success in the previous decade, the Detroit Pistons did what most NBA teams do when they get on the team plane. They cracked open a new deck of cards and got down to some serious playing.

Although the pot was once was said to have approached $100,000, there was never any serious trouble, according to a person who regularly traveled with the team.

Now contrast that with the Washington Wizards, whose gun play over reported gambling debts, accrued during card games on team flights, has resulted in Gilbert Arenas' indefinite suspension and made for an ugly situation for the NBA.

"Guns and gambling — those are two words that carry a lot of emphasis, and it's not very good," said Knicks president Donnie Walsh. "This is not good for the league."

A league spokesman left the question of what David Stern intends to do about high-stakes card games open-ended, saying, "we've always viewed those as team decisions." The Nets and Wizards both said this past week they had prohibited gambling on team flights.

But other teams are still allowing players to gamble because, even if pots can be seen as excessive, the majority of players have shown over the years that they can act responsibly. One former Knicks executive recalled a point during the Patrick Ewing era when the stakes got too high. Management stepped in, demanded changes and the situation was resolved without incident.

This time, because of the publicity surrounding the gun play, Stern might be forced to crack down on high-stakes games.

"David will try to curtail it," said a former league executive. "He knows it's been going on for years. I don't know how he can do it. But the stakes in some of these games have gotten out of control."

The timing can't be worse. The NBA has just been emerging from a gambling scandal involving former ref Tim Donaghy.
It still is taking heat for putting its All-Star Game in Las Vegas in 2007. Earlier this season, Stern came under fire when he talked favorably about a day when there would be nationally legalized gambling on NBA games. But over the last week, the Wizards' high-stakes game and gun play has put the spotlight closer to home, and on a facet of NBA life as common as the players' per diem.

Card games have been a staple of NBA travel for decades, with coaches and even team executives sometimes getting into the action. One Eastern Conference GM, who said that he will continue to allow his team's card games, predicted that Stern might try to put in a rule that prohibits gambling and use the same language that covers the league's gun laws.

Players are not permitted to bring firearms onto team property or to team functions. Arenas violated that rule in bringing several unloaded firearms to the locker room. A report in the Washington Post said that Wizards reserve Javaris Crittenton also had a gun and loaded it during his confrontation with Arenas.

"Stern could say to the players, "when you're traveling, it's not on your time; you're still on the team's time," said the official. "And, you're traveling on a team plane. So you're on team property. That way, he could make the card games illegal."

But then he might also have to explain to his 400 players why he agrees to have his games shown on one of the league's primary broadcasting partners, ESPN, which is home to numerous poker tournament shows.

Unless Stern steps in and tries to limit the stakes, several GMs said that they are not going to cut off one of the players' favorite activities. The Knicks' Larry Hughes compared the games to activities at family outings, and is among the many players and coaches who point out that most have been run without incident. While there have been fights in the past over a player's failure to pay his debts, the Wizards took it to the extreme after returning from a pre-Christmas trip to the West.

"This Arenas thing is one team with a couple of idiots who obviously had a trust problem," said a second Eastern Conference GM. "Believe me, when the stakes get high, you can get nervous. But if you've got good people who have a level of trust between them, there won't be a problem."

The Wizards' dispute reportedly involved a game that featured a $60,000 pot. While players and executives talk about "friendly card games," they might have a hard time convincing their fans because of the excessive stakes.

"But relative to what the players make, the money is not crazy to them," said a former league official. "What you and I look at as ridiculous sums of money, to them, it's not. Putting thousands into a card game and seeing the pot grow, it's when things get interesting for these guys."

But in this case, it also has managed to create more image problems for the NBA.

"This just reinforces to people that we've got a bunch of rich, spoiled athletes who act irresponsibly," said one Eastern Conference team president. "It's one more thing we'll have to fight."

Over the Hill

The same day that Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings collected his second straight Eastern Conference rookie of the month award, Jordan Hill, the Knicks' No. 1 pick, was hardly dominating a game of four-on-four at practice.

In fact, Hill barely stood out in the halfcourt game involving backup players.

Hill's feel for the game and work ethic haven't been what the Knicks expected, which accounts for his limited playing time in 11 of the first 35 games.

The Knicks still have high hopes for Hill, but their decision to pass over Jennings continues to generate a negative backlash. The latest rumor had Knicks president Donnie Walsh telling his scouts that they blew it and can't afford another drafting mistake.

"That's all a bunch of bull----," Walsh said the other day. "I never did anything like that. Any innuendo that I'm displeased with my staff, I'm not. In fact, when I got here I went through the first draft with them, I liked their work, and I re-signed most of them."

The Bucks were only 3-11 last month, so Jennings' play didn't translate into wins. He has had his share of ups and downs since scoring 55 points in his seventh NBA game and helping the Bucks to a 7-2 start. That combined with the Knicks' 9-6 December, including impressive wins over Portland, Atlanta, New Orleans and Phoenix has taken some of the heat off of Walsh.

What won't help the Knicks is that Jennings could win the Eastern rookie award for the next four months. Since the top seven picks went to Western Conference teams, his main competition is seen as the two players taken ahead of him, Hill and Toronto's Demar DeRozan, who starts but is averaging only 20 minutes a game. But it's really only a two-horse race. As Bucks coach Scott Skiles noted, "Jordan Hill doesn't play."

The Wizards incident has brought gambling by NBA players into the spotlight, but Hornets say they have control over contests involving wagering

After a practice last December at the Alario Center, Hornets point guard Chris Paul playfully enticed forward Ike Diogu into a 3-point shooting contest. Paul easily made his three attempts, and Diogu missed several.

When the game ended, Paul shouted "double or nothing," and Diogu -- perhaps foolishly -- tried his luck again, but still could not make a shot. Paul, however, made another, and they both walked off the court grinning.

No money was exchanged in the gym, but several Hornets players acknowledged this past week that high-stakes shooting games at practices and card games on the team's charter flights occur often.

Forward David West said he has never seen anything get out of hand, such as what happened between Washington Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton, who got into a dispute over a card-playing gambling debt last month. The disagreement led to Arenas pulling out guns he had brought into the team's locker room. On Wednesday, the NBA suspended Arenas indefinitely. Federal and local law enforcement authorities are investigating the incident.

"All that stuff that's going on is not affecting us," Paul said. "We can't worry what other teams are doing. We have fun. It's all in fun for us. We haven't played a card game in a while, but all that type of stuff is personal."

A Hornets player said his teammates' game of choice on charter flights is Baccarat -- a point-based card game usually reserved for casinos.

Hornets guard Devin Brown said he only participates in pool-type wagering on half-court shots. Two weeks ago before a shootaround, all of the players met at midcourt, and each separately attempted a long-distance shot.

"It is just for fun -- that's all it is," Brown said. "You might have one or two people you might have shooting games with, where they try to make a shot for $100. I only do the team shooting game, where we put some in there and do that by taking five or six shots from half court.

"When I played in Utah, Coach (Jerry) Sloan didn't want guys to play cards because he didn't want cliques to form throughout his team. We also couldn't do it when I played for San Antonio."

But former Hornets Coach Byron Scott often challenged players to shooting contests on light practice days, and he usually won. At a practice last season, Scott was seen holding a small sheet of paper that he said was a checklist of players that owed him money from various contests.

NBA Insider: Ron Artest’s injuries not that crazy

Guard Ron Artest returned to the Lakers lineup Wednesday night after missing five games with a concussion, a cut on the back of his head that required staples and another cut on his elbow that required stitches.

According to Artest, he fell down a flight of stairs at his Beverly Hills home, hours after the Lakers Christmas Day loss to Cleveland. He said he was unconscious for two to three minutes before his wife found him lying on the ground.

Taken to the UCLA Medical Center emergency room, Artest said he suffered short-term memory loss and was dizzy for several days.

Artest’s accident is the latest example how well conditioned athletes find bizarre ways to be sidelined away from the stadium or arena.

But Artest’s story pales compared to legendary injuries suffered by professional athletes.

A list of the top 30 strangest "off-the-field” pro sports injuries is full of freak stories.

Not eligible for the list are in-game injuries or motorcycle or skiing accidents.

A few "high profile” in-game injuries also weren’t eligible for the list, though they should have been.

→Cardinals kicker Bill Gramatica would have been a candidate for the top spot. Gramatica punctuated a 42-yard field goal nine years ago by jumping for joy. He landed awkwardly, resulting in a season-ending knee injury.

→Former TU and NFL quarterback Gus Frerotte also suffered a self-inflicted injury. Frerotte celebrated a touchdown by head-butting a padded wall, knocking himself woozy.

→Clarence Blethen, a 30-year-old rookie with the Red Sox in 1923, removed his false teeth when he pitched. He forgot to putt them back in when he batted, leaving them in his back pocket. While sliding into second base to break up a double play, Climax bit himself in the rear end.

→One of the more gruesome "freak” in-game injuries was Swiss soccer player Paulo Diogo tore off part of his finger when his wedding ring got caught in a fence he scaled in celebration. Ironically, Diogo received a yellow card for excessive celebration.

→Point guard Muggsy Bogues once missed the second half of a game when he became disoriented after he accidentally inhaled ointment during halftime treatment of a sore muscle.

Artest is one of only three NBA players on the Top 30 "strange off-the-field” injury list, which is dominated by Major League Baseball players.

Most of the top 30 you’ve heard before. A few you probably haven’t heard about.

You might disagree with the order they’re ranked with a countdown from No. 30 to No. 1. But similar to Artest’s recent mishap, each one certainly is unique.

Blazers guard Steve Blake says he will return Sunday against Cavaliers

Trail Blazers point guard Steve Blake, who has missed the past four games with pneumonia, said he will return to action Sunday against Cleveland.

Blake on Sunday completed his second consecutive practice, this time under the watchful eye of team doctor Tom Reis. After Blake completed a strenuous 2-on-2 workout, during which he teamed with Shavlik Randolph against Patty Mills and Jeff Pendergraph, Reis took his blood pressure and vitals. Blake said everything was fine.

"I'm going to tell them I'm ready to go,'' a sweat-drenched Blake said.

Blake said athletic trainer Jay Jensen mentioned a possible limit on his playing time - perhaps five minutes a half - but Blake said he shouldn't be limited for health reasons.

"I told Jay if I'm ready to go, I will go 100 percent, and play me as much as coach wants me to play,'' Blake said. "I said I would let them know if something was wrong.''

Blake said he lost 8 pounds during his sickness, which required him to be hospitalized for two days. On Sunday, Blake not only looked recovered, he looked peppy on the court, at times blowing past Mills while displaying some moves that drew some "oohs" from assistant Bill Bayno.

"I felt good,'' Blake said. "Whenever you get a break like that you get energized, for sure. Even though I lost a lot of energy and lost some weight, mentally I'm ready to go. That felt good. It was fun.''

Blake is averaging 7.6 points and 3.6 assists and is shooting a team-best 39 percent from three-point range (57-for-146). He is averaging 30 minutes a game.

Boo who? Allen Iverson skips trip to Detroit

No matter how bad things have gotten, suffering Pistons fans had one date marked on the calendar.

They could at least look forward to booing the symbol of everything that has gone wrong with the franchise over the last year and half.

But in this season of transition, fans were denied that pleasure Saturday, when Allen Iverson didn't make the trip with the 76ers to the Palace because of an injured left knee.

The knee was already sore, but he aggravated the injury Friday night in a loss to the Raptors, and the 76ers announced he wouldn't make the trip.

That's little consolation for those who believe last season's trade of Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Iverson marked the end of the Pistons' era of Eastern Conference dominance.

But the 76ers, going through their own problems, have had nothing but positive things to say about the 14-year veteran.

"He's been better than we thought," coach Eddie Jordan said. "He's dealing with the knee issue.

"He's very diligent in his rehab and his work. He's been great in the locker room. He's been great on the floor. We just have to monitor his minutes. Allen likes to play a lot of minutes, and he's been great with that also."

The stats seem to show that Iverson has made an effort to fit in, as he is averaging only 14.6 points, but he is shooting a good percentage at 46.6%. He also averages 4.4 assists in 30.9 minutes.

Still, Pistons fans remember how his presence caused chemistry problems on the team.

But coach John Kuester, who coached him when both were in Philly years ago, scoffed at the notion that Iverson avoided returning to Detroit because he was afraid of a few boos.

"Allen Iverson is one of the ultimate competitors," Kuester said. "When you turn the lights on, he's going to go out and play."

NOTEBOOK: Rodney Stuckey (sore right knee) said he would give it go against the Sixers. He said he heard his knee make a popping sound Wednesday night at San Antonio. He missed the fourth quarter in the loss.

J.J. Redick shines as starter in place of Vince Carter

J.J. Redick's consistently strong play has been one of the few constants so far this season for the Orlando Magic. Even as the team slogged through its recent four-game losing streak, Redick continued to play well.

On Saturday, Redick showed what he can do as a starter.

With Vince Carter sitting out the game with a sprained left shoulder, Redick moved up to the first unit and scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting as the Magic routed the Atlanta Hawks 113-81.

"I've said it all along: He's just a guy that I think we've come to trust," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said afterward. "He's not going to make mistakes. He's a tough guy. He's gonna compete hard."

Redick displayed his competitive streak Saturday on a relatively meaningless play long after the game's outcome had been decided. With just under 10 minutes remaining and Orlando ahead by 26 points, Redick missed a 3-pointer from the right wing. The ball started to go out of bounds, but Redick chased it down. The Magic retained possession, and Ryan Anderson drained a shot from beyond the arc.

"If I'm out there, I'm going to try to play hard," Redick said. "The score doesn't matter. I'm trying to prove myself as a player, regardless of the score on the scoreboard."

That kind of effort has made Redick a fan favorite at Amway Arena.

No Magic player runs up or down the court harder than Redick does, and perhaps only Matt Barnes, Dwight Howard and Jason Williams react to referees' questionable calls as demonstrably as Redick does.

Saturday night's game also tested his defensive abilities.

He defended Joe Johnson, Atlanta's top scorer, and helped limit Johnson to seven points on 2-of-9 shooting. Redick also guarded Jamal Crawford for long stretches, and Crawford scored 10 points.

Redick has acknowledged that he's not the NBA's quickest or most athletic player, but he kept up with Johnson and Crawford. In his fourth year as a pro, Redick has learned to anticipate plays and tactics.

"Now, he's not a half a count behind," Van Gundy said.

But Redick has made his name as a shooter, and after Saturday's game, he had made almost 43 percent of his 3-pointers this season.

He scored his final points of the game on a trey from the left corner with just over minute to go.

Not a bad way to cap a start.

More importantly to Redick, it was a perfect way to cap a win.

Foye flourishes at point guard during the absence of Arenas

There was silver lining Friday for Randy Foye, who had the unenviable task of meeting with investigators regarding the Gilbert Arenas weapons possession case, and he was one of four players fined by the Wizards for Tuesday's pregame stunt at Philadelphia in which Arenas pretended to shoot his teammates with his fingers.

But Foye also had a season-high 20 points in the win over Orlando as he slid back into the Wizards' starting five for the eighth time this season, a move that in part stemmed from that very stunt three days earlier. The final straw that led to the indefinite suspension of Arenas may also provide the long-sought opportunity for the fourth-year guard to solidify his place in the rotation.

"I have a certain comfort level now, where I feel as though I'm not looking over my shoulder," said Foye. "I feel I'm able to go out there, execute the offense and just play."

Foye, Nick Young, JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche were fined $10,000 each for their participation in the finger run episode, as played a premeditated role, falling down when Arenas "shot" them.

"The joke wasn't meant to harm anyone, but at the same time it was wrong, period," said Blatche. "I was involved in it. I fell, and I took my consequences for it. I took the fine, which I had no problem with. What was wrong was wrong."

With Arenas out, and Earl Boykins remaining in a reserve role, Foye could be right answer at point guard, and the return of Mike Miller after nearly seven weeks out with injury gives the Wizards (12-22) a multi-dimensional playmaker, rebounder and passer at the two-guard.

"There's going to be nights like I've done this year where I have to score," said Miller, who had just six points against the Magic. "Believe me, I hear the fans telling me to shoot more, whatever, but you know what, passing the ball, getting the ball poppin' is something that gets going. It's like a domino effect."

There is a still a void with Arenas out and Javaris Crittenton essentially reduced to a ghost-like presence since he remains injured but not officially suspended, but their teammates have not turned on them.

"We feel bad for the guys, but at the same time, we understand," said Foye. "You do something, there's always consequences. There's always karma, any type of way. I know they understand that. They're handling this as professionals, but you live and you learn from these situations. What don't kill you only makes you stronger."

But will Antawn Jamison's admission that "things might change" affect Washington's play?

"I don't think so," said Wizards president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld. "I think we're going take it one game at a time, see how we do. I think we showed that when we play up to our abilities, and when we play together, we play as a team, and we compete, rebound, move the ball, do the things necessary, that we can compete on a high level."

Assessing the Cavaliers' chances for Washington's Antawn Jamison: NBA Insider

PORTLAND, Ore. -- It is open season on some Washington Wizards right now -- Gilbert Arenas for critics and Antawn Jamison for trade speculation.

The Cavaliers and their fans only seem to care about Jamison, the talented stretch power forward with high character who seems destined to be traded as his team attempts to start anew.

It isn't a certainty, but several league executives said this week that the Wizards are listening to offers for every player on their roster and not ruling any sort of deal out.

"If you're running a team you can either sell success or you can sell hope but that's about it," said one high-ranking executive. "They've got a new owner coming [in Washington] and right now they sure can't sell success so you can understand why they are looking at some options to have hope by the [trade] deadline. You expect them to look at all their options to do it."

So where does that leave the Cavs and Jamison? Unlike so many trade scenarios between teams that crop up during every season, there is a natural trade that can be made. The Cavs can offer the Wizards salary relief by trading Zydrunas Ilgauskas straight up for Jamison, thus getting the Wizards off the hook for the $28 million.

That's not a deal that makes basketball sense, of course. But almost no trades that are being made these days are for talent reasons. With the Wizards thinking about re-making their team, moving the 33-year-old to give them flexibility actually makes some basketball sense over the long term in addition to big financial savings starting next year.

But it will not be that simple. The Wizards will probably want more, perhaps a prospect like J.J. Hickson and maybe even draft picks. The Cavs, of course, won't want to pay that price and may demand Ilgauskas be released as part of the deal. Because $28 million is still $28 million.

So there you have the basic negotiation.

The Wizards they may not want to even think about making a trade to help the Cavs, who have so much bad blood with them. Frankly, though, Washington may not end up having much of a choice, especially if it is committed to reducing future payrolls.

"There's no way the Wizards will want to make that deal with the Cavs," one general manager said last week. "It may come down to a tough decision because in reality there's not a lot of places they can send him if they want to get cap space. That's why it may not happen until the very last minute, they'll search for other options."

In other words, it isn't trading Jamison that's hard. It's trading Jamison for value that's tough. Trading him for straight cap relief, which may be the best thing for the team, is even tougher.

There's just not many potential suitors willing to offer expiring contracts. Simply put, teams aren't in the mood to take on that kind of money even for a forward who is still playing at an All-Star level.

The Dallas Mavericks don't mind taking on money and they had Jamison in the past. They also have some expiring contracts, so that's one legit option. The Orlando Magic have lots of assets but no expiring contracts and have a Jamison clone already in Rashard Lewis.

The Golden State Warriors are in the same position as Orlando. They have assets but not the expiring contracts. Plus would the Wizards trade the extremely loyal Jamison to the wasteland that is Golden State? Some think not.

The Houston Rockets have the ammo, namely the expiring Tracy McGrady contract, but they seem to be more interested in Caron Butler than Jamison because they have good power forwards on already on their roster.

But with all of those destinations there's no obvious deal. Except for the Cavs.

After those options, there's just a horde of teams that either are protecting cap space, don't have real assets (available young talent, expiring contracts) or aren't willing to spend the money Jamison will be making for the next two years.

Things change fast in the NBA. There's lots of executives who are creative and there's always the option of three-team trades that open up more chances. But until further notice, there's reason to speculate the Cavs and Wizards could end up doing business for one of the prime properties on the market.

Around The Association

BY THE NUMBERS
2,556: Average additional tickets home teams sell when the Cavs come to town, based on research done by the blog SuperSonic Soul. That leads the league, with the Lakers ranking second at 1,732 above the home team’s attendance average.
24: Consecutive games the Nets were outrebounded until Friday night in New Orleans. It broke the record held by the Charlotte Hornets during the 1988-89 season, which was 20 straight.
3: Grizzlies who average more than 18 points a game, the only team in the league with that distinction. They are Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and O.J. Mayo.
-- Brian WindhorstGambling bans: One of the collateral results of the Arenas suspension for having guns in the Wizards' locker room appears to be the start of a crackdown on gambling.

The disagreement between Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton stemmed from a card game played on a team flight from Phoenix to Washington. For years, players have commonly played and gambled on a French card game called Bourr or Boo-Ray.

The Wizards banned the card games right after the incident. Last week, the Nets told players that gambling on card games is no longer permitted on team flights. They are believed to be the first team to take that step but the New York Times reported the league is considering taking widespread action.

For years, the only team that openly encouraged a ban was the Utah Jazz and veteran coach Jerry Sloan, who said gambling between players had negative effects on the floor when he was a player.

"I don't have a no-card playing rule," Sloan told reporters in Salt Lake City. "I just told the players I don't want them playing for money. I've tried to legislate that a little bit because I know a lot of times players go back to the hotel and play cards."

No matter what the league may say, players often play privately on their own time. Also, betting on shooting games after practices and shootarounds is commonplace. Sometimes coaches get involved in such wagers.

"I don't want to be a cop and run around behind these guys and watch everything they do," Sloan said. "But I think things like [high stakes] card games are conducive to failure and, I think, you see it. Things happen and all of a sudden basketball isn't important. The other stuff becomes more important."

The other Kings rookie: Sacramento's Tyreke Evans has emerged as the top candidate for Rookie of the Year. But his teammate, rookie Omri Casspi, seems to be getting overlooked. Once a feel-good story because he was the first Israeli to be drafted in the first round, Casspi is no longer a sideshow.

In an era where most of the recent imports from Europe have been a disappointment, the 6-10 Casspi has overachieved and won fans over with his enthusiasm. He's fourth in scoring among all rookies at 13.2 points a game and leads them in 3-point shooting at 47 percent. His shooting has been a surprise because scouts predicted he'd be inconsistent before the draft.

Along with Evans and second-round hustle specialist Jon Brockman, Casspi is a big reason why there's so much excitement about the Kings' future.

Goading Gasol: Lakers coach Phil Jackson has a way of dryly insulting/challenging players, referees, the league office and even members of the media. He seems to be giving center Pau Gasol that treatment concerning his left hamstring injury, which happened when Gasol was simply jumping up and down getting loose before a game last Sunday.

Gasol missed the first 11 games of the season with a right hamstring injury, which featured several setbacks because Gasol didn't quite feel ready to play even though he had been cleared by team doctors.

He stopped short of blatantly calling his All-Star center "soft" when it came to injuries but it seems Jackson doesn't want Gasol to be so [overly?] cautious this time around. He was flicking at the issue in interviews with local media about how long Gasol will be out this time, especially when discussing what it might take for Gasol to allow himself to play.

"He'll have to be confident of where he's at," Jackson said. "He'll have to be fully assured that he's all right."

Ben Gordon scores 10 millionth point in NBA history

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Detroit's Ben Gordon has scored the 10 millionth point in NBA history.

The former Bull made a jumper with 3:51 left in the second quarter of the Pistons' game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night for the milestone point.

The first NBA points were scored by New York's Ossie Schectman on Nov. 1, 1946, at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens.

Controversial foul call won't make Derrick Rose change style

Derrick Rose is fouled as he goes up for a shot against Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut. (Morry Gash, Associated Press / January 8, 2010)

No, Derrick Rose did not relive via DVD his controversial charge in the last minute of the Bulls' loss Friday night in Milwaukee. His smile indicated he knows movies aren't enjoyable when you know an unhappy ending is coming.

"I know what I did," Rose said Saturday night before the Bulls beat the Timberwolves at the United Center. "He called it. There was nothing I could do about it."

The only question is when the second-year guard will receive the benefit-of-the-doubt calls typically afforded NBA stars, when an Andrew Bogut won't be able to draw a charge on Rose with 33.4 seconds left and the game in the balance.

"You hope it equals out at some point," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "I like the way Derrick has been aggressive. Some calls are going to go with you, and some aren't."

It's merely incumbent upon Rose to remain aggressive, no matter which way the whistle blows.

"I can't worry about anything else or what they call -- I just have to go out and play," Rose said. "If it was a messed-up call, they can evaluate it, too, so I'm not worried about that.

"That's not going to stop my game, getting a charge. ... As long as I'm staying aggressive, I'll always put the (other) team on their heels."

Fall of Troy: First the NCAA walloped Taj Gibson's college basketball team. Now his alma mater's football coach, Pete Carroll, appears bound for the Seahawks and the NFL.

"I know Pete real well, he always came to basketball games, talked to me many different times," the Bulls' rookie forward said. "(I'm) a little stunned. But it's a great opportunity."

A little Phil: Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis flashed a bit of the dry humor made famous by his former boss, Phil Jackson, when asked if he was surprised about his team ranking second in the league in free-throw attempts since Dec. 12.

"Third? That wouldn't surprise me," Rambis deadpanned. "But second, that surprises me."

Utah Jazz: Vote for Nash = Vote for D-Will

Fans voting for the NBA All-Star Game starters have done a decent job the past several seasons, but this year could end up being ridiculous.

Voting is just about over. Today, in fact, is the last day to turn in paper ballots, and Jan. 18 is the deadline for wireless and Internet voting.

That means there is precious little time to avoid a pair of travesties. If things don't change, Houston's Tracy McGrady will be a starting guard in the West, with Philadelphia's Allen Iverson a starting guard for the East.

McGrady, due mostly to injury and partly to ineffectiveness and the inability to help his team, has played in a grand total of six games this season. He's averaging 3.2 points in 7.7 minutes in his limited action. Not exactly All-Star numbers.

Yet McGrady is second only to the Lakers' Kobe Bryant in the voting for Western Conference guards — ahead of the likes of Steve Nash, Chris Paul and Deron Williams.

Iverson has put up slightly better numbers in his return to the 76ers this season, but he's still not close to being an All-Star. Between stints in Memphis and Philadelphia, Iverson had played in just 14 games and is averaging 14.8 points and 4.4 assists.

Again, there are literally dozens of guards in the NBA more deserving of an All-Star spot.

The league's coaches will make sure that many players who deserve All-Star status will get their due, since the coaches will pick the reserves. Still, for McGrady and Iverson to take spots from someone is just plain wrong.

It means that during this final week of online voting, Jazz fans who want Williams to have a better chance of being an All-Star should vote early and often — like they do in Chicago elections. But they shouldn't vote for Williams. They should vote for Nash and/or Paul.

Here's why: Williams is in seventh for Western Conference guards, with some 461,000 fewer votes than McGrady. There is no way D-Will can catch up. However, Nash is just 2,375 votes behind McGrady. That's a number that could easily be made up. Paul, meanwhile, is 45,208 votes behind McGrady. He, too, could conceivably catch McGrady with a late push.

And if Nash and/or Paul is voted in over McGrady, then the coaches will have one extra reserve spot for a guard on the All-Star bubble — like Williams.

So for this week only, votes for Nash and Paul are really votes for D-Will.

In any event, here are the 12 players from each conference that deserve to play in the All-Star Game in front of 80,000 fans at Jerry Jones' new palace of a ballpark in Dallas on Valentine's Day.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards

Carmelo Anthony, Denver — He's neck-and-neck with Kobe Bryant for the NBA's scoring lead and a major reason the Nuggets are again the team to beat in the Northwest Division.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City — The Thunder is in the thick of the playoff race thanks in large part to Durant's 28.4 points per game average.

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas — Playing like a top MVP candidate for the second-best team in the West, averaging 25 points and eight rebounds per game.

Tim Duncan, San Antonio — Mr. Consistency is one of only three players averaging 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds per outing.

Zach Randolph, Memphis — He isn't even on the All-Star ballot — yet he's clearly putting up All-Star numbers for the surprising Grizzlies. Randolph is another 20/10 player, averaging 20.5 points and 11.5 boards.

Centers

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix — After a couple of injury-riddled years, he's back playing at a level expected of him. He's averaging 20.8 points and 8.7 boards for the overachieving Suns.

Chris Kaman, L.A. Clippers — Don't laugh, but Kaman is actually having a better season than the Lakers' Andrew Bynum or any other center in the conference. He's averaging 20.4 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Guards

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers — The best player on the West's best team. Enough said.

Steve Nash, Phoenix — His numbers are every bit as good as they were in his back-to-back MVP seasons. He leads the NBA by dishing out 11.3 assists per game.

Chris Paul, New Orleans — Yes, he missed about a month of the season due to injury, but he's been amazing when he has played. He's second in the league in assists per game (10.8) while also scoring nearly 20 points per outing.

Brandon Roy, Portland — Has done an amazing job helping the Trail Blazers stay competitive considering all the injuries that team has had. He's averaging 23 points per game along with five assists and five rebounds.

Deron Williams, Utah — It would mean the world to D-Will to finally make an All-Star game, especially since it's being played in his hometown. He deserves to be an All-Star, too, with his 19.5 scoring and 9.8 assist average.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards

LeBron James, Cleveland — He's having another phenomenal all-around season, averaging a league-best 43.7 points plus 7.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game.

Chris Bosh, Toronto — Another 20/10 man — averaging 23.7 points and 11.3 rebounds.

Kevin Garnett, Boston — Has missed some time due to injury, but is a key to Boston's success with his play and leadership. Averaging 15 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte — Not as well known as many of the All-Stars, but he's having a huge season for the Bobcats, averaging 18.2 points and 11.8 rebounds.

Josh Smith, Atlanta — A strong all-around player for one of the best up-and-coming teams in the league.

Centers

Dwight Howard, Orlando — Simply the best center in the NBA today, and the stats back it up. He leads the NBA in both rebounding and blocked shots and averages 17 points per game, too.

David Lee, New York — Quietly having a huge season for a team that has been getting better all year — and thus making the first-round draft pick Utah has of theirs less valuable all the time. Averaging 19 points and 11 boards per game.

Guards

Dwyane Wade, Miami — Hasn't been quite as good as last year when he won the scoring title, but still averaging 27.1 points per game.

Joe Johnson, Atlanta — He's the Hawks' top scorer (21.1 ppg), but he also passes and rebounds well, averaging five assists and five boards.

Derrick Rose, Chicago — The 2009 Rookie of the Year is not having a sophomore slump, as his 18.8-point and 6-assist averages will attest.

Rajon Rondo, Boston — It used to be "the Big 3" in Boston, but Rondo has turned it into a "Big 4." He's deserving of his first All-Star spot with his conference-best 9.6 assists per game average.

Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee — His 55-point game early in this, his rookie season, put him on the map. He's tailed off a bit after his fast start, but is still averaging 18.5 points and six assists per game, which puts him at an All-Star level. Plus, he's just fun to watch.

Rondo has triple-double as Celtics beat Raptors

TORONTO - Rajon Rondo [stats] had 22 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his first triple-double of the season, Rasheed Wallace scored a season-high 29 points and the Boston Celtics [team stats] beat Toronto 114-107 on Sunday for their seventh straight win over the Raptors.

Wallace made five of Boston’s 11 3-pointers. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce [stats] and Kendrick Perkins [stats] each scored 16 points for Boston, which had lost four of six coming in.

Toronto’s Chris Bosh fouled out with 31 points and 13 rebounds, with Andrea Bargnani adding 23 points.

Marco Belinelli scored 14 points and Jarrett Jack had 15 for the Raptors, whose six-game home winning streak was ended.

Jack’s layup and a 3-pointer from Bargnani made it 104-97 with 4:16 left. But Wallace made two free throws and Rondo scored a layup to push Boston’s lead back to 11.

Hedo Turkoglu made a 3-pointer and, after Perkins missed two at the line, Jack made a driving hook shot. Boston turned it over on a shot clock violation and Bosh cut it to 108-104 on a jumper with 1:46 remaining. Perkins was fouled again but converted both attempts before Bargnani’s turnover on the next possession led to Pierce’s jumper, making it 112-104 with 46 seconds to go.

Rondo had nine assists in the first half — as many as the entire Raptors team.

Wallace made three 3-pointers in the third and Rondo added nine points of his own as the Celtics made 12 of 18 field goal attempts and took a 93-80 lead into the fourth.

Notes: Boston G Tony Allen returned after missing Friday’s loss at Atlanta with flulike symptoms while F Kevin Garnett (hyperextended right knee) missed his fifth straight game. ... Raptors head coach Jay Triano received a technical foul for arguing in the third. ... Toronto’s last home loss was a 111-89 defeat to Atlanta on Dec. 11. ... Maple Leafs defenseman Mike Komisarek attended the game.

Nets agree to trade Najera to Dallas

SAN ANTONIO – Eduardo Najera and Sean Williams were at practice Saturday and should be at tonight’s game against the Spurs, but it will be their last day as Nets.

The team has agreed to send Najera and a trade exception to the Dallas Mavericks for power forward Kris Humphries and Shawne Williams. The deal will be finalized Monday when the league office reopens.

To create room for the two players, Sean Williams will be waived. Upon completion of the trade, Shawne Williams also will be waived.

Nets coach/general manager Kiki Vandeweghe could not confirm anything had been reached since nothing is official. Sean Williams said he hadn’t heard anything, although he winked. But Najera said his agent told him to be prepared to pack his bags.

“He said there’s a pretty good chance,” Najera said. “I think there’s an agreement. It’s just league paperwork.”

Humphries, 24, is nine years younger than the oft-injured Najera, and has a better contract. Najera is signed through 2011-12; Humphries’ deal expires after next season.

Humphries, who has career averages of 4.3 points and 3.1 rebounds, is scheduled to make $3.2 million next season, only $200,000 more than Najera so it won’t have an impact on the Nets’ flexibility for free agents this summer.

Williams has been a disappointment since the Nets drafted him in 2007 and has been out of the rotation for most of this season.

Sixers Notes: Iverson says he'd have to weigh all-star appearance

76ers Notes

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - If Allen Iverson is voted into the NBA All-Star Game - and right now he stands second among Eastern Conference guards - he says he will have to consider whether, physically, it would be in his best interests to play.

Fans vote for the starters for the game, which is scheduled for Feb. 14 in Dallas. In voting results released Thursday, Iverson had 930,713 votes, trailing only the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (1,719,359) and one spot ahead of the Orlando Magic's Vince Carter (745,581).

Iverson made his comments about the game on Friday. Suffering from arthritis in his left knee, he did not travel with the 76ers for last night's game with the Detroit Pistons. That same condition caused Iverson to miss four games in the middle of December.

Iverson has played 14 games this NBA season, three of those with the Memphis Grizzlies. In his 11 games with the Sixers, Iverson is averaging 15.2 points and 4.6 assists.

The All-Star Game serves as a midseason break, providing rest for those with chronic injuries such as Iverson's.

Last night, there was some talk in Detroit - where Iverson played 54 games last season after being traded from the Denver Nuggets - that the 6-foot guard was dodging the Pistons and their fans.

"That would never be the case," said Detroit coach John Kuester, who coached Iverson as an assistant with the Sixers from 1997 to 2003. "Allen Iverson is one of the ultimate competitors, especially when you turn the lights on. That would never be the case."

Brand is back

After missing Friday night's 108-106 loss to the Toronto Raptors because of a stomach virus, Elton Brand returned to action last night.

Green's the choice

Without Iverson, Sixers coach Eddie Jordan went with a starting backcourt of Lou Williams and Willie Green.

Streak of their own

Entering the game, the Detroit Pistons had lost 11 games in a row. Earlier this season, the Sixers lost 12 straight.

- Kate Fagan

Wizards' Randy Foye steps into latest starting role

From the time the Washington Wizards acquired him from Minnesota last June, Randy Foye was considered a de facto insurance policy for Gilbert Arenas. The initial thought was that Foye could fill in if Arenas's troublesome left knee forced him to miss action or kept him from substantial playing time.

The Wizards could not have foreseen Foye eventually becoming their starting point guard because Arenas's troublesome judgment would lead to an indefinite suspension that puts his career and the organization in disarray.

"Not the way that you would want the opportunity to present itself to you," Foye said, "but under these circumstances, whatever you can do to help the team win, you've got to do it."

In his first start in place of Arenas, Foye scored 20 points with six assists and no turnovers as the Wizards (12-22) defeated the Orlando Magic, 104-97, on Friday. Foye's normal pregame routine was broken up because he had spent nearly two hours with law enforcement officials discussing what he knew about the Dec. 21 dispute between Arenas and Javaris Crittenton that involved guns.

"It hasn't been tough for me because this is what I'm here for, to play basketball," said Foye, who has averaged 19 points in the two games since Arenas was suspended. "Whatever is going on outside of basketball, when I step on the court, that's how I relax, focus and play. Now, off the court, that's when it kind of hits."

Foye and his teammates were able to block out the latest off-court distraction with an inspired effort that resulted in the team receiving a rare standing ovation at Verizon Center. The Wizards were aided by the return of Mike Miller, who arrived with Foye in the trade with the Timberwolves but missed the previous 21 games with a strained right calf. Miller came back with a different look, having sheered his long locks for a buzz cut, and provided another look for the Wizards by making plays and encouraging better ball movement.

"I've been out for a while now and it's fun to play again. It's fun to win, more importantly," said Miller, who had six points and six assists Friday and is accustomed to sharing the back court with Foye. "We have a comfort level there. We've played with each other for 82 games last year. There's a comfort level there. We play well off each other. We're going to continue to have to do that well. The ball's going to be in his hands and my hands a lot, especially with Gil out, and we got to make plays for everybody."

Foye's role has changed almost every other week this season. He was Arenas's primary backup at point guard, then started a game at shooting guard. He went back to being an offensive spark off the bench, then lost his spot in the rotation to Earl Boykins after spraining his ankle. He was inserted into the starting lineup at shooting guard for seven games, then went back to the bench before going back to the lineup as point guard against Orlando.

"I just tried to be professional. That's what I try to do. When I wasn't playing, I never said anything. When I was playing, I never said anything. If I was playing limited minutes, I never said anything," said Foye, who is averaging eight points and 1.6 assists this season, but 14 points and 3.6 assists in eight starts. "It's just confidence. I have a certain comfort level now, where I feel as though I'm not looking over my shoulder. I feel I'm able to go out there, execute the offense and just play."

Foye was among the four players fined $10,000 each for their roles in a pregame episode on Tuesday in Philadelphia, where Arenas formed his fingers into guns and playfully acted as if he was shooting his teammates. "We shouldn't have done it, it was foolish on my end, and I take full responsibility for it," he said. "The guys that were fined, we knew why we were fined. We did a little bit extra. We understand that it was foolish, and as role models we can't do things like that."

Foye added that he understood the serious ramifications of the incident involving Arenas and Crittenton. "We feel bad for the guys, but at the same time, we understand -- you do something, there's always consequences. There's always karma," he said. "I know they understand that. They're handling this as professionals, but you live and you learn from these situations. What don't kill you only makes you stronger."

Foye said the adversity has helped the other players draw closer. "Everyone's coming together," he said. "Everyone's like: 'Let's go. Everyone is counting us out, let's show them.' "

Wizards note: Adidas, Arenas's shoe company since 2003, released a statement on Friday that put him on notice. "We are evaluating our relationship with Gilbert Arenas based on his recent conduct and subsequent suspension from the NBA," Adidas spokeswoman Lyn Famiglietti said. "We echo the Commissioner's concern for such a serious incident and will continue to follow the investigation by the league and law enforcement."

Hawks' Smith dishes on friendship with Howard

ORLANDO -- Before the Hawks tipped off against the Orlando Magic on Saturday, Hawks forward Josh Smith shared some lesser-known details about his friendship with Magic center Dwight Howard.

"We went to the same preschool together," Smith said. "I've known Dwight since we were in diapers."

Before they played together on the Atlanta Celtics AAU team, they were competitors.

"Believe it or not, Dwight was a point guard at first," Smith said. "When we were like 11 or 12, he was a point guard. He ran point for his team."

Once they became teammates, they often played up an age group. Said Smith, "It helped us out playing up and being able to play against guys who we thought, ‘Man, he's 30! He's got a mustache!' "

On playing each other in the NBA: "We talk to each other, but it's not hard [playing against one another] because if you don't have the same color jersey on as me when the ball is thrown in the air, it's just an opponent. Then afterwards, we come back to our senses and we're friends. If you see us out there, he's trying to block my shot harder than anybody he's ever tried to block, and I'm trying to do the same thing."

Better defense

Coach Mike Woodson praised rookie guard Jeff Teague for his defense in the past two games, notably against Boston point guard Rajon Rondo on Friday.

"We were talking about that [Saturday] in our film session," Woodson said. "The last two games, he's really tried to extend the defense up the floor, and he just needs to keep doing that."

Woodson put Teague in the game with 2:21 left in the first quarter Saturday, earlier than he generally sends him in the game.

Roster moves

Woodson said the staff will meet following the team's return from the Boston game Monday to talk about plans for the 13th roster spot, which is open with forward Othello Hunter being put on waivers. Woodson said that former Hawks guard Mario West, who played two seasons for the Hawks before being cut this season, was a "possibility."

Bobcats adjust to Stephen Jackson

By any measure, the trade that brought Stephen Jackson to the Charlotte Bobcats has been a big success.

Entering Saturday's home game with the Memphis Grizzlies, the Bobcats were 12-13 with Jackson and 3-6 before he arrived. But adding a piece like Jackson is a significant adjustment for new teammates. How three of them have adapted to Jackson's arrival:

Raymond Felton: Felton is clearly the greatest beneficiary of Jackson's presence. The point guard now has a finisher to bail the Bobcats out of bad possessions. But just as importantly, Jackson adds another ballhandler and decision-maker to the starting lineup.

That makes the game dramatically easier for Felton, more a combo guard

Over the last 17 games, Felton is averaging about 15 1/2 points per game and shooting 54 percent from the field and 52 percent from 3-point range. His assists are roughly where they've always been (5.2 per game), but they are down of late (14 in the last seven games).

I suspect Felton would like to raise his assist average, but the offense has run pretty smoothly of late (even if coach Larry Brown thinks they're taking too many 3s). It's hard to find too much fault when a team is shooting around 50 percent in a four-game stint.

Boris Diaw: If Felton has gained the most, then Diaw probably has given up the most.

The second half of last season the offense pretty much ran through Diaw in the post. He was getting lots of touches, making key decisions down the stretch of games and drawing huge praise.

Now he's often in foul trouble in the fourth quarter and Jackson is creating, either for himself or others.

Thursday in New York seemed encouraging for Diaw: He finished with 12 points, six rebounds, six assists and one turnover.

Circumstance points him toward being a more conventional power forward - focused more on rebounding and defense than playmaking - and that's tough. Remember, Diaw entered the NBA as a guard; his first pro coach, Atlanta's Mike Woodson, said he never imagined Diaw ending up in the big-man rotation.

Gerald Wallace: Jackson lightened Wallace's load.

Wallace was simultaneously this team's first offensive option and its primary rebounder. And more times than not, he had to guard the opposing team's top wing scorer.

Now Jackson (with some help off the bench from Flip Murray) can carry the biggest load on offense, often leaving Wallace wide open on the weak side of the defense. Teams are backing off of him more than ever, so Brown is encouraging Wallace to take those jump shots when they're presented.

Just as importantly, Jackson is a strong defender. That means he and Wallace can share responsibility for guarding the Carmelo Anthonys and Kobe Bryants, and that's going to keep Wallace fresh.

Coming of age: Michael Beasley now 21, and growing

"My name is Paul. My sobriety date is August 6, 2009."

He leaves out the middle part of the traditional Alcoholics Anonymous greeting of "and I am an alcoholic," because his demons were not merely limited to a bottle.

Paul, in this case, is Paul Smith.

Only Paul Smith isn't Paul Smith. And he hardly can be as anonymous at this moment as he'd prefer to be.

Not with the tattoos, the ever-present smile and a reputation that precedes his entrance into this bastion of privacy.

"I use my alias because my middle name is Paul and my family name is Smith," he says, "so you put two and two together."

Paul Smith is Michael Beasley. And Michael Beasley has grown plenty since August 6, from the six-week substance-abuse rehab in Houston to a new starting role with the Miami Heat.

Saturday, he took the next step, one with as many potential traps as any during this winding journey from prep prodigy to one-year college wonder to No. 2 overall 2008 NBA Draft pick to shockingly immature rookie.

Saturday, as the Heat took flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles, the wonderfully skilled 6-foot-9 power forward turned 21.

He's legal. All restrictions have been lifted, except those now self-imposed, a moral compass that includes those AA meetings in Miami as well as ongoing league-administered counseling.

"I've already done everything people want to start doing at 21," he says. "It's not like, 'Oh, I'm 21, so I get to do this, I get to do that.'

"I've been there, done that."

The next visit to those South Beach clubs won't be the first.

"It's the first legal time," he says, having famously spent up to $20,000 during nights on the town as a rookie. "But it's not a big deal to me anymore. I'm sober."

So instead of the clubs, there might be a visit to a church, a community center, a classroom, anywhere where stories can be shared, perspectives gained.

"I go to listen to some of the stories, people who were on top, fell way to the bottom and they're climbing back up," he says of those AA visits. "There's so many inspirational, so many touching stories out there."

Does he feel self-conscious? To a degree, yes, which is why Paul Smith mostly sits and listens.

"Everybody's got a sobriety date," he says, "even if you're not in an AA meeting or not in a rehab. Everybody has a sobriety date. A sobriety date is basically the last time you had a drink or the last time you did any type of drug."

His is 8-6-09.

Teammates know that, especially the youthful teammates who also have come of legal age while in the league.

They know where he's been, from the pungent marijuana odor in that hotel room during the 2008 NBA rookie symposium in New York to the treatment missteps that lengthened this past summer's stay in Houston.

"He gets it now," says teammate Daequan Cook, who also turned 21 in the middle of his second NBA season, two years ago. "Just because you're legal, don't start doing the things you can't do.

"He's more mature, but that spotlight is on him. Now we'll all be able to go out together, keep an eye on him."

Temptation, Beasley says, will not be an issue.

"I know some people that smoke and drink," he says. "But it's my life. Life has options.

"I let them live their life. I'm here trying to live for me."

Coach Erik Spoelstra has seen Cook and forward Dorell Wright come of legal age while with the team. He appreciates the significance.

"I think for anybody, your 21st birthday is one that you remember," the 39-year-old second-year coach says. "But the professional athletes that come in at such a young age, it is different. You come in at 18, 19 years old and the doors are already open to an adult world, a world that's much different than people who are going to college and hanging around other peers of the same age.

"So Michael, as we know, he's grown significantly in the last 12 months."

It was alongside teammate Mario Chalmers that Beasley first was busted by the NBA for violations of its rookie policies. Both were fined. Their friendship, though, has endured.

Together they take this next step.

"Of course, we're going to go out sometimes," Chalmers, 23, says. "That's what everybody does. At the same time, you've got to be smart about it. Mike don't drink. He likes to relax and just chill out. He knows what he can and can't do."

But, as of Saturday, the options increased.

"I encourage the fact that sober living is positive," Beasley says. "Now there's less stress, no more looking over your shoulder."

And with that, Paul Smith walks away, into a city where there are so many more stories to be shared.

A resolution to win

The Rockets had a plan. They would go home, get to work and make things right.

It was a good idea, one they had cited throughout those weeks trudging through the road games of their much-discussed, brutal five-week stretch of schedule.

But no one said anything about the Rockets first dropping themselves into a 13-point crater before putting their plan in motion.

After stumbling badly early, the Rockets finally did all they had so often said they wanted to do when they got back to town, blowing past the New York Knicks 105-96 on Saturday night to end their three-game losing streak with a seventh consecutive home victory.

“I told them at halftime we could devise the greatest game plan in the world, if we don’t go out there and play hard and understand who you’re guarding and try to take things away, we don’t have a chance,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “The difference between that first half and second half was night and day.

“It really hits home, at least I hope it does. That’s how we have to play if we’re going to win.”

This was what the Rockets had talked about so often in recent weeks, and especially in often-sluggish performances in New Orleans, Los Angeles and Phoenix to start the new year.

Then the Rockets did the same thing in the first half, showing none of the urgency they had said they would have when they got home. The Knicks easily got open looks. David Lee made nine of 10 shots for 20 points in the half. With two minutes remaining before halftime, the Knicks led 55-42, and the Rockets did not appear to mind.

But in those final minutes of the half, the Rockets had a rush of scoring. Aaron Brooks pulled up for a jumper and hit 3-pointer. After Carl Landry put in a pair of free throws, Luis Scola (23 points) finished a drive. And the Rockets had recaptured the level of play they had before they left town after the New Year’s Eve win over Dallas.

“Our energy, I think that’s where it’s all at,” said Brooks, who had 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting. “We have to play with aggression and play harder. Luckily, we didn’t wait too long to start it. Once we did, we kept pressing. We kept playing hard and we kept running.”

First-half struggles

The Rockets overcame a dreadful first half, rallying back to a brief lead in the third quarter. Chuck Hayes shut down Lee in the third quarter.

The Rockets took control in the final minutes when they finished the game as they could not close similar games on the road trip.

They had begun the fourth quarter with a quick 6-1 run, with David Andersen putting in a lefthanded hook before Chase Budinger hit from 20 feet and followed that with a steal that he took to a breakaway slam for a four-point lead

But with 4½ minutes remaining, the Knicks were within three points. That’s when the Rockets took command down the stretch.

Lowry excels

With the Rockets leading by five points, Kyle Lowry poked the ball loose from Chris Duhon, the Rockets worked the shot clock down to its final ticks and Lowry nailed a long jumper, giving him 16 points off the bench.

Landry had gotten off to a 1-of-6 start, but with one last drive, he turned to his brother Marcus on the Knicks’ bench and told him to take notes, having scored 10 fourth-quarter points to push the Rockets’ lead to nine points heading into the final minute.

“I hope after tonight’s effort, we can really look at the difference in the halves,” Rockets forward Shane Battier said. “I hope we can look at ourselves and say we need to play like we played in the second half all the time. It’s been a while since we had an example to draw upon. Tonight, we did.

“It was big, really big. We lost three playing poorly. To get this one tonight, will hopefully give us momentum. This is the time to make our move. We have to play like we played in the second half for this month.”

At least that’s the plan.

Kevin Durant shines down the stretch

At some point during the Thunder’s two-day break between games against New Orleans on Wednesday and Indiana on Saturday, Kevin Durant made a promise to himself, a vow to forget about his poor fourth quarter against the Hornets but formulate a plan to be more productive in late-game situations.

Durant brought his new attitude to the Ford Center against Indiana, and his made-over mindset staved off a pesky Pacers team and secured a 108-102 win before a sold-out crowd of 18,203.

Durant scored 13 of his season-high tying 40 points in the fourth quarter. After Indiana cut an 18-point Thunder lead to one with 5:15 remaining, Durant scored eight of the Thunder’s next nine points. He made 4-of-5 shots, including one 3-pointer, and sunk all four attempts from the free-throw line.

Durant’s 15-foot stepback jumper over Pacers forward Brandon Rush gave the Thunder an eight-point lead with 51.3 seconds left to play, and a steal by James Harden and dunk by Russell Westbrook with 44.6 seconds remaining served as the dagger that put the Pacers down 10.

"He’s as good of an offensive player that there is in the league, doesn’t matter, Kobe, LeBron, he’s a great, great offensive player,” said Pacers coach Jim O’Brien. "He does it with seemingly little effort. It’s a pleasure to watch him play basketball.”

Against the Hornets, nothing came easy for Durant. He took just two shot attempts and scored just two points.

"Against the Hornets, he made three plays that were winning plays,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "And if he did it again I would hope that he would make the same three plays. We just missed shots when he was double teamed.”

The Pacers chose to not double team Durant, instead playing him straight up with Rush and Danny Granger. Durant made the Pacers pay.

"I told myself after that New Orleans game not to ever do that again, not to be a guy that is one of the main guys on the floor and not be aggressive,” Durant said. "I think that hurts my team. So I told myself coming into that fourth just to be aggressive...That’s another step in me becoming a better player, just knowing when to pick and choose my spots in the fourth quarter.”

Equally as impressive on the night was that Durant grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, dished three assists and turned the ball over twice. The turnovers had been a problem area for Durant over the past month, but he was effective and an efficient 12-for-18 from the field in 38 minutes.

"It gives me a lot of confidence that I can do it every game,” Durant said of his clutch performance.

Plenty of suggestions to improve NBA D-League

OKC's Kyle Weaver was assigned to the Tulsa 66ers, but was called back quickly due to Thunder injuries.

The 2010 NBA D-League Showcase just ended, a one-stop shop where players get to show off in front of representatitves from all 30 NBA teams.

The Showcase also gave NBA types an opportunity to offer up some tweaks to the relationship between the NBA and the D-League. Picking the brains of several team executives, the D-League could stand to be a little more NBA-friendly. Not that the D-League isn't aware of changes that could be made to strengthen its ties to NBA clubs.

Here are some of the suggestions heard during the recent D-League Showcase in Boise:

Increase number of assignments

General managers who actually use the D-League to get playing time for rookies and second-year pros would prefer having more than three assignments during the course of the season. The thinking behind the current limit is to not continuously shuttle players back-and-forth, which is supposed to benefit the player.

However, in some cases teams burn an assignment due to unforeseen circumstances. The Thunder assigned Kyle Weaver back in November to the D-League's Tulsa 66ers. But before Weaver could ever play a game for Tulsa, Oklahoma City suffered a pair of injuries in the backcourt and had to immediately recall Weaver, thus burning an assignment.

Increasing the number of assignments to five or creating an exception in the cases of injuries were among the ideas bandied about. It's unlikely teams would ever assign a player up to five times during one season, namely to keep the player's head from spinning, but it's also easy to see how three assignments can get burned up quickly.

Expand assignments throughout rookie contract

NBA teams can only assign players during their first two years in the league. Rookie contracts, however, can extend up to four years depending on what options are picked up.

For those rookies that make an immediate impact in the league, this is never an issue. Guys like Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans won't ever need to spend a minute in the D-League. But for someone like Hornets small forward Julian Wright, wouldn't it make sense to maybe tack on an extra year or two of development?

Wright isn't getting much time with New Orleans, but the organization hasn't given up on the former 2007 first-rounder. But since Wright is in his third year, he's not eligible to be assigned to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds.

Wright would seem to be an ideal candidate for the D-League. He's only 22 and could use minutes. If an NBA team isn't ready to give up on a young prospect after two years, but also doesn't really have room in the rotation, playing time in the D-League would seem invaluable.

Assignment of drafted players without NBA contracts

Holding the NBA draft rights to a player means nothing when it comes to the D-League. For instance, a number of second-rounders play overseas before they're ready for the NBA. As long as they play international ball, their NBA rights are held by the team that drafted them.

Well, what if one of those drafted players, who doesn't feel ready for the NBA, wants to play in the D-League before signing an NBA contract. Playing for the parent club's affiliate can be tricky. Take the case of DeVon Hardin.

The 6-foot-11 center was selected 50th in the 2008 Draft by Seattle (now Oklahoma City) and didn't make the team. Hardin played in Greece last season before deciding to play in the D-League this year. Even though the Thunder hold his rights and own the 66ers, Tulsa was forced to claim Hardin through the D-League waiver process.

The 66ers were fortunate enough to have the first waiver claim and used it on Hardin. But if they didn't, another D-League franchise could have claimed Hardin before Tulsa. So a player the Thunder have the rights to could have been playing for, say, the Austin Toros, who are owned by the Spurs.

Assigning drafted players makes more sense for NBA teams that own/operate D-League affiliates. Currently, only four do -- Thunder (66ers), Spurs (Toros), Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fender) and Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers). But the D-League expects more teams to adopt this model in the future.

Expand rights for NBA teams with affiliates

Currently, the only D-League players tied to specific NBA clubs are those on assignment. Joey Dorsey is a member of the Rockets who plays for the Vipers. But the rest of the Vipers are free agents and can be called up by any NBA team.

For NBA teams that have made the financial commitment to run D-League clubs, one reward could be holding rights to additional players on those rosters besides those who are assigned. For example: if the Suns want to call up one of the Vipers, maybe the Rockets would have the ability to match.

NBA players on medical rehab

This happens all the time in baseball. A player working his way back from injury is sent to the minors to compete in game conditions before retuning to the Majors. The NBA has no such luxury.

It's commonplace for an NBA player coming back to spend several games "building up his stamina" or "testing his injury" before cutting loose. Instead of using up those minutes in games that count with players who aren't 100 percent, why not send him to the D-League to do the same in a controlled environment?

***

As with most issues involving players and rules, they have to be collectively bargained. So any significant changes will most likely wait until the current CBA expires in the summer of 2011 and, frankly, the D-League agenda won't be at the top of the list with the NBA big boys and the NBA Players Association.

But that doesn't mean many of these issues won't be on the table.

"The last collective-bargaining agreement was extremely important with the success we're now seeing in the NBA Development League with the advent of player assignments and affiliations," D-League present Dan Reed said. "We hope there is a lot of momentum to have a similar success story in the next CBA."