Title-contending talk falls on deaf ears among Suns

Steve Nash (left) and coach Alvin Genry have their doubts about Phoenix's current status as a contender.

On Monday, it was Phoenix nearly blowing a 24-point lead to the reeling Bucks on the night coach Scott Skiles (irregular heartbeat) went to the hospital and a day after Michael Redd (knee) was lost for the season.

Which came after the Suns wasted a 20-point lead in Sacramento on Jan. 5, but ultimately salvaged the win despite shooting 35.7 percent in the second half and committing 18 turnovers against a bad defense. This, of course, came after Dec. 17 in Portland, where Phoenix blew a 15-point advantage in a loss ... which came after Dec. 12 in Denver and a 17-point cushion that disintegrated in a defeat.

The Suns as serious challengers in the Western Conference; that's what the numbers indicate, with the offense back at Mach I and with Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire likely returning to the All-Star game.

But the instant coach Alvin Gentry is asked if his team has proven it will be a serious threats to see June ...

"No," he said, "I don't think so."

These Suns ... they're quick on the draw with self-analysis too, hesitating about as much as with a shot.

"I don't know if we've done that yet," Gentry said of reaching contender status. "But I think what we've done is that we've proven that on a given night we're a good basketball team and we can play against the elite teams.

"The only way, I think, you can prove that you belong in that bracket is that you've got to beat them consistently. I think what we've done is we've established ourselves as a team that if you come into our arena and if you're not ready to play, then we're capable of winning. On the flip side of that, we've also proven that if we're not ready to play, then we're also capable of losing games at home that we necessarily shouldn't."

There is a lot to be said about a team that has gone from 46 victories to a 24-14 start (that projects to a six-win improvement), from missing the playoffs to a virtual tie for third in the West -- yet one that still isn't complaining about a lack of respect.

Not that the Suns can't make that claim, after the way a lot of people predicted another early vacation. This has been vindication, or at least a foundation for pushing back, for Nash, Stoudemire and general manager Steve Kerr.

No one is offering more of a hard-line perspective on the Suns than the Suns themselves. They haven't earned anything and aren't acting as if they have. The string of blown leads is their reality check, along with being 15th in the league in shooting defense and 29th in rebound percentage. Even the offense -- No. 1 in scoring, No. 1 in shooting, No. 1 in 3-point accuracy -- is fair game.

"We've got to get a lot better," Nash said. "We've got to get our bench playing consistently at a high level. When they do that, we're a different team. We've got to improve our defense, and our offense needs to be more cohesive, too. We go in stretches where we get stagnant and we rely too much on jump shots and don't get enough penetration."

But there is also this: 24-14 has grown despite an early road-heavy schedule with one stretch of 17 of 23 away from US Airways Center. And when the itinerary supposedly switched in their favor with seven of eight at home, it really didn't switch. The visitor's registry listed the Cavaliers, Thunder, Lakers, Celtics and the surging Grizzlies.

The opening half of the season has been a tangible, meaningful sign of what could be for the Suns, even with their problems closing out games and the injuries to Leandro Barbosa and Robin Lopez. The Suns head out for another four-game road swing starting Wednesday at Indiana, accompanied by the comfort that the worst of it should be behind them. The Suns are done with the Cavs, Magic and Celtics, have one meeting left with the Lakers and Hawks, two with the Mavericks and Spurs, and three with the Nuggets.

Still to come for many around the league, including some in Phoenix: considering the Suns true contenders.

"That's one of those things that I could care less about, really," Gentry said. "If we want to be contenders, then we have to be contenders. We don't need for anyone to write about it or talk about it. If you do it, then it's proven."

Coaches back Kaman as All-Star backup big man

Clippers center Chris Kaman (right) could be looking at an All-Star berth soon.

• The rise of Chris Kaman is the latest twist to what was always going to be an intriguing race for Western Conference All-Star center, with the former long-shot candidate gaining momentum that could result in him becoming the backup to probable starter Amar'e Stoudemire (despite the Clippers needing a recent surge just to reach 17-20). In an informal survey of four West coaches who will join conference colleagues in about a week in voting on reserves, three said they are leaning toward Kaman or strongly considering him. It's been an impressive comeback season for Kaman, with one West coach saying, "If you're going on merit alone, it has to be him." The dissenter, getting to the core of the anti-Kaman argument while acknowledging 20.4 points and 9.4 rebounds deserves credit: "I'll probably reward winning."

• One more Clippers note: News that Blake Griffin is done for the season is an undeniable blow to the No. 1 pick and the team. It ruins the Clips' chances to add a potential impact big man for nothing to what could become a playoff push, except that power forward is hardly L.A.'s pressing need. While Griffin could have provided depth as the Clippers struggle on the boards, Marcus Camby is averaging 11.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, along with 8.1 points while shooting 49.2 percent. Kaman at center and Camby at power forward is a very productive starting pair.

• Of course Vince Carter has a bad shoulder. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is jumping up and down on Vinsanity over shot selection as Carter slumps all the way to 39.2 percent from the field, easily on pace for a career low. "That's been the problem," Van Gundy notes in typical candor. "His decision-making has been the problem. I don't think there's anything wrong with his shooting." Van Gundy said Carter is over-thinking in an attempt to fit in with a new team, rather than trusting the instincts that have delivered 10 consecutive 20-point seasons.

• Interesting perspective from the Washington Post team of Mike Wise and Michael Lee that raises the issue the Wizards are partly to blame for the career meltdown of Gilbert Arenas, with "one person familiar with the situation" saying, "There are a lot of people responsible for this, other than" Arenas. Nice try. While the coddling of players is a fair and long-overdue conversation around most every franchise in every sport, only one person is ultimately responsible. This is someone in his late 20s who has travelled the world, attended college, become a father and shown the determination to admirably transform himself from second-round pick into a popular All-Star with a $111-million contract. He isn't a teenager left to go it alone.

• The Kevin Martin comeback, which could come as soon as Friday in Philadelphia as the Kings open a six-game Eastern swing, is not the typical storyline of a team fitting in around its returning top scorer. It's Martin who will need to fit in after the Sacramento landscape changed dramatically during the two months he missed with a wrist injury, particularly the way rookie Tyreke Evans made Sacramento his team. Martin is still valuable -- his outside game in particular should open the court for Evans' power penetrations -- and coach Paul Westphal rightly says there should be enough shots for both. But this isn't November anymore, in ways beyond the calendar.

• There is no doubt Michael Redd will put in the work to make it back. But at 31 years old when training camp opens, with a second serious injury to the left knee in 11 ½ months and after missing a quarter of 2006-07 with a knee injury, there is no such certainty the Bucks' shooting guard will make it all the way back. Play again, sure. Reclaim the former standing as an offensive threat, TBA. "I'm a man of faith," Redd told Tom Enlund of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "but I'm a little shaken."

• Derek Fisher spent the fourth quarter on the bench in three recent close games, but Phil Jackson closed the door to any Lakers lineup change that would promote Shannon Brown or Jordan Farmar to starter. If anything, Fisher's playing time is slightly increasing, from 26.5 minutes in October and November to 27.6 in December and January, and he has broken 30 in five of the last 12 outings. While L.A. remains vulnerable at point guard on defense, and that will certainly be where playoff opponents hope to attack, Jackson likes the experienced hand on offense.

• Good one from reader Craig Lawson in Calgary, Canada. Not only is Suns marksman Steve Nash on pace for a fourth season of shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from behind the arc and 90 percent from the line (Larry Bird is the only player to do it twice), but he has a slight chance to pull off the statistical we're-not-worthy 50/40/90 for his career. He needs a bump only from the 49 percent overall, a lofty pursuit except that the ageless wonder is at 51.7 percent the last 4 ½ seasons when logic dictates he should be on the decline.

Season weakening Lakers' armor of invincibility

Kobe Bryant is trying to lean more on Lamar Odom and others as he deals with a finger injury.

An unfortunate promotion before the start of the fourth quarter the other night at San Antonio's AT&T Center ended with the winner of a jalapeno-eating contest paying the price for his bravado by getting sick in an all-too-close-up view that was shown live on the giant video screen hanging over the middle of the court.

The Los Angeles Lakers are not experiencing quite the intestinal upheaval these days, though a bit of queasiness is probably the symptom of the moment.

In the space of barely three weeks the Lakers have regurgitated much of the air of superiority that once separated them from the rest of the Western Conference.

At about the time they took the floor for their Christmas Day meeting with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kobe Bryant and the defending champion Lakers were stalking not just a place as the team to beat in the 2009-10 season but also, perhaps, chasing a bit of history.

With one set of gaudy rings already in hand, there had been some talk since training camp about the Lakers with their newest defensive stopper in Ron Artest drawing a bead on the all-time NBA regular season record of 72-10 set by Michael Jordan's 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

Now, three weeks later, 72-10 is still within mathematical reach. After Wednesday night's win in Dallas, all the Lakers have to do is finish 43-0 between now to eclipse the Bulls, 42-1 to tie.

Since their 18-3 start on Dec. 11, the Lakers have gone 12-6, which had included a four-game road losing streak, their longest in three years.

There are, of course, explanations, not the least of which is a schedule that turned colder than a divorce lawyer after allowing the Lakers to play 17 of their first 21 games in the expensively cozy confines of the Staples Center.

Then there are the harsh realities of the relentless toll that the grueling regular season takes on even a collection of the best physical specimens, wearing them down like a scalpel on a grinding wheel.

"It's just a period in the season right now where it's a tough stretch," Bryant said. "You have those every once in a while. Unless you're the Bulls and go 72-10, you're gonna have those stretches. But the majority of teams have stretches like this."

What stretches like these emphasize is just how extraordinary the achievement by the Bulls was back in their stampeding, magical season, because it all can come undone in one uncomfortable misstep. Back then, when Chicago lost its third game on Dec. 26, then Bulls then ran off an 18-game winning streak before loss No. 4. The Lakers are just trying to get themselves walking without a collective limp.

Bryant had already been dealing with painful avulsion fracture in the index finger of his right hand when he rose up and stuck a turnaround bucket over San Antonio's George Hill in the first quarter on Tuesday night. By the time the ball hit the bottom of the net and Bryant's feet hit the floor, his back was in spasms and he finished the night in the locker room, never setting a toe onto the court in the fourth quarter.

Trainer Gary Vitti's treatment room was more crowded than the last helicopter out of Saigon by the time the Lakers hobbled away from their back-to-back visit to Texas. Artest, who had previously missed five games with a concussion after tripping at his home on Christmas night, sprained his right index finger in San Antonio. Sasha Vujacic felt the grab of a strained right hamstring. While Luke Walton made slightly-sooner-than-expected return from two months on the shelf with a pinched nerve in his back, that was because Adam Morrison had to be scratched from the active list because he was suffering from flu-like symptoms.

If you're the Lakers, you could shrug and start looking up to see if a piano is about to fall on your head in a spate of injury-bitten misfortune.

"No," said a defiant Bryant. "It's part of the business and I won't even allow my guys to think about that or have that attitude. You pull your boots up and get ready to play. I don't give a damn who's hurt."

Bryant got himself ready to play against the Mavs with the help of his massage therapist and, despite sitting out the second quarter when the spasms flared up again he was on the court for the finish and nailed the 19-footer with 28.9 seconds left that sealed the win. It was the third straight game that Bryant scored fewer than 20 points, the first time that happened since April of 2005.

It's not all bad news on the health front for the Lakers as Pau Gasol is targeting Friday night against the Clippers for his return after a six-game absence with a strained left hamstring. And in the aftermath of the Texas two-step, all of what's ailed the Lakers hasn't been physical.

With Bryant out of the game in San Antonio, Lamar Odom hardly filled the breach, taking just six shots.

"We've got to get Lamar playing basketball in an offensive way where he's taking some responsibility to play and step up when Kobe's out of the game," said coach Phil Jackson.

Then there have been the often singularly wild efforts by Artest at both ends of the floor.

What could Artest be doing better right now?

"Almost everything," Jackson said.

Odom (18 points, 14 rebounds) and Artest (16 and 11) both stepped up against the Mavs after a conversation with Bryant earlier in the day.

"What the hell are you guys waiting for? You've been sitting around, waiting for me to bail your asses out all the time," Bryant said. "Get going. It makes us a better team. Don't worry about me. You've got to be aggressive."

So as a flirtation with history fades into the reality of the moment, there is no time for pity or panic.

"You just focus on execution, that's all," Bryant said. "A lot of teams are over-dramatic about it and want to have team meetings and team bondings and all this other stuff. You focus on execution -- that's what it is...Get back to basics. That's what you have to do...Nothing more, nothing less. We keep on moving forward."

Never bringing anything from the past, uh, back up.

Plucky Bucks must find way to stay in playoff picture

The Bucks have faced some ups and downs this season.

It's been a scary few days for the Bucks. Michael Redd went down. Scott Skiles went down. Brandon Jennings is not down, but he seems worn down.

Suddenly, a team that began the season swiftly and surprisingly, with a whole new identity and a different buzz than before, is wondering what the rest of the season will hold. While Skiles is back from a brief heart scare, the Bucks will be without Redd this season (and maybe forever) and must be patient while Jennings deals with the usual fluctuations that come with being a rookie.

They're still in the playoff picture in the East, which is weighed down by mediocrity, and the Bucks seem like a plucky group that likely won't go away easily. Plenty depends on whether Jennings can bounce back from a December dip and his current shooting problems, and if the Bucks can tap into another offensive source to ease the burden off Jennings and center Andrew Bogut.

There's nothing they can do about Redd. He faces a second surgery on the same knee he tore up two years ago. He made an innocent move against Kobe Bryant Sunday in Los Angeles and felt a pop. He went straight to the bench and motioned to Skiles. Right away, they knew it was bad. "I don't know why it happened," Redd said.

It's a tough blow for the Bucks, for performance and financial reasons. They were hoping Redd could bounce back from the first injury, which he was struggling to do; his shooting (35 percent) and scoring average (12 points a game) were drastically below the levels he had prior to tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. Before the first injury, Redd could shoot with range and easily was the Bucks' best scoring option, someone good for 20-25 points a night. This season, he didn't show the same lift or lateral movement. He wasn't the same player and dropped very few hints that he'd ever be.

Then there are the financial ramifications. Redd said he intends to rehab and play next season, the last of the max deal he signed four years ago. It will cost the Bucks $18 million. That's money better used to reduce the payroll and provide some cap relief. Plenty of players never recover from one major knee surgery. What's the chance of Redd being a productive player after two? And $18 million-productive at that? That's an easy answer: Fat chance.

But that's an issue for next season. As for now, the Bucks are trying to climb back to .500 and retain the measure of respectability they worked hard to earn in November. They will lean on Bogut, a former No. 1 overall pick who apparently has settled into a comfort zone; the Bucks can expect roughly 15 points and 10 rebounds and perhaps some decent interior defense from him a night. But aside from Jennings, nobody else on the roster scares anybody. There's not another big threat, at least offensively. The Bucks are mainly a blue-collar, hard-working team without any real star appeal, which is why it's so important for Jennings to flash signs of being that player.

"My main goal is getting my teammates involved and be a true point guard," Jennings said. "I'm a better passer than I am a scorer, which is great, because I love to pass. But whatever helps us win games."

The fear is Jennings could break down from the burden. Maybe he already is. After a breakout November and his epic 55-point game against the Warriors, Jennings followed with a December where he shot 37 percent, and a January where, so far, he's shooting 25 percent and averaging 10 points. This is to be expected. After all, he's barely out of his teens. He's not strong physically. He's still learning how to use his right hand (he's left-handed). He's learning. It's probably unfair to lean on him too heavily, but at least for scoring, the Bucks really don't have any choice. Ricky Pierce is not coming off that bench.

"For us, we need him to score some," Skiles said. "We want him to score. He's in a tough spot, trying to balance everything. It's much easier for a young point guard to come in and just be a point guard who goes out there and moves the ball around than it is for a guy to bring balance when he's just 20 years old."

Jennings is fortunate in one respect. He plays for a former point guard. Skiles has been there and done that already. He's getting a good education in being an NBA point guard from someone who knows, which makes the transition from high school (via Europe) to the bigs a lot smoother if not simpler.

"He's good to have around, easy to relate to," Jennings said. "He's been through it already."

Well, after experiencing a few bumps recently, Jennings and Skiles are about to go through something else. What exactly it is, we'll know in the coming weeks.

Warriors' Ellis quietly putting together an All-Star season

Golden State's Monta Ellis is sixth in the league in scoring, at 26.2 points a game.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal was sitting in his locker after Monday's victory over the Golden State Warriors discussing the game, and out of nowhere, O'Neal proclaimed Warriors guard Monta Ellis the seventh-best guard in the game.

O'Neal is known for outlandish rhetoric, so a skeptical reporter asked the well-traveled O'Neal, a self-proclaimed "student of the game," to name the six guards he places before Ellis.

"Kobe, LeBron, D-Wade, Roy, and one more, that cat from Sacramento, Tyreke Evans," O'Neal said.

Never mind that that's only five. O'Neal, after all, said he once made 1,600 minus 800 minus 200 on his SAT. So we'll cut him some slack.

The point is that even without Shaq's unsolicited knighting, Ellis now has arrived among the upper echelon of his contemporaries ... and very few know anything about him.

When the last update of All-Star voting by the fans was announced, Ellis was not even among the top 10 guards in the West, even though he is sixth in the league in scoring at 26.2 points a game, only four-tenths of a point behind Miami's Wade.

It doesn't help, of course, that Ellis is playing for a perennially bad team that has garnered more headlines for its rather quirky personnel decisions and personality conflicts than any on-court activity.

The Warriors have not had a representative at the All-Star game in 12 seasons. Their last All-Star? Latrell Sprewell.

Ellis seems to be deserving. Beyond just his scoring, he is second in the NBA in steals -- he often guards the opponents' top scorer -- and he is tied with Charlotte's Gerald Wallace for most minutes. He has seven games in which he has played all 48 minutes, including one set of back-to-backs.

"I'm pretty used to it," Ellis said. "In high school that's all we really did was run. We'd come in to practice one day and wouldn't even bring a ball out. Just ran for 2 1/2 hours. This is right up my alley."

When the season began, nobody could have guessed that Ellis would have elevated his game to this level. He still was recovering from an ankle injury that was the result of a "moped" accident that had the Warriors contemplating voiding his contract. The first words out of his mouth at training camp were that he didn't think he and rookie guard Stephen Curry could play together in the backcourt, clearly miffed that the team decided to draft and bestow so much love and attention on the youngster.

And, correctly or not, Ellis was inevitably linked with friend Stephen Jackson, who pronounced that he was unhappy with the direction of the team and wanted to be traded. Immediately.

With Jackson on his way out, it was assumed that Ellis, still not over his spat about losing money because of his accident, would soon follow. But to his credit, he never publicly griped. Even as the Warriors started the season 3-8 and clearly were on their way to yet another woeful campaign, Ellis kept quiet and played hard.

And now that Jackson is in Charlotte and things seem to have quieted down, Ellis has become one of the most impressive players in the league.

Twice he has scored more than 40 points. Fifteen times he has gone over 30. In 13 of the last 14 games, he and teammate Corey Maggette have both exceeded 20 points, the first set of Warriors teammates to accomplish that since Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond.

"This is what I have done since high school," Ellis said. "This is what I do. It's no big deal."

Perhaps not to him. But like Shaq said, it has suddenly raised the debate about All-Star selections and where Ellis fits into that scenario.

Traditionally, coaches are reticent to place players from losing teams onto the team, though that trend was snapped in duplicate last season, when both Indiana's Danny Granger and New Jersey's Devin Harris were placed on the East squad.

Going through the scenarios, Ellis will have a difficult time making the team, particularly if Tracy McGrady, currently at No. 2 in fan voting, steals a starting spot. That would leave three spots for Steve Nash, Brandon Roy, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Ellis and Tyreke Evans.

If Nash overtakes McGrady in the voting, which ends Jan. 18, then Ellis has a better chance, but it still will be difficult. Portland's Roy will be chosen, and arguments could be made that Paul, a starter last season, should make it on reputation alone, especially now that the Hornets have a winning record again.

Williams has helped the Jazz to a 21-17 record with 19.6 points and 9.7 assists a night, and Evans could become one of only four rookies -- Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the others -- to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists a game.

Ellis is sidestepping the All-Star debate for now, saying that he would be honored to go but it is not his decision.

That leaves the chore to others.

"Chris Paul is good. Deron Williams can play," O'Neal said. "But Monta is special."

Clippers lose Griffin for the season

Reporting from New Orleans - The Clippers' Blake Griffin won't have an appointment to play against the Chicago Bulls in late January, or the Atlanta Hawks in early February, or against any other NBA team this season.

Now the most important appointment Griffin will be keeping will come Jan. 20. Only it will be at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who will operate on Griffin's left knee.

Thus, Griffin's rookie season has ended. Then again, it never really started for the star-crossed Clipper.

The Clippers announced Wednesday that Griffin, the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft, experienced some "discomfort in his recently accelerated rehabilitation program," and needs surgery, meaning he will be out for four to six months.

This was the result the team feared after its power forward suffered a stress fracture in his left kneecap in the Clippers' final preseason game in October against New Orleans. He has not played since.

"If he had surgery right away [in October], he would have missed this whole season," Coach Mike Dunleavy said before the Clippers' 108-94 loss at New Orleans on Wednesday. "By taking that shot, it was a calculated good risk for us and Blake to take.

"Either way, it wouldn't matter. He should be back in plenty of time for next season."

In fact, Griffin had been making progress, doing some light shooting, hitting all of the necessary check points in his rehabilitation schedule.

Until it came time to test the impact of jumping.

"He experienced some pain [in the pool], and obviously when I heard that, that wasn't good news," Dunleavy said.

" . . . That information was not, at any point, what we wanted to hear, anything having to do with pain and knee. After conferring with Blake, his agent, doctors, then the decision was ultimately made to do the surgery sometime in the near term so that it would ensure Blake would be back in plenty of time for next season."

Griffin is scheduled to meet with the media today at the Clippers' training facility at Playa Vista. The surgery will be done by ElAttrache, who performed reconstructive knee surgery on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Now Griffin's season-long absence may actually mean the Marcus Camby trade rumors might stop for a few days. Dunleavy was asked whether Griffin's surgery would prompt the Clippers to make a player move.

"We would make any kind of move that is an opportunity, good move anyway, but as far as right now, we're just sitting tight," he said.

In New Orleans, Griffin's teammates were not caught off guard by the development.

"He hasn't played yet so I wasn't super super surprised," backup point guard Sebastian Telfair said. "I was a little disappointed. If it's the best thing for his future, you've got to look at it long term. You know he's going to be a good player. You don't' want to jeopardize that."

Center Chris Kaman, who sat out his second consecutive game because of a sore back, is a veteran of injuries and rehabilitation.

"Any time someone gets hurt, you don't control those things," Kaman said. "Those things happen. You try to do the best you can and live with it."

If anything, the Clippers were probably more stunned when Griffin's injury was disclosed just before the regular season started.

Wednesday was the 37th game without Griffin. The full impact of his absence is largely unknown because he never appeared in a regular-season game for the Clippers.

"You don't know because he didn't play at all this year," Kaman said. "It's hard to gauge that. He showed so much potential, athleticism, skills and knowledge. It's just frustrating to have it end that way."

During the exhibition season, the 6-foot-10 Griffin averaged 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds, and his athleticism and numerous highlight-reel dunks created buzz around the NBA. San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich called Griffin "a monster," and Griffin's teammates preferred the nickname "Amazin'."

Second-year center DeAndre Jordan perhaps is Griffin's closest friend on the team, and they spoke Wednesday. Jordan was pleasantly surprised by Griffin's mood.

"He's positive. He's ready to have the surgery," Jordan said. "I thought he was going to be negative, but he's ready for the rehab to happen. I told him that we all want him to come back but his health is obviously more important than coming back this year.

"I'd rather have him have the surgery and come back 110% next year than come back this year, and be like 85-90% and have the chance of him being worse or the injury recurring."

Meanwhile, Telfair might have to work on getting Griffin a new nickname. He was the one who apparently came up with Amazin'.

"I'm gonna have plenty of time," Telfair said.

Blazers rout Bucks, but Brandon Roy 'concerned' about his right hamstring

Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy left the Rose Garden on Wednesday night saying he was "concerned" about the condition of his right hamstring, which kept him out of the fourth quarter of the Blazers' runaway 120-108 victory over Milwaukee.

Roy, who missed four games last season because of a strained hamstring, said his injury has the same feel and is in the same spot as last season.

"I'm concerned,'' Roy said. "I don't want to have to miss two weeks of basketball. That's the thing tonight - after it got really tight, I told coach, 'This could be serious.' ''

Roy said his right hamstring has never really recovered from last season, and was aggravated on Jan. 2 against Golden State. Since then, he has played through the soreness, which turns to tightness at the end of games. On several occasions this month, Roy in the fourth quarter has needed to be stretched by assistant athletic trainer Geoff Clark.

"Early (in games) it feels good, but as the game gets later in the third and fourth quarter, it seems to fatigue a little bit,'' Roy said. "

Roy said this week he did exercises in the team's pool to strengthen the hamstring and will resume those exercises on Thursday in preparation for Friday's home game against Orlando.

He said it becomes especially irritated when he tries to explode off the dribble. That was how he initially injured the hamstring on Dec. 27 of last season, when he made a move on the last play of the Blazers home game against Toronto.

"I've strained it before, so I know the feeling, and it's like we are on the cusp again,'' Roy said. "Even last game against Cleveland, there were times when it was 'Here we go again.' But my thing is, as long as I can play, I will keep trying. Hopefully Friday it doesn't flare up on me.''

The hamstring hasn't done much to slow down Roy's game. He had 22 points and four assists ion 7-of-10 shooting in 27 minutes on Wednesday. In six games since suffering the injury, Roy is averaging 26.3 points and 5.5 assists.

Gilbert Arenas is in negotiations for a plea deal on gun charges

Prosecutors and attorneys for Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas were in plea negotiations this week that could have Arenas in court on gun charges as soon as Thursday, according to law enforcement sources.

The two sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks are ongoing, stressed that the negotiations could collapse. In addition, no cases involving Arenas had been docketed in Superior Court by late Wednesday night. If the plea talks are not successful, a Superior Court grand jury would continue to hear evidence in the case.

Officials with the U.S. attorney's office in the District declined to comment about the case. Arenas's attorney, Kenneth L. Wainstein, also declined to comment.

The sources said it was unclear whether the plea agreement would set Arenas's punishment as probation, community service, a fine or some combination. But the negotiations would ensure that Arenas would not go to jail, one of the sources said.

If the grand jury were to charge Arenas, he likely would 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 could face up to 20 years in jail.

Prosecutors could bring their own charge of possessing an unregistered firearm, a misdemeanor that carries a 12-month sentence.

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."

The grand jury began hearing testimony in the case on Jan. 5. Since Arenas met with law enforcement authorities, Wizards Coach Flip Saunders, team President Ernie Grunfeld and players Fabricio Oberto, Randy Foye, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, DeShawn Stevenson, JaVale McGee, Mike Miller and Andray Blatche have also spoken to authorities or the grand jury. Players Antawn Jamison, Mike James, Dominic McGuire, Earl Boykins and Nick Young say they have not been asked to be interviewed.

NBA Commissioner David Stern suspended Arenas indefinitely without pay Jan. 6.

An NBA official, on condition of anonymity, said league investigators met with many of the team's players this week. Union attorneys, including Billy Hunter, the head of the players' union, sat in on the interviews. The official added the NBA wants to conclude its investigation, which could result in further penalties to Arenas and some of his teammates, in the next week.

While at least three players testified to league officials they witnessed Crittenton chamber a round in his own gun, there are differences in their accounts. That, plus lack of proof that Crittenton took a weapon to the locker room, make it difficult for the NBA to severely punish the reserve guard, the official said.

The incident, which is also being investigated by the NBA, has cast doubt on the future of Arenas's career at a time when the 28-year-old guard was trying to regain his all-star form after missing the last two seasons following knee surgery.

The Wizards, who endorsed the suspension, have in the past week removed a banner with Arenas's image on it that covered part of the Sixth Street facade of Verizon Center, stopped displaying Arenas's No. 0 jersey and removed all references to him in the introductory video played before home games.

Arenas met Wednesday with Hunter to discuss his situation. Hunter said Tuesday he wanted to ensure that Arenas receives due process and doesn't want the punishment to exceed the transgression.

"You don't use a sledgehammer to drive a tack," Hunter said. "Right now, we're just waiting for the investigation to conclude and then we'll see what level or degree of discipline the commissioner is talking about imposing. And once the commissioner makes his decision, that will determine what extent we get involved and don't get involved."

Dirk Nowitzki gets milestone, but Lakers take 100-95 win over Dallas Mavericks

The highlights began and ended with Dirk Nowitzki surpassing 20,000 points for his career.

The rest was an unabridged anthology of how to lose a basketball game that should have won.

Kobe Bryant was gimping around the court with a bad back. The Los Angeles Lakers were playing a Texas rival for the second night in a row, having been steamrolled by San Antonio on Tuesday.

And the Mavericks had Nowitzki's milestone and a juiced-up crowd. Those facts alone should add up to a win.

But the Lakers became the latest team to come into American Airlines Center without any fear, walking off the court with a 100-95 victory Wednesday night as Andrew Bynum dominated the Mavericks, and Bryant had one, lonely Kobe moment, which was enough for the win.

With 10:57 to go in the fourth quarter, Nowitzki faded away on the left baseline and tossed in a 15-foot jumper to push his career point total to 20,001. Those were the first of 15 fourth-quarter points, which should have been enough for the Mavericks.

But the laundry list of Mavericks miscues was enough to throw a wet blanket on Nowitzki's historic night.

"When you play from behind, it's dicey at best," coach Rick Carlisle said. "Look at the whole league. When you enter the fourth quarter behind, you're going to lose most of the time. That's how it is. There is a collection of little things we have to be better with that would take us out of these situations."

Little things, like Nowitzki making a terrible foul on a Ron Artest no-hope 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer.

Little things, like all five players forgetting to play defense in the last seven seconds of the third quarter, when Jordan Farmar was left wide-open for a 3-pointer.

Little things, like Erick Dampier trying to lay in a point-blank shot rather than going up strong with two hands and dunking it with 22 seconds left.

OK, maybe that last one is a big thing.

In a game that neither team led by more than eight points, the Mavericks rallied from a 95-87 deficit to tie it at 95 on a Nowitzki 3-pointer with 42.9 seconds left.

Bryant and Josh Howard had been exchanging tough defensive possessions against each other, but Bryant broke through with a fadeaway 18-footer to break the tie. He ended with just 10 points while struggling with a bad back all night.

The Mavericks ran a perfect pick and roll for Dampier, but Bryant made the smart play by fouling him hard before Dampier could make the layup. When Dampier missed both free throws, the Mavericks were left to fight a losing battle.

"If Damp dunks the ball and makes a free throw, we're all singing a different tune," Carlisle said.

They fouled Bynum, who had 22 points and 11 rebounds. He missed the second free throw, giving the Mavericks a chance to tie. They worked the ball to Nowitzki, who finished with 30 points and a season-best 16 rebounds. But he couldn't get the shot off against a Lakers double team. He found Howard, whose 3-pointer skimmed off the rim with seven seconds left. Farmar's two free throws ended it.

It took all the sheen off of Nowitzki's big night. Before the game, all the attention was on him becoming the 34th player in league history to reach 20,000 points.

"We had our chances, but we never got enough stops, and we never jumped on them," Nowitzki said. "Kobe barely played in the first half, and we should have had a lead."

Last-play blues: Nowitzki said he tried to make the right basketball play in the closing seconds when he passed out of an LA double team.

The Mavericks ended up getting Josh Howard's 3-pointer that missed.

"You can't de-program a guy from making the right basketball play," Carlisle said.

Said Nowitzki: "I always want to have the ball and make plays at the end. Sometimes, the right play is a pass."

All-Star update: Tickets to the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam go on sale Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-4-NBA-TIX, offering fans the opportunity to experience the fun and excitement of NBA All-Star action in Dallas.

The T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam will be at American Airlines Center on Friday, Feb. 12, and will feature this year's top rookies taking on the league's best second-year players.

Injury update: Tim Thomas said it was a misstep in Monday's practice that left him with a strained right Achilles.

"I stepped on Drew Gooden's size 17s," Thomas said.

Eddie Najera, meanwhile, probably won't play for a few more games, coach Rick Carlisle said. Najera is trying to strengthen his back, which has given him troubles, and is recovering from a sports hernia.

"He could play," Carlisle said. "But we want to work on his conditioning and a couple of health issues. If it's a situation where we really need him, he can play. But if not, we'll take our time."

Briefly: Mark Cuban spent last weekend in Las Vegas at the annual Consumer Electronics Show and came away with one lasting impression. "They have a 150-inch plasma TV," he said. "I can't wait to get one." ... Cuban said before the game that he'd like to see the Dallas area get in the regular rotation for hosting the All-Star Game. "I would like it because I think it's great for the community," he said.

Jameer Nelson still not up to speed for Orlando Magic

PG Jameer Nelson says he isn't close to 100 percent and that his surgically repaired left knee still is sore and swells occasionally.

"It's not there yet," Nelson said after Tuesday night's game in Sacramento. "I just got to work through it."

Nelson's explosiveness and quickness hasn't yet returned. As for now, there's no thought by the club about giving his knee more recovery time.

"All I know is that he's cleared to play and he's playing hard, but right now, I just don't think that he has his quickness," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "That is what you notice most. I don't think he gets to the floor without being healthy, so unless they tell me otherwise, we'll stick with him.

"He seems to be having a hard time at times with his energy level."

Nelson underwent arthroscopic surgery on Nov. 18 and missed 16 games. Heading into Wednesday night's game against the Denver Nuggets, he had played 10 games since coming back.

Injuries cloud picture

Van Gundy said he'd like to be able to get a better read on his team during the second half of the season — if they can stay healthy.

Their four main stars — Nelson, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter — have played together for just 10 games (particularly Nelson and Carter).

"If we can get them together for 20, 25 straight games, we'll have a pretty good idea of where we are," Van Gundy said. "It's very hard for me to give a fair evaluation. We don't have enough data.

"We have to get Jameer and Rashard and Vince in there in the fourth quarter finishing games and finishing them well. That's where we got to get to."

Layups

By the end of the road trip — which concludes Monday night in Los Angeles against the Lakers — the Magic will have reached the halfway mark of the season (41 games). Orlando won't match last season's record of 33-8 after 41 games.

SG Carter (shoulder) did not play Wednesday night against the Nuggets and is still listed day-to-day. Carter turns 33 on Jan. 26. But according to his bio in the Magic media guide, he's 25. It erroneously lists his birthday as Dec. 8, 1985 — which is actually the date of Dwight Howard's birthday. Ah, wishful thinking.

Spurs see more rest in Duncan's future

OKLAHOMA CITY — In a turn of events about as unexpected as a sunrise, Tim Duncan was asked to bring a sport coat to the Ford Center.

After his 33-year-old All-Star forward logged nearly 40 minutes a night earlier in a victory against the Lakers, and with his team in the midst of five games in 61/2 days, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich gave Duncan the night off in Wednesday's 109-108 overtime win over Oklahoma City.

Popovich all but guaranteed it won't be the last time Duncan is inactive this season.

“That's just part of rest and recovery,” Popovich said. “We're going to make him sit out more back-to-backs than we ever have before, and see if it pays dividends come playoff time.”

It marked the third missed game of the season for Duncan, who was sidelined for two games in November with ankle swelling.

Popovich went small without Duncan, moving the 6-foot-7 Richard Jefferson to power forward, the 6-5 Keith Bogans to small forward and starting Roger Mason Jr. at shooting guard.

Popovich said he has no immediate plans to rest point guard Tony Parker, who said Tuesday he has been playing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. After scoring 28 points Wednesday against Oklahoma City, Parker said his foot felt fine.

Ghostbusters: The Spurs spent Tuesday night at The Skirvin Hilton, an Oklahoma City hotel rumored to be haunted. Earlier in the week, several members of the Knicks blamed their loss to the Thunder on bumps in the night at the spooky inn.

Spurs guard George Hill didn't know what to make of his sleepover at the Skirvin.

“I stayed up all night listening for strange noises,” he said.

Manu Ginobili, unsurprisingly, was unfazed by the ghost stories. After all, he's already taken on a bat this season.

“No problems at all,” Ginobili said. “I slept like a baby.”

On the whole, the Spurs didn't seem too spooked by the experience. They planned to stay Wednesday night there, too, instead of heading on to Charlotte.

Vote for KD: Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant is fifth among forwards in the Western Conference All-Star balloting, not within striking distance of cracking the team's starting lineup.

It seems a slam-dunk he will be added as a reserve to his first All-Star team by the coaches. Durant, the third-year player from Texas, ranks fourth in the NBA at 28.8 points per game.

After scoring 35 points against the Spurs on Wednesday, it sounded as if Durant were close to securing Popovich's vote.

“He's one of the toughest covers in the whole league, and one of the best players,” Popovich said. “I haven't sat down and listed names, and who else is doing well, but he will certainly be in the mix for being picked.”

Celtics rest easy in Jersey

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The only real question as the Celtics [team stats] systematically abused the Nets last night was whether the gruesome nature of the beating would be enough to trigger the V-Chip in televisions and take the game off the air.

There were no interruptions in the telecast as the visitors eased off in the second half from a thirty-something lead to cosmetically alter the outcome. But if the Celtics’ 111-87 victory over New Jersey can be deemed fit for public consumption, can pay-per-view waterboarding be far behind?

“We know New Jersey was struggling, so we wanted to keep them struggling,” said Paul Pierce [stats] after scoring 24 points in a relatively restful 28 minutes. “We need all we can get right now while we’re injured and depleted. We need all we can get until we get healthy. We’re trying to get through a tough stretch while we’re injured.”

In what was very likely the Celts’ last visit to the Meadowlands, the final snapshot was a surgical strike that kept New Jersey on the turnpike to the worst record in NBA history. The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers [team stats] (9-73) are about to be taken off the hook.

The Celts were ahead by 21 in the first quarter when a Nets writer turned to a Boston counterpart and said, “This is the point where you’re supposed to tap me on the shoulder and ask how they’ve been able to win three games.”

The Celtics managed to outscore the Nets by better than a 2-1 margin in the first half (71-35), which pretty much sealed their 11th straight win in the series. Even though the C’s stunk worse than the adjacent swamp in the third quarter (19 points on 38.9 percent shooting, six turnovers), doubt never made it through the turnstiles at Izod Center.

“The bottom line is we accomplished what we needed to,” said Doc Rivers. “We got all those guys a ton of rest, and that’s important for us.”

And considering the Celts will be playing their sixth game in nine days tonight (at home vs. the Bulls), a fourth-quarter vacation for the starters was welcome.

Rajon Rondo [stats] had said following the morning shootaround that the Celts needed a blowout, and he helped provide it with 11 points (5-of-7 shooting) and 14 assists.

But the magnitude of this bashing had to raise an eyebrow.

“You never expect to be up by 36 at the half,” Pierce said. “But I’ve been on a team that has a losing mentality. You lose your confidence when a team comes in and gets a big lead. I’ve been on the opposite side of that, and it kind of wears on you. You look up at the score and you feel like there’s no way we can win.

“I just thought we executed. We didn’t look at them like a 3-34 team. We looked at this like a game we’ve got to win coming off a loss.”

The Celtics missed just two shots in the game’s first 9 minutes, and they rebounded both and turned them into points. The lead grew to 21 as the Celts shot 66.7 percent from the floor (12-for-18).

The Nets were toast and they knew it.

“When you’re playing a good team like the Boston Celtics, who have two Hall of Fame guys out there, and basically you don’t come to play, that’s what’s going to happen to you,” said Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe. “The tale of two teams.”

For the Nets, it was a horror story in a season seemingly authored by Stephen King.

Doc Rivers not fine with $25,000 penalty

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Doc Rivers was angry when Glen Davis got called for a flagrant foul in the third quarter of Monday night’s loss to Atlanta, and he was ejected with two technical fouls for his reaction.

Yesterday the coach was “stunned” upon learning his actions had earned him a $25,000 fine from the NBA, which rescinded Davis’ flagrant 1 penalty.

“I mean, they admit that the freaking call was wrong,” Rivers said before the Celtics [team stats]’ 111-87 rout of the Nets. “Yeah, that’s the first thing they said, ‘The call was wrong. Obviously we made a mistake.’ ”

Rivers said earlier in the day that he would appeal the second technical foul, but before he could get a word in, the league ruled.

“Of all the fines I’ve ever had, this is by far the most disappointing,” he said. “I just don’t get this one. I watched a couple of coaches last week run out on the floor and no fine. I get fined for being right.”

Rivers then joked, “I think it’s my relationship with Rasheed (Wallace). I’m going to blame everything on him from now on. If you keep company like that, then . . .”

As for the reason behind the fine, Rivers said, “I didn’t want to hear the explanation when they called, honestly. I was not in the mood. They said I stayed out on the floor too long or whatever, which I didn’t do. I didn’t swear. I kept saying, ‘It’s an awful call.’ So I’m perplexed. I was perplexed at the time, so I still am.

“I wish I had (done something more demonstrative), I really do. I really wish I had done a break dance or something.”

Rivers will look into appealing the fine through the Coaches’ Association.

Sheed out

Wallace wasn’t in uniform for the laugher against the Nets, but the word on his sore left foot is encouraging. He could play tonight against the Bulls.

“It’s still day-to-day with Rasheed,” Rivers said. “I think maybe a week, but it could be (tonight) he could play. I mean, the good news is it’s not as bad as we thought, which is great. So it is day-to-day. He’ll be back soon.”

Wallace said he suffered the injury in the last quarter of Sunday’s win against Toronto.

“It got really sore,” he said. “I still had to play on it, but after the game I iced it down. I’m going to take a couple of days off to let the swelling go down.

“It comes with age. It’s a normal basketball injury. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. It’s just joints flaring up . . . nothing real serious.”

Green trash

Ray Allen wasn’t surprised Kevin Garnett was atop the Sports Illustrated poll of the NBA’s biggest trash-talkers, or that Wallace and Paul Pierce [stats] also made the top five.

“Even when we’re competing against each other there’s a lot of trash-talking,” he said. “That’s just who we have, who we are as a team.” . . .

Brian Scalabrine led the Celts with 11 field goal attempts last night. “Really?” he said, looking at the stats. “I’m going to frame that.” . . .

It’s been interesting to hear the Celtics [team stats] tiptoe around the fact associate head coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t make a substitution after Rivers’ ejection Monday.

Looking at the fact Pierce, Kendrick Perkins [stats], Allen and Rajon Rondo [stats] all played more than 42 minutes, Rivers said, “That won’t happen. I mean, that’s just too many minutes.”

Ailing Kobe Bryant lifts LA over Mavericks

Kobe Bryant went from having a slow night because of a sore back to nailing the go-ahead jumper with 28 seconds left, lifting the Los Angeles Lakers to a 100-95 win over the Mavericks last night in Dallas in a matchup of the top two teams in the Western Conference.

Bryant had only 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting, but Andrew Bynum had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Lamar Odom had 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Ron Artest had 16 points and 11 rebounds to help the Lakers end a three-game road losing streak.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points for the Mavericks to become the 34th player in NBA history with 20,000. Jason Kidd added 11 points and 11 assists.

Rockets 120, Timberwolves 114 - Aaron Brooks scored 43 points, while Trevor Ariza added 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead host Houston past Minnesota in three overtimes.

Al Jefferson [stats] had 26 points and 26 rebounds in a losing cause, while Ryan Gomes came off the bench to post 18 points and eight rebounds.

Minnesota’s Corey Brewer hit a 50-foot shot at the regulation buzzer to force overtime, then both teams went scoreless for the final 1:24 of the first OT to lead to the second one. Wayne Ellington forced the third OT with a 3-pointer with eight seconds left.

Hawks 94, Wizards 82 - Joe Johnson scored 24 points, Jamal Crawford added 22 and host Atlanta won its third straight by beating Washington.

Despite 25 points from Antawn Jamison, the Wizards lost their third straight and seventh of nine.

Pacers 122, Suns 114 - Danny Granger scored 33 points, Mike Dunleavy added a season-high 30 and Indiana overcame a 24-point deficit to beat Phoenix in Indianapolis.

Earl Watson added 14 points and nine assists for the Pacers, who won their fourth straight home game. Amare Stoudemire led the Suns with 21 points. Steve Nash had 20 points and nine assists, despite missing more than a quarter with a busted lip that required seven stitches.

Hornets 108, Clippers 94 - Chris Paul had 15 points and 15 assists as host New Orleans won for the seventh time in eight games by beating Los Angeles.

The bigger loss for the Clippers came off the court as the club announced top draft pick Blake Griffin, who had yet to play in the regular season, now needs season-ending surgery on his broken left kneecap.

Spurs 109, Thunder 108 - Rookie DeJuan Blair set new career highs with 28 points and 21 rebounds while filling in for Tim Duncan, and Richard Jefferson hit the game-winning jumper in overtime to lift San Antonio over host Oklahoma City.

Knicks 93, 76ers 92 - David Lee scored 24 points and hit the game-winning layup with 13.3 seconds remaining, one day after the death of his grandfather, and New York salvaged the finale of a three-game trip with a win at Philadelphia.

Nuggets 115, Magic 97 - Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points and Chauncey Billups added 24 to lead host Denver over Orlando.

Scouting report: Bulls at Celtics

TONIGHT - 8, TD Garden. TV - TNT. RADIO - WEEI-AM (850).

THE NUMBERS

2-0: Celtics [team stats] record against the Bulls this season.

11-5: Celtic record at home.

WHO’S HURT

For the Celts, Marquis Daniels (left thumb) and Kevin Garnett (hyperextended right knee) are out. Rasheed Wallace (sore left foot) is day to day. For the Bulls, Luol Deng (left thumb) is probable, Taj Gibson (left foot) is a game-time decision and Jerome James (right Achilles) is out.

WHO’S HOT

For the Celts, Eddie House is averaging a team-high of 18.5 points against theBulls this season.

WHO’S NOT

For the Bulls, they have won just three of 16 road games this season.

BOTTOM LINE

The Celtics will be playing their sixth game in nine days, so energy will be a big key. They’ve handled the Bulls easily this season, patiently sticking to their offense until the Bulls drift away.

76ers’ Samuel Dalembert trying to cope with Haiti tragedy

PHILADELPHIA — When he was young, growing up in Haiti and walking barefoot most of the time because he couldn’t find shoes to fit him, Samuel Dalembert told his friends he wanted to "fit myself in a suitcase, go out on one of those planes and get out of this country and have a better life."

They laughed, he said, because as he grew to nearly 7 feet, they told him, "You’re not going to get in no suitcase."

Yet, via Montreal (where his family moved when he was 14), then St. Patrick High in Elizabeth, N.J., (where he arrived without knowing a word of English) and Seton Hall University, he eventually found a better life in the NBA with the 76ers.

But now if he only had enough suitcases to save his family, friends and others dealing with Tuesday’s devastating earthquake in a place he still calls home, but where the death toll could reach 100,000 or more.

"It’s unimaginable," he said, sniffling and frequently pausing as he spoke before Wednesday’s game against the Knicks about what he’d heard and learned in barely more than 24 hours.

"It’s tough, frustrating," he said of trying to get information. "You feel like crazy, out of your mind. You just feel like you’re in a cage. You cannot move. You can’t do anything."

Still, he’s tried, via those he’s been able to reach in and near his native Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital. He spoke to his father, a doctor involved in his foundation (dalembertfoundation.org) and a sister and brother he’s been able to contact on Facebook.

His mother and another sister are safe in Florida, but as worried as he’s been since he first got the news. It’s worry that he acknowledged already left him exhausted before Wednesday’s game.

"I’m trying to be tough and everybody who knows me, (they know) that deep inside, it’s hurting," he said. "I try to be tough, but it’s kind of hard to know all those people I know over there. I’ve still got no news from them.

Dalembert comes from what’s considered a third-world country, one he said still was dealing with the aftereffects of one of its frequent hurricanes (Gustav, in 2008).

Yet, that’s driven him to become involved with Hurricane Katrina relief and make several NBA-sponsored Basketball Without Borders trips to impoverished countries overseas.

"We’re tough people," he said. "We’re tough people at heart. We deal with misery as best we (can). Every penny we have, (all the) money we have, we try to give the best to our future, which is our kids, our loved ones. We try to give them a better life."

Now, after Tuesday, he said, "It’s going to take a long time" before people can even get back to the lives they already had, much less better ones. Some can escape, he believes, via Santo Domingo in the neighboring Dominican Republic.

But otherwise, all he can do is offer financial assistance (he’s due $12 million this season and $12.9 million next season in the final two years of a six-year, $62 million contract) and ask for help via his foundation and a UNICEF-NBA partnership (unicefusa.org).

And keep trying to get in touch with the people he knows, to make sure they’re all right or at least surviving.

"People with houses, they’re going to have to put up some tents," he said. They’re going to have to accommodate all these people (with) food and water, and after that, what are they going to do? Who’s going to build the houses?

"What are they going to do?"

Wheaties Fuel with Kevin Garnett hits stores

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett may have been sidelined with a knee injury, but his Wheaties Fuel cereal is hitting supermarkets today.

“It’s always a tremendous honor to grace the cover of a Wheaties box,” said the 12-time All-Star in a statement. “What makes this really special is that our insight was an integral part in the development process of this cereal from start to finish.”

Wheaties hopes that by using Garnett, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, triathlete Hunter Kemper and decathlete Bryan Clay on its boxes they will attract customers seeking lots of carbohydrates to meet their energy needs.

A serving of Fuel includes 210 calories, 16 grams of whole grain, 100 percent of five B-vitamins, 5 grams of fiber as well as calcium and vitamin D, Wheaties said.

Garnett, Clay, Kemper, Manning and Pujols helped creat Wheaties Fuel, and a six-part Web series that chronicles the development process is available at www.wheaties.com.

Clippers’ Blake Griffin to have season-ending knee surgery

NEW ORLEANS — The Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin won’t have an appointment to play against the Chicago Bulls in late January, or the Atlanta Hawks in early February, or against any other NBA team this season.

Now the most important appointment Griffin will be keeping will come Jan. 20. Only it will be at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who will operate on Griffin’s left knee.

Thus, Griffin’s rookie season has ended. Then again, it never really started for the star-crossed Clipper.

The Clippers announced Wednesday that Griffin, the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft, experienced some "discomfort in his recently accelerated rehabilitation program," and needs surgery, meaning he will be out for four to six months.

This was the result the team feared after its power forward suffered a stress fracture in his left kneecap in the Clippers’ final preseason game in October against New Orleans. He has not played since.

"If he had surgery right away (in October), he would have missed this whole season," Coach Mike Dunleavy said before the Clippers’ 108-94 loss at New Orleans on Wednesday. "By taking that shot, it was a calculated good risk for us and Blake to take.

"Either way, it wouldn’t matter. He should be back in plenty of time for next season."

In fact, Griffin had been making progress, doing some light shooting, hitting all of the necessary check points in his rehabilitation schedule.

Until it came time to test the impact of jumping.

"He experienced some pain (in the pool), and obviously when I heard that, that wasn’t good news," Dunleavy said.

"... That information was not, at any point, what we wanted to hear, anything having to do with pain and knee. After conferring with Blake, his agent, doctors, then the decision was ultimately made to do the surgery sometime in the near term so that it would ensure Blake would be back in plenty of time for next season."

Griffin is scheduled to meet with the media Thursday at the Clippers’ training facility at Playa Vista. The surgery will be done by ElAttrache, who performed reconstructive knee surgery on New England Patriots [team stats] quarterback Tom Brady [stats].

Now Griffin’s season-long absence may actually mean the Marcus Camby trade rumors might stop for a few days. Dunleavy was asked whether Griffin’s surgery would prompt the Clippers to make a player move.

"We would make any kind of move that is an opportunity, good move anyway, but as far as right now, we’re just sitting tight," he said.

In New Orleans, Griffin’s teammates were not caught off guard by the development.

"He hasn’t played yet so I wasn’t super super surprised," backup point guard Sebastian Telfair [stats] said. "I was a little disappointed. If it’s the best thing for his future, you’ve got to look at it long term. You know he’s going to be a good player. You don’t’ want to jeopardize that."

Center Chris Kaman, who sat out his second consecutive game because of a sore back, is a veteran of injuries and rehabilitation.

"Any time someone gets hurt, you don’t control those things," Kaman said. "Those things happen. You try to do the best you can and live with it."

If anything, the Clippers were probably more stunned when Griffin’s injury was disclosed just before the regular season started.

Wednesday was game No. 37 without Griffin. The full effect of his absence is largely unknown because he never appeared in a regular-season game for the Clippers.

During the exhibition season, the 6-foot-10 Griffin averaged 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds, and his athleticism and numerous highlight-reel dunks created buzz around the NBA. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich called Griffin "a monster," and Griffin’s teammates preferred the nickname "Amazin’."

Second-year center DeAndre Jordan perhaps is Griffin’s closest friend on the team, and they spoke Wednesday. Jordan was pleasantly surprised by Griffin’s mood.

"He’s positive. He’s ready to have the surgery," Jordan said. "I thought he was going to be negative, but he’s ready for the rehab to happen. I told him that we all want him to come back but his health is obviously more important than coming back this year.

"I’d rather have him have the surgery and come back 110 percent next year than come back this year, and be like 85-90% and have the chance of him being worse or the injury recurring."

Meanwhile, Telfair might have to work on getting Griffin a new nickname. He was the one who apparently came up with Amazin’.

"I’m gonna have plenty of time," Telfair said.

NBA’s Arenas charged with felony gun possession

WASHINGTON - Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas has been charged with a felony in connection with last month’s locker room confrontation with a teammate.

Arenas was charged Thursday with one count of carrying a pistol without a license.

The charges were filed in D.C. Superior Court in an "information," a document that generally signals a plea deal.

His lawyer had no immediate comment.

Arenas has said he kept multiple guns in his locker at the Verizon Center. He claims he wanted to keep them away from his children and didn’t know it was illegal.

He says he took them out of the locker on Dec. 21 in a "misguided effort to play a joke" on a teammate.

Arenas has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA.

Wizards organization on Arenas' felony gun charge

WASHINGTON -- We are aware of the charge filed against Gilbert Arenas today and will continue to follow the ongoing legal process very carefully. We will also continue to cooperate fully with the proper authorities and the NBA. Beyond our previous statements on this serious and unfortunate matter, will have no further comment at this time.

Wade's attorney wants antitrust lawsuit dropped

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (AP) -- An antitrust lawsuit against Dwyane Wade should be dismissed because the NBA star has the right to control licensing of his name and image, Wade's attorneys told a federal judge on Thursday.

But lawyers for Wade's former partners in a failed restaurant venture contended that the Miami Heat guard violated antitrust laws by walking away, and they want $90 million in damages from Wade. They argue that when Wade withdrew permission to license his name, he illegally squelched competition for valuable personalized items such as signed basketballs, T-shirts and hats.

Wade's attorneys told U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra that a celebrity has never been accused in a U.S. court of wrongly monopolizing his own memorabilia market. Wade's decision to terminate his deal with partners in the D. Wade's Place chain was within his rights to license his own image as he sees fit, attorney Robert Turken said.

"If you have a right to give a license, you have a right not to give a license. If you have a right not to give a license, you have a right to take it away," Turken said.

Marra said he would rule on the request to dismiss the case "as soon as possible" but didn't specify when.

Bruce Fein, attorney for the former partners, said Wade's decision to abandon the project triggered the antitrust violation because it removed a competitor in the memorabilia business. D. Wade's Place was envisioned as a national chain of upscale sports restaurants that would sell Wade items at its locations and on the Internet. Only two Florida locations opened and they quickly closed.

Wade's contract gave the venture rights to use his name and likeness forever, Fein said.

Wade ranks fifth in the NBA with a scoring average of 27 points per game, and he has lucrative deals with Nike's Jordan Brand, T-Mobile and Gatorade.

Wade, who turns 28 on Sunday, did not attend the hearing. He did take part in meetings last year aimed at reaching a settlement, but the talks hit an impasse.

Blazers' Roy (hamstring) questionable for Friday night

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy has a strained right hamstring and is questionable for Friday night's game against the Orlando Magic.

Roy injured his hamstring during the third quarter of the Blazers' 120-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. He had an MRI Thursday morning which confirmed the strain.

The two-time All-Star leads the Blazers with an average of 23.4 points and 5.1 assists per game.

Mother of NBA legend Thomas dies at 86

CHICAGO (AP) -- The mother of Hall of Fame basketball star and Florida International coach Isiah Thomas has died.

Mary Thomas, 86, died Wednesday morning at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital in suburban Chicago, hospital spokeswoman Lisa Parro said. Mary Thomas had battled heart problems for years and underwent open-heart surgery in November, the same day her son made his coaching debut for FIU.

Isiah Thomas has left his team and rejoined family in Chicago. While tending to his mother's arrangements, he is expected to miss at least two FIU games, including Thursday at Middle Tennessee State and Saturday at Western Kentucky, team spokesman Paul Dodson said.

"We are truly saddened by the passing of Mary Thomas," FIU athletic director Pete Garcia said. "The Thomas family is in our thoughts and prayers during this time of mourning. I know how much she meant to Isiah and the entire Thomas family. Our hearts go out to Coach Thomas and his family."

Isiah Thomas said last month that his mother had been doing well in her recovery from surgery.

"She's a strong woman," Thomas said.

Mary Thomas' struggle to raise and protect her children from gang violence and drugs on Chicago's West Side was turned into a television movie, "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story."

As a player, Thomas won an NCAA championship at Indiana and two NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons. He later coached the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks before ending up at FIU.

Nowitzki surpasses 20,000-point milestone

DALLAS (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks is the 34th player in NBA history to score 20,000 points.

Nowitzki reached the milestone with a 14-foot fadeaway jumper from the left baseline with 10:57 left in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers. It actually gave him 20,001 points, and it pulled the Mavericks to 78-75.

The 31-year-old Nowitzki is in his 12th season from Germany. This was the 876th game of his career.

Drafted for his potential as a 7-footer who could make 3-pointers, he's blossomed into the franchise's greatest player, having won a league MVP award and leading the club to the NBA finals for the first time.

Suns' Nash receives stitches to mouth after collision

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Steve Nash left Phoenix's game against Indiana after his mouth was bloodied when he was hit by an elbow from Pacers guard Earl Watson.

Nash received seven stitches but returned to start the second half.

The two players made contact when Watson drove to the basket with just more than four minutes left in the first quarter. A Suns spokeswoman said a tooth went through Nash's upper lip. Nash received four stitches on his upper lip and three on the inside of his mouth.

No foul was called on the play.

Nash, a two-time NBA MVP, was averaging 19.2 points per game and leading the league with 11.3 assists a game.

Spurs' Duncan sits out second of back-to-back games

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Forward Tim Duncan was not in uniform for San Antonio's game Wednesday night at Oklahoma City, resting in the second of back-to-back games for the Spurs.

The 11-time All-Star played 40 minutes a night earlier in the Spurs' 105-85 home win against the Los Angeles Lakers. San Antonio has another back-to-back set Friday at Charlotte and Saturday at Memphis during a four-game trip.

Duncan was on the Spurs' active list but wore a dress shirt and jeans with a grey sport coat.

He was replaced in the starting lineup by rookie DeJuan Blair.

Magic's Carter misses 3rd straight game with sore shoulder

DENVER -- The Nuggets and Magic will each be shorthanded when they tip off Wednesday night.

Denver will be without backup point guard Ty Lawson while Orlando guard Vince Carter will miss his third straight game with a sprained left shoulder.

Lawson, who sprained his left ankle against Golden State on Jan. 5, is close to coming back but coach George Karl felt it was better to give him extra time to heal before the Nuggets play Utah on Sunday.

"He couldn't go [Tuesday] in practice. He ran today but I didn't feel like it was hard enough in front of me," Karl said. "The three-day break says to me let's be cautious."

Lawson felt he was ready to go but he was OK with Karl's decision.

"He's going to do what's best for the team," he said. "I have no problem with his decision."

Carter was injured against Washington on Friday. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy didn't want to say when his leading scorer will get back.

"We're sort of day to day just waiting to see how he is," Van Gundy said. "I don't know if that's close or not. He'll go when he's ready to go."

Arenas investigation wearing on struggling Wizards

ATLANTA (AP) -- Washington coach Flip Saunders believes a two-game trip could help the Wizards concentrate on basketball with the Gilbert Arenas gun investigation hovering over his team at home.

"I think everyone was happy to get on the plane last night, to get away," Saunders said Wednesday. "To know that they weren't going to be summoned to a principal's office or anything else to go talk to somebody about something."

NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Arenas indefinitely on Jan. 6 for after the Wizards star guard acknowledged keeping guns in his locker at the team's arena, Verizon Center.

Saunders, however, insists the problems stemming from the Arenas fallout are not distracting his team on the court despite having players subject to occasional meetings with law enforcement.

The Wizards began Wednesday's game against Atlanta having dropped two straight. Allowing Detroit to snap a 13-game losing streak the night before left Washington (12-24) in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

After facing the Hawks, the Wizards travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Friday.

"These guys haven't had a chance to really catch their breath since this thing started," Saunders said. "There's been the pressure and the whole thing of what they're going through as far as the investigation, the media pressure as far as, no matter what, they're constantly asking all the questions. They haven't had a chanced to catch their breath and concentrate on being a basketball player."

NBA to hold first Slam Dunk-In during All-Star Weekend

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2010 -- For the first time the NBA will hold a nationally televised slam dunk competition - the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In - to determine one of the participants in the Sprite Slam Dunk, the NBA announced today.

This one-round slam dunk-in competition will be held during halftime of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, Feb. 12, and fans will determine the winner by voting via SMS text message and at NBA.com.

The NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In will air live on TNT, which will televise the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam (9 p.m. ET) from American Airlines Center in Dallas.

TNT will announce the participants in the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In on-air during NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com on Thurs., Jan 14, at 8 p.m. ET.

TNT's coverage of All-Star Weekend will continue Saturday from American Airlines Center in Dallas with All-Star Saturday Night (8 p.m. ET), including the Sprite Slam Dunk, and will conclude Sunday from Cowboys Stadium with the 59th NBA All-Star Game (8 p.m. ET).

The participants will have two dunks each, with a two-minute time limit to complete each dunk.

Fans will determine the winner of the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In by voting via SMS Text message or on NBA.com during the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. Voting polls will open at the beginning of the event and close two minutes after the final dunk. The player with a higher percentage of overall votes will advance to participate in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest on All-Star Saturday Night. The other three contestants in the Sprite Slam Dunk will be announced on Monday, Jan. 18.

The Sprite Slam Dunk and T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam are part of NBA All-Star 2010, which also includes the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout; Taco Bell Skills Challenge; Haier Shooting Stars; NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas; and the 59th NBA All-Star Game.