Report: Boston Celtics make offer to New York Knicks for Nate Robinson

The New York Knicks may be desperate enough to get rid of guard Nate Robinson that they are considering dealing him to the Boston Celtics.

With Chris Duhon mired in a slump and Larry Hughes in Mike D'Antoni's doghouse, Nate Robinson is the best playmaker the Knicks have these days.

So why would the Knicks trade Robinson to the Celtics?

The Celtics have made an offer to the Knicks for Robinson, according to a reporter for Yahoo! Sports who appeared Tuesday on a Boston radio station. The reporter did not say what the Celtics offered.

According to a person with ties to Doc Rivers, the Celtics coach wouldn't mind getting the chance to coach Robinson, even if he's high-maintenance. "Doc thinks he can connect with anybody," said the source.

As much as he's a Garden favorite, Robinson has often been a headache for D'Antoni and was benched for 14 straight games earlier this season. During that time Robinson's agent, Aaron Goodwin, wanted the Knicks to trade Robinson because he felt that D'Antoni's problems with his client were personal.

But Robinson rejoined the rotation Jan.1 and has helped the Knicks in recent weeks. So if they were to deal him by next month's trading deadline, they'd want to get a player back who also has an expiring contract - Robinson has a one-year deal at $4 million - and who also would help them make the playoffs. The Celtics can't offer the Knicks any such player.

Plus, given that their point guard-position is in a bit of disarray, starting with Duhon's struggles, the Knicks might want to keep Robinson for the time being.

Duhon has missed 26 of 32 shots and scored only 18 points over the last six games, four of which the Knicks have lost. He has been so ineffective that he was benched for the final 18 minutes of the Knicks' win over the Pistons on Monday.

Although Duhon has not scored over his last two games and has had as many turnovers as assists (eight), he is not in jeopardy of losing his starting spot. D'Antoni doesn't believe in Hughes, who lost his place in the rotation to Robinson and has been unhappy sitting on the bench. The Knicks coach also has little faith that Robinson can give him consistent production as a regular playmaker.

"He's not a natural point when you try to throw him into that role," D'Antoni said of Robinson, who keyed the Knicks' victory Monday. "It's not easy for him."

But nothing has come easily of late for Duhon, who looks as lost as he did when he hit a wall in last season's second half, as the Knicks proceeded to lose 25 of their last 36 games.

What's the problem?

"He's got to get his legs and his confidence," D'Antoni said. "He loses his confidence easily. He just needs to get over it."

Kings' Evans named in wrongful death lawsuit

Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans is among four men named in a wrongful death lawsuit in Delaware County, Pa.

The civil suit was filed by the family of Marcus Reason, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in Chester Township, Pa., in 2007. Evans' cousin, Jamar Evans, was sentenced to 9-20 years after pleading guilty last January to third-degree murder and weapons charges.

Jamar Evans was 16 years old at the time of the shooting.

The complaint reports the Reason family is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, but filing attorney Peter Dicce said he has not discussed a specific amount with the family who filed the suit.

"This is a situation where we feel, where the family feels strongly, that justice needs to be brought about. The only way justice can be brought about is with payment of money."

Tyreke Evans' lawyer, Hayes Hunt, said he will answer the complaint within the week to deny any wrongdoing.

"Tyreke Evans did nothing wrong," he said. "He fully cooperated with the Delaware County District Attorney's office and the (prosecution) … and was called as witness for the district attorney and testified to what he saw and what was happening at the time of the incident. We thought this was in the past, but it's something we'll deal with."

Hunt said he is confident Evans will not be found liable.

"Civil litigation is a different animal," he said. "They're mere allegations. They've alleged he's somehow involved in this. Police didn't think he was, neither did prosecution. No one.

"They're filing a suit saying somehow they had more information (about the case) than what someone else thought."

Evans, 20, is a leading candidate for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. He is averaging 20.8 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Evans is signed through 2010-11 season with team options for 2011-12 and 2012-13. He is scheduled to make $3.6 million this season, with his salary rising to $5.25 million in 2012-13.

Court records show Tyreke Evans was served with his friend, Dwayne Davis, on Jan. 8. The Kings played the Golden State Warriors in Oakland that day.

The suit came to light Tuesday when it was updated in Delaware County court after three of the four defendants were served.

Pennsylvania's statute of limitations allows two years for civil suits to be filed in these cases. The shooting occurred Nov. 25, 2007, and the suit was filed Nov. 2, 2009.

"We wanted to let the criminal proceedings run their course," Dicce said. "The family contacted us after that."

Jamar Evans, a passenger in a sport-utility vehicle driven by Tyreke Evans, shot Reason as he approached the vehicle.

Reports indicate Jamar Evans thought Reason was armed and that Tyreke Evans didn't know his cousin had a gun until seeing him slide the gun into his hooded sweatshirt after firing. Tyreke Evans was never charged with a crime. Authorities said Evans cooperated with the investigation.

Rasheen Blackwell, a friend of Tyreke Evans, also was in the car at the time of the shooting.

Evans said last June he discussed the incident with all the teams he met with before the 2009 NBA draft.

"I'm just going to stay focused and let my agent and my attorney handle everything. I'm just going to play basketball," he said Tuesday. "My brother and them told me (the Reason family) were trying to take me to court to sue me, but it is what it is."

Kings officials said they knew about the incident and had no reservations about selecting Tyreke Evans with the fourth pick in the draft.

Shaq says he'll get LeBron to dunk if NBA's stars join the field: Cavaliers Insider

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Shaquille O’Neal knows fans are disappointed LeBron James seems to be skipping the Slam Dunk Contest. But he has a solution, albeit a long-shot one.

O’Neal promised to talk James in to taking part in the event over All-Star Weekend in Dallas next month if a couple more high-profile stars will join him.

“As his manager, I will only allow LeBron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out, if Kobe [Bryant] comes back out and if another big name comes back out,” O’Neal said. “And if we can get a big prize and half of the money go to the people of Haiti and the other half to the winner.”

James said last year he’d do the contest but hedged in recent months. He didn’t commit last week and Monday the NBA announced the Lakers’ Shannon Brown, the Bobcats’ Gerald Wallace and the Knicks’ Nate Robinson would take part. The last spot is to be determined by a dunk off between Raptors rookie DeMar DeRozan and the Clippers’ Eric Gordon at halftime of the Rookie Challenge game.

“The guys that are in it, no disrespect to them, but they wouldn’t really be any competition for LeBron,” O’Neal said.

On Tuesday, James said he enjoys watching All-Star Saturday night but that he doesn’t feel like taking part. He said he has no regrets for going back on his statement from a year ago.

“I’m not a regretful guy,” James said. “I don’t know, I’m just not high on [the contest].”

TNT, which will televise the Slam Dunk Contest, continues to apply pressure for James to take part. On their air last year, James said he would and analysts in their "Inside the NBA" show continue to pound away on that statement.

"LeBron said he would be in and he should be in it," Charles Barkley said. "I think there are certain things that guys should do just for the good of the game. Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins didn't have to be in the Slam Dunk Contest but they understood they were trying to push the game."

Stern rejects Hawks' appeal: The Cavaliers will keep their win over the Atlanta Hawks.

On Tuesday, NBA Commissioner David Stern officially denied the Hawks' protest of the Cavs' 106-101 victory on Dec. 30 at The Q. The Hawks argued, and paid $10,000 for the right to do so, that the shot clock operator's failure to reset the shot clock with 1:57 left warranted a replay of the game from that point forward.

Mo Williams air-balled a jump shot and the Hawks got the rebound but only had about 14 seconds to shoot. With about five seconds on the faulty clock, the Hawks' Josh Smith was stripped by James on a drive to the basket. It did not appear the Hawks, who were running a play and were up by a point at the time, were aware the clock had not been reset.

Stern ruled that shot clock error "did not have a clear impact on the game's outcome and therefore did not justify the extraordinary remedy of granting the protest and overturning the game's result."

It was the second time this month that Stern denied a protest. He rejected the Dallas Mavericks' complaint following a loss to the Houston Rockets in December.

Moon working out: After following doctor's orders to stay off his feet for two weeks as he allowed an abdominal strain to heal, Jamario Moon began activity for the first time Tuesday. He's going to miss Thursday's game with the Lakers, the team that he had his best game of the season against last month, but said that the he's targeting Monday's game in Miami for his return.

"I had to just chill and play a lot of PlayStation, it was hard to be away because you always want to be with the circus," Moon said. "I feel like I'll be back on the 25th. This week will tell."

During the time off while the Cavs were on the West Coast, Moon said he proudly raised his online ranking in NCAA Football 2011 to about 1,000 using Alabama.

James donates for Haiti: James was one of several dozen NFL and NBA players who joined in to collect more than $800,000 for the Athletes Relief Fund for Haiti. James announced that he gave $100,000 to the effort. Browns players Josh Cribbs and Donte Stallworth also contributed.

"I feel fortunate to be in such a position to provide support and my heart and prayers continue to be with the people of Haiti," James said in a statement.

Kaun on TV: NBA TV will air a Euroleague game on Saturday between CSKA Moscow and Spanish team Caja Laboral at 1 p.m. Kansas product Sasha Kaun, who was acquired by the Cavs on draft night in 2008, plays for CSKA. The 6-11 center is enjoying a breakout season, averaging 8.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in Euroleague play.

Wallace: 'So many bogus [calls]'

The NBA fined Boston Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials following Monday's 99-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Wallace

"[The officials] don't like tough defense on [Dirk Nowitzki], so, of course, I get a whole lot of [expletive] calls," Wallace said after Monday's game in which foul trouble limited his minutes. "That's how the story goes, I'm not worried about it. We'll see them again."

The Mavericks made a late third-quarter run with Wallace sidelined with four fouls. Asked if he thought that was the difference in the game, Wallace added, "Actually, I honestly can't remember which one the fourth foul was, there was so many bogus [calls], but I'm not worried about it."

Wallace was fined $30,000 earlier this season for critical comments on the officiating after Boston's 116-103 victory over Toronto in November.

Wallace's latest fine was announced Wednesday by NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson.

Versatile Diaw, Jackson can fill in blanks for Charlotte Bobcats

Stephen Jackson might have forced his way out of Golden State, but he got something with the Warriors that could be extremely valuable to the Charlotte Bobcats right now:

Time-tested versatility.

Warriors coach Don Nelson used Jackson at every position. That makes two Bobcats - Boris Diaw being the other - you can plug in to all five spots. With Gerald Wallace hurting, they might need just that.

Wallace missed practice Tuesday after spraining his left ankle in the fourth quarter of Monday's victory against the Sacramento Kings. The team says Wallace's availability tonight against the Miami Heat will be a game-time decision.

If he can't play or is limited, Jackson and Diaw become the fix-its. That's no big deal, Jackson said, reminding reporters Warriors coach Don Nelson once used him at every spot in the same night.

"All five," Jackson recalled. "I played center and everything in one game."

Jackson starts at shooting guard and Diaw at power forward, but they have essentially the same dimensions - 6-foot-8, with Diaw 20 pounds heavier at 235 pounds. They're long enough to play inside and skilled enough to be on the perimeter.

"It's nothing I'm unaccustomed to," Jackson said, when asked about playing some power forward, as Wallace does. "A lot of times in games, me and Boris switch so I end up guarding Boris' (man) anyway."

Wallace wasn't available for interviews Tuesday. Brown said Wallace felt a little better, but the coach didn't speculate on the likelihood of Wallace playing, as the Bobcats try to win a sixth consecutive game.

The Bobcats have been generally lucky with injuries this season. Three starters - Jackson, Diaw and Raymond Felton - have played every game (Jackson, starting with the Nov.16 trade). Wallace has missed one - a Dec.20 loss to New York, because of severe headaches.

"It's a little more difficult (replacing) Gerald because we're not really deep at the 4 (power forward) position," Brown said. "We've just got to hope that bench players, when someone gets hurt, they step up the way Nazr's done."

Brown was referring to the 12 starts center Nazr Mohammed has made while Tyson Chandler recovers from a stress reaction in his left foot. Chandler hasn't yet practiced, but there was a sign of progress Tuesday.

"He ran around the gym - first day he's actually run on the court a little bit," Brown said of Chandler. "That's a big, big step."

Shaq's big shoulders help lift Cleveland Cavaliers past pesky Toronto, 108-100

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There's a decent chance the Cavaliers could end up playing the improving Toronto Raptors in the playoffs in a few months.

Whether it is the Raptors, who hit The Q as winners of 10 of their last 13 games Tuesday night, or not, it is pretty clear that when that time comes the role of Shaquille O'Neal is going to grow.

It wasn't exactly a playoff style game, but the Cavs' 108-100 victory with O'Neal as a valuable difference maker showed how such an affair might unfold later.

LeBron James was remarkable in his across-the-board production. Mo Williams shrugged off a shoulder injury and his recent slump with a strong all-around performance. But it was O'Neal who provided the wedge that brought victory, the same sort of role the Cavs (32-11) are hoping for in the postseason.

The numbers are rather impressive. James had 28 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and three blocks. Williams had 22 points and tied a season high with 10 assists. O'Neal scored 16 points with five rebounds and in the first quarter became just the fifth player in history to reach 28,000 points.

"I'm happy being No. 5, there's some great names in front of me and some great names behind me," O'Neal said. "I've always been a player to only get happy about the big picture."

That big picture was more important than all the night's numbers and O'Neal was the centerpiece.

With the Raptors (21-21) blitzing the Cavs' interior defense and racking up huge points during the first half, it was O'Neal who helped stem the tide. Not only did he pick up his defense but twice during the third quarter he body slammed Raptors who were trying to drive to the hole.

Once it was Jarrett Jack and then it was DeMar DeRozan, both of whom will probably wake up sore on Wednesday. In the first half, the Raptors scored 60 points overall and 24 points in the paint and Chris Bosh, their star forward, had 16 points. In the second half with O'Neal and others making an effort and sending messages, Toronto got just 40 points, eight in the paint. Bosh, meanwhile, went quiet and finished with just 21 points.

"We had to get stops in order to win this game," James said. "It was a good performance for us in the second half."

Yet the game was very much in doubt when O'Neal reported in with 5:59 left in the fourth quarter and the Cavs ahead by just one point. Then he made five key plays on top of each other and did it all without even taking a shot. It was precisely the impact the Cavs are planning for in the postseason.

First he grabbed a long rebound that looked like it was headed for a Raptor. Then at the offensive end he worked in the middle of a play with James and Williams. With James setting a screen and O'Neal getting attention, Williams was freed up to receive an O'Neal pass for a 3-pointer.

Moments later at the defensive end, the Raptors ran a pick-and-roll for Hedo Turkoglu, the type of play the Magic ran with Turkoglu that the Cavs couldn't stop last spring. This time O'Neal switched and then followed him down the lane and denied his layup attempt and ended the possession.

Then he ran down to the offensive end and again set himself up in the post as a wheelman with Williams and James flanking him. This time the Raptors covered Williams and O'Neal dumped a pass off to James for a dunk.

"Coach called a couple of my plays and I don't like to force shots," O'Neal said. "I've been known to be able to do something with the ball."

After getting a rebound at the defensive end, O'Neal finally took a shot. He finished off the game's defining 9-2 rally with a dunk after James drew a double team.

"It is great to have that luxury," James said. "Shaq is an unselfish guy and it is great to have that interior presence."

That sort of finish, along with defense that held the Raptors to 35 percent shooting in the fourth quarter, is what the Cavs hope becomes commonplace. And O'Neal postgame jokes, of course.

"Only fallback for me is I missed 5,000 free throws [actually 5,218]," O'Neal said of his scoring mark. "If I would have at least hit half of those then I'd be at 30,000 right now."

Stackhouse to jump in

St. Francis — It may take awhile for the Milwaukee Bucks to get a feel for what newcomer Jerry Stackhouse can bring to the team and how he will fit into the rotation.

But a sneak peek will be available Wednesday night, since coach Scott Skiles plans to throw Stackhouse right into the fire against the Toronto Raptors at the Bradley Center.

"He'll play, so it'll impact (the rotation) a little bit," said Skiles. "I don't know how much he'll play. It'll depend on how he looks and foul trouble and all the things it always depends on. But we'll put him out there and will try to give him some opportunities and see where he's at. It's great that he can practice and all that, but you don't really know until you go out in a game."

The game will be the first of the season for Stackhouse, who was signed by the Bucks on Monday, and he is as curious as everyone else to see what he can contribute.

"I don't know where I am," the 35-year-old Stackhouse said after practicing with the Bucks for the first time Tuesday. "I've been working out a little bit. When they brought me in, they put me through a pretty tough workout and I handled that pretty well.

"But as far as getting out in a 48-minute game and what I'm able to do, and not playing in over a year, your guess is probably as good as mine. I'm not trying to force the issue. I know it's more of a marathon than a sprint for me right now because I'm just getting into it."

The Bucks went out on a talent hunt after losing shooting guard Michael Redd to a season-ending knee injury last week, and they settled on Stackhouse, who played in only 10 games with Dallas last season because of injuries.

When Redd went down, Charlie Bell was inserted into the starting lineup, rookie Jodie Meeks got a bit more playing time, and Skiles also went at times with the backcourt combination of Brandon Jennings and Luke Ridnour, which has been effective at times. Meeks, who is averaging 13.5 minutes per game, has averaged 15.4 minutes in the five games since Redd went out.

In the last five games as a starter, Bell has averaged 9.8 points on 37.8% shooting and 28.6 minutes. On the season, he is averaging 7.3 points on 37.9% shooting and 25.7 minutes.

Bell has worn many hats for the Bucks, starting in 20 games and coming off the bench in 17, playing as many as 40 minutes in a game, and not playing at all in other games.

"It's been up and down (as a starter)," said Bell. "To me, it really doesn't matter starting or not. I just want to contribute to the team. It's been difficult with Mike being hurt, and Mike coming back, and now Mike hurt again. We'll see what happens with Stackhouse and everything. But for me, I just want to contribute to the team.

"The main thing is we want to make the playoffs this year. I made it my first season here and it's been three or four long seasons of not making the playoffs. I just want to be there to give us a shot at being in the playoffs. If it's starting or coming off the bench, playing 30 or 10 minutes, I just want to win. Mentally, you've got to stay strong, and you never know what's going to happen. Just stay ready."

The Bucks are going to be patient when it comes to working Stackhouse into the rotation.

"We're prepared for this to take some time," said Skiles. "I would never put the pressure on him to feel like this has got to be a seamless thing for him when he's been out that long. He's in surprisingly good shape. Now one thing we haven't seen him do yet is run up and down the floor. It's a low-risk move for us that we hope pays off for us."

Washington Wizards hope a healthy Mike Miller will boost the team

As introductions go, the 2009-10 Washington Wizards couldn't have asked for a better performance than the one they pieced together on Oct. 27 in Dallas. Gilbert Arenas announced his return to the NBA from a serious left knee injury in emphatic fashion, scoring 29 points and handing out nine assists in his first season opener in more than two years. Andray Blatche and Randy Foye came off the bench and combined to score 39 points. Fabricio Oberto, Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson played superb defense on Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry, respectively.

And, Coach Flip Saunders picked up his first win with the franchise over a perennial Western Conference power, 102-91, with Antawn Jamison still sidelined with a dislocated right shoulder. "After that," Foye said, "we looked at each other and said, 'Yeah, what everybody is predicting about us might be right.' Fifty-win season and things like that. It felt good."

But nearly three months later, as the Wizards prepare to play their 41st game, against the Mavericks, this season has played out in nightmarish fashion. The Wizards (14-26) have foundered on the court, as they attempt to avoid their second consecutive 50-loss season and the front office considers a roster overhaul. Arenas's comeback has produced few nights similar to his performance in Dallas and several off-court distractions. He has been suspended indefinitely for his behavior following a locker room dispute with Javaris Crittenton involving guns and faces possible jail time after pleading guilty to a felony gun possession charge.

"We had high expectations" after the Dallas win, Mike Miller said on Tuesday. "Things haven't gone the way we wanted them to, or as smooth as we wanted them to -- a lot of injuries and things to distract us."

Saunders said the Wizards' problems on the court started when Miller sprained his left shoulder a week later against the Miami Heat. After being sidelined for three games, Miller came back to play three games with a bad shoulder before straining his right calf. Miller has missed 28 games this season after averaging 71 games played his first nine seasons.

"Not being a part of it has been frustrating," Miller said. "It's been the first time I've had to deal with an injury for a long time, which makes things worse. The games we were losing were close and you felt like you could be a part of that and maybe change those one way or another. That's what made it difficult."

With the Wizards winning two of the past three games that Miller has played -- over playoff contenders Orlando and Portland -- Saunders said he couldn't help but think about how the first half of the season would've played out with Miller on the floor more often than he was on the shelf.

"You can't worry about that now. All you can do is worry about what's going forward," Saunders said. "Our thing is hopefully that we can have a push here over the next week, a push over the all-star break and I guess the positive is, it might sound crazy -- not to use [former Indianapolis Colts Coach Jim] Mora's line, 'Playoffs?!' -- but when you look at the situation and how the East is, you put together a string, you're not that far away.

"I've said that when we lost Mike, that was huge," he said. "You can all of a sudden look and see the difference that he's made when we've had him. I hope we'll have him the rest of the way."

Miller was feeling better on Tuesday, the day after scoring 13 points in about 24 minutes in the win over Portland. Saunders said he would continue to bring Miller off the bench the next few games and limit him to "20 to 26" minutes after Miller played 39 minutes against Orlando and experienced a setback.

Miller said this season has also been "tough" for him with his wife, Jen, and sons, Mason and Mavrick, living across the country in Los Angeles while he plays out the final season of his contract in Washington. Miller said his family is in town visiting during this extended home stand, which has the Wizards playing six of their next seven games at home.

Miller said a playoff push is realistic, with the Wizards just 4 1/2 games out of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. "We understand that with the team we have right now, we realize that we're capable of winning games," he said. "We're still on the outside looking in. We still have a lot of games left and ground to make up, but we're capable of doing it. We've got a lot of firepower in that locker room."

This might not be the most appropriate time to reference firepower in the locker room, but Foye and Brendan Haywood haven't given up on how this season can play out. "It's been a roller coaster, not only for the team, but for me," Foye said. "But we definitely don't look at it as a lost season. We're halfway through, so anything can happen."

Said Haywood: "You got to continue to believe in yourself and I believe in my teammates and I believe we can get it done. If we were in the Western Conference, it would be a little different story. Why wouldn't I be optimistic? It's January."

Estate of Pistons owner mired in legal battles

Pontiac -- A legal fight has erupted pitting the widow of Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson against the managers of his estate, amid reports that she is maneuvering to sell the team.

At issue: Allegations that his estate refuses to pay $20 million the business-and-sports tycoon promised to Jewish and Israeli causes before he died March 13.

The accusations, which emerge from December lawsuits, come as Karen Davidson, 61, is moving to shed some of his holdings. She sold the Detroit Shock women's basketball team in fall and a Manhattan condominium for $3.55 million in August, and recently listed the 10-acre Stony Creek Ranch in Aspen, Colo., for $47 million. Sources also say she's shopping the Pistons, which Forbes claims is worth $479 million.

Through a spokesman, Karen Davidson declined comment on the Pistons, but addressed lawsuits against the estate involving a firm that lists her as manager.

"Karen Davidson regrets that these issues could not be settled amicably," said spokesman Michael Layne. "She has joined in legal actions to have the estate of William Davidson honor this clear, unequivocal commitment ... helping fulfill William Davidson's vision and love for the state of Israel."

William Davidson, who was 86, parlayed ownership of Guardian Industries glass company into a sports empire that once included the Pistons, Shock, Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team and Detroit Fury arena football team. He also was a world renowned philanthropist who gave heavily to Jewish and Israeli causes.

His 19-page will, signed one week before his death, breaks his estate estimated at more than $1 billion into several trusts and names three beneficiaries: Karen Davidson; a son, Ethan Daniel Davidson; and daughter, Marla Jane Davidson Karimipour; all of Bloomfield Hills. The will doesn't specify how much each would receive, or which properties, but lists the estate's representatives as Jonathan S. Aaron, William Davidson's son-in-law, and Eric L. Garber.

Before speculation of the Pistons sale broke this week, legal actions against the estate were already in motion.

On Dec. 1, Milestones Upgrading & Industries Co., an Israeli company, filed suit in Oakland Circuit Court claiming the estate reneged on $15.35 million that William Davidson pledged to invest through his company, Big Ben Investments. That firm, for which state records list Karen Davidson as manager, received $23.65 million in earlier investments from her husband, according to court records.

Big Ben also filed a similar lawsuit after the estate denied the request from Milestones. Both cases are assigned to Oakland Circuit Judge Nanci Grant.

According to court papers, Milestones was established by Davidson with his longtime friend, retired Israel Brig. Gen. Oded Tyrah. The private-equity firm was intended to "invest in small to medium-sized Israeli-related companies, using proceeds, $40 million, from an earlier Israeli investment," according to Layne.

The suits claim Aaron informed company officials in April that "because of a dispute arising among the beneficiaries of the estate," no more money was forthcoming.

State records indicate Karen Davidson replaced Aaron as manager of Big Ben Investments in November, just weeks after the lawsuit alleges the estate denied a claim from the firm for more money.

Aaron, Garber and the estate's attorneys couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

Separately, another Jewish group -- Areivim Philanthropic Group -- has filed a $4.8 million claim against the estate, court records indicate.

William Davidson helped establish the New York City-based charity in 2007 and was one of 13 trustees who pledged $5 million apiece to the group that "funds our Jewish future" through educational grants, according to a complaint against the estate, Aaron and Garber. The complaint alleges Davidson donated $200,000 before the estate severed funding.

"Bill Davidson helped set this (Areivim) up -- it was his dream," said attorney Henry Baskin, who filed the claim.

Aaron and Garber denied the request in October, stating "there is no supporting documentation to establish the claim," according to court papers.

Layne said: "He (Davidson) was a man of his word and would honor this clear, unequivocal commitment."

He wouldn't address claims from sources that Karen Davidson is seeking a buyer for the Detroit Pistons. Attorney Oscar Feldman, who sold his minority stake in the franchise in October, said he's heard that she is interested in selling.

"It's not confirmed," said Feldman. "It's the word around town."

Pistons expect plenty of 'talk' in Rasheed Wallace's return to The Palace with Celtics

AUBURN HILLS -- The Palace of Auburn Hills should a be a noisy place Wednesday, and the fans in the stands won’t be the only ones voicing their thoughts.

Rasheed Wallace is back in town.

Wallace and his Boston Celtics teammates are set to play the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, and the Pistons expect their former teammate to do a bit of trash talking on the court.

Actually, they expect him to do a lot of trash talking.

“What else would he do?” guard Chucky Atkins said. “He’s a very competitive guy, a very talented guy. He’s a veteran. He’s going to do a lot of talking out there.

“But I don’t think there’s going to be any animosity. These guys on this team, they’ve got a lot of love for him, and I’m sure the feeling’s mutual.”

Wallace is averaging 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 23.5 minutes a game for the Celtics (27-12), who are second only to the Cleveland Cavaliers among Eastern Conference teams.

Wallace comes off the bench for a team that features stars such as Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen and has fit right in with the Celtics, former teammate Ben Wallace said.

“That’s a great fit for him, especially when you’ve got guys like K.G. and Paul and Ray,” he said. “It takes a lot of the attention off him so he can just go out and do his thing.”

Ben Wallace said it’s easy to guess what Rasheed will do on the court.

“He talks to everybody. That’s his thing,” he said. “He’s going to talk, he’s not going to like calls and he’s going to knock down a couple treys. That’s Rasheed.”

What is unclear is how Pistons fans will react.

“He’s going to get booed, and he’s going to get cheered,” Ben Wallace said. “They’re going to cheer for him for the things he did when he was here, and they’re going to boo him because he left and they wish he was still here.”

Atkins expects a warm welcome.

“He’s a guy who helped them win a championship in 2004,” Atkins said. “I’m sure he’ll receive a lot of love. I hope he does, anyway.

“I think it would be hard to boo a guy who helped you win a championship regardless of what
the situation is.”

No matter what the fans think, it should make for a fun reunion on the court.

“It’ll be good. It will make for some exciting basketball,” a smiling Ben Wallace said, “since he’s one of those guys that hasn’t fouled anybody since he got in the league.”

THE GAME WEDNESDAY is the first of six consecutive home games for the Pistons and marks the halfway point of the season. The Pistons (14-26) are 4 1/2 games behind the Chicago Bulls for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Detroit hosts Indiana and Portland this weekend before Memphis, Miami and Orlando come to town later this month.

“We still have an opportunity to make a playoff run,” Atkins said. “I think this part of the season is crucial because we have a chance to make up some games by having a lot of home games. We’ve got to take care of business at home.”

CELTICS FORWARD Kevin Garnett (knee) practiced Tuesday and will travel to Detroit for the game, but he is not expected to play against the Pistons.

Richard Hamilton (stomach illness) and Chris Wilcox (back) are probable, while Ben Gordon (strained right groin) and Tayshaun Prince (left knee) will be game-time decisions. Will Bynum (left ankle) is listed as out.

Reggie Evans sets a target for return to Raptors lineup

CLEVELAND–It has been the most repeated question of the Raptors season: When is Reggie Evans going to play?

Try Feb. 17, Toronto's first game after the NBA's all-star break, at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.

At least that's the answer Evans, the defensive specialist who hasn't played a game on account of a pre-season foot sprain, was giving on Tuesday.

And even if the date is a goal more than a set-in-stone promise, it's better than the previous stock answer to the question of when he'd return – specifically, that nobody in the organization had any real idea.

"That's my goal, the game after all-star," Evans said. "My spirit's real high. My energy is getting there. ... But don't congratulate me just yet."

Evans, whose rugged absence has been frequently lamented by Bryan Colangelo, the Toronto general manager who acquired him for Jason Kapono in an off-season trade, has yet to return to full-contact practising.

But Evans said he has been encouraged by the results of his rigorous rehabilitation to the damaged ligaments in his left foot.

On Tuesday Evans, 29, said he was put through a workout that involved quick, random cutting and "a little sprinting."

He said the foot remains relatively "weak." But it's as strong as it has been since he suffered the injury in an Oct. 14 pre-season game.

Said the forward: "I've still got a little limp in it, but there's definitely progress. I'm telling my teammates it won't be long till I'm back in the lineup."

Chicago Bulls' John Salmons falls ill

LOS ANGELES — John Salmons' "reward" for replacing an ill Kirk Hinrich with a team-high 25 points Monday night was a trip to and overnight stay at an Oakland hospital with a similar sickness.

On the front end of a season-high seven-game trip, the stomach flu is making its way through the team, affecting Hinrich, Salmons, some behind-the-scenes personnel and, to a lesser extent, Luol Deng.

"It's just bad timing," coach Vinny Del Negro said.

Hinrich at least returned to practice on the campus of USC Tuesday and vowed to play Wednesday night against the Clippers.

"I'm a little fatigued and about 10 pounds lighter on my feet," Hinrich said. "But I'm ready to go for as long as they need me."

Del Negro said Salmons was scheduled to travel with assistant athletic trainer Jeff Tanaka and arrive in Los Angeles either late Tuesday or Wednesday. A determination on his availability will be made Wednesday, although it doesn't sound good.

"John had a fever and got sick after the game," Del Negro said. "He has been feeling nauseous for about a week now, going in and out of it. We're being cautious and trying not to let it go through the whole team.

"We can't afford anybody to be down. We've had players down before and we didn't fare real well. We need everybody and all the versatility and energy we can muster to have opportunities on this tough trip."

Hinrich said he became sick overnight Saturday and experienced sweats and chills before intravenous fluids aided him Monday. He watched the Warriors' loss while sleeping in the training room.

"It just seemed we didn't do things that we had been doing to win games," Hinrich said. "It's unfortunate because the first game of a trip is usually a big game."

Double T: In limited reserve minutes, Tyrus Thomas hasn't reached double digits in points or rebounds for nine straight games. Thomas barely missed Monday against the Warriors with nine rebounds in 20 minutes before fouling out.

"We need his activity and for him to play well," Del Negro said. "It's not about scoring or getting your shots. It's about being a good teammate and playing the right way. We need Tyrus to get back to doing that and a few other guys as well."

Asked if increasing Thomas' minutes might help, Del Negro demurred.

"It's a matter of working your minutes when you're out there," he said. "The guys who do that on a consistent basis will get more minutes. That's just the way it works."

Further review: Players said an uncharacteristically blunt Del Negro pointed out several mistakes during a film session before practice.

"It doesn't sit well with me because I didn't like our overall focus," Del Negro said. "We've been having very good intensity and transferring that to the games. But Golden State was the aggressor and we were reacting. When you do that on this level, you're going to lose."

NBA denies Hawks' protest of Dec. 30 loss at Cleveland

Put this one in the NBA conspiracy-theory files under “Hawks vs. James, LeBron.”

The NBA on Tuesday denied the Hawks’ protest of their Dec. 30 loss at Cleveland, ruling that a shot-clock error did not have a “clear impact” on the outcome of Cleveland’s 106-101 victory.

The Hawks protested the result after the shot clock failed to reset on a Hawks' defensive rebound with 1:57 to play, leaving about 12 seconds on the shot clock. The Hawks, leading by a point, rushed the ensuing possession once they realized the shot clock did not reset. They turned the ball over, and Cleveland subsequently took the lead.

NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement that the clock error “did not have a clear impact on the game’s outcome and therefore did not justify the extraordinary remedy of granting the protest and overturning the game’s result.”

“From the time we filed our protest, we indicated that we would allow the process to run its course, and today, the commissioner’s office has reached a decision,” Hawks general manager Rick Sund said in a statement released by the team. “We abide by the league’s decision and will have no further comment regarding this matter.”

It’s the second time the Hawks have been on the wrong end of a protest.

Stern ruled that the final 51.9 seconds of a Dec. 19, 2007 game between the Hawks and Heat must be replayed after the official scorer at Philips Arena incorrectly ruled that Shaquille O’Neal had fouled out. The Hawks had won the protested game 117-111 in overtime.

The Hawks also won the replay of the game on March 8, 2008. O’Neal wasn’t in the Heat lineup because he had been traded to Phoenix.

Since the winning side in each protest had superstar players -- Dwyane Wade and O’Neal for the Heat, James for the Cavs -- the decisions are sure to fuel speculation that the league favors its marquee teams.

In overturning the Hawks-Heat result in 2007, Stern fined the Hawks $50,000 and said they were “grossly negligent” in failing to address the scorer's error.

Johnson, Smith banged up

Hawks guard Joe Johnson (right foot) and forward Josh Smith (right Achilles’) both watched practice Tuesday but said they would be ready to play against the Kings on Wednesday night at Philips Arena.

Johnson, who was limping a bit after getting treatment, said his injury is “nothing major.” He has started all 40 games this season.

“I ain’t going to be missing no games,” he said. “We’ve got something special going on here.”

Smith, who also has yet to miss a game, said he believes the bruise was caused by a strap on the back of his shoe rubbing against the Achilles’.

Horford gives to Haiti relief effort

Hawks center Al Horford donated one game’s salary to the “Athletes Relief Fund for Haiti” created by former NBA center Alonzo Mourning. The fund says it is set to distribute $1 million in medical supplies to aid victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Horford is a native of the Dominican Republic, which borders Haiti on the island of Hispaniola. He makes about $50,000 per game.

Dalembert pays visit to Haiti

Samuel Dalembert had wanted to go to his native Haiti ever since the devastating earthquake hit the impoverished nation last week.
He had hoped to go last weekend, but he couldn't get clearance.

But Dalembert headed there Tuesday with a group from Project MediShare, a Miami-based group of doctors that has been involved in Haiti since 1994. Dalembert is expected back in time for the Sixers' game tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Wachovia Center.

Dalembert did not travel back from Minnesota with the team following the Sixers' 108-103 overtime loss Monday, and he was excused from practice Tuesday. Dalembert said he plans to go back to Haiti on other occasions, but does not intend to miss any games.

Dalembert was deeply affected by the destruction and despair. He has several friends and family members there, including his father, brother, sister and two uncles. Dalembert said his immediate family is safe, and that he would like to bring his brother and sister back with him.

Dalembert has already pledged $100,000 to the relief effort. He also matched the $30,000 raised by UNICEF at the Sixers' game last Friday vs. Sacramento.

In addition, Dalembert went on several different national news shows to raise awareness about the disaster in his homeland and ask for donations. He also filmed a public service announcement that was played at recent Sixers games.

But Dalembert had always wanted to do more than pledge and raise money. He wanted to go and help out personally in whatever way he could.

"It's easy to just give money and send stuff," Dalembert said last week. "When the people see me -- some of them never had TVs and never seen me -- they recognize me. It's the least I can do."

Project MediShare has been involved with helping Haitians since 1994 when Dr. Barth Green and Dr. Arthur Fournier, both affiliated with the University of Miami, led a medical mission to see how the university might help conditions there.

Former NBA star Alonzo Mourning is also affiliated with the group, and Dalembert has done work with the organization before.

Shaq's idea for the dunk contest is great, but it probably won't happen: Windhorst Beat Blog

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Thoughts following the Cavs' 108-100 victory over the Raptors.

• It started with an innocent question from Tom Withers of the Associated Press. He asked Shaq if he wanted to see LeBron take part in the Slam Dunk Contest. Then Shaq rolled out an entire plan complete with a pop culture cause.

He said he wanted Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant plus one other star to be named to take part. Then he said he wanted a large cash prize with half of it donated to Haiti. It may sound crazy, but the Charles Barkley vs. Dick Bavetta race raised $50,000 for charity three years ago. This is something that people would actually watch.

Heck, it would be worth it for TNT to just put up like $500,000 just for the ratings spike they'd get for All-Star Saturday (which, contrary to what anyone says, is currently rather long and boring). Plus everyone is falling all over themselves to help Haiti at the moment and that gives the NBA and potentially the players themselves a political reason to gather together. A rallying point, if you will.

So this will happen, right? Uh, probably not.

Why? For one, Kobe doesn't do anything Kobe doesn't want to do. Doing it for the good of the league doesn't resonate with him. Plus, I know Kobe and Shaq have supposedly put their stuff behind them. But, to Kobe, even if he wanted to do it, wouldn't just the fact that Shaq was the one asking him be a reason not to? Anyway, he's got back and finger injuries and a real excuse not to do it, as if he needs one.

Also, Shaq was just throwing out names, it didn't seem like he'd actually done his homework. Does anyone want to see Vince Carter out there dunking with knee pads on? That ship has sailed. Actually, Carter doesn't belong at All-Star Weekend this season. He is shooting a tidy 39 percent for the Magic and blindly stealing shots from a guy who shoots 60 percent every night.

But here's the real reason why it won't work. LeBron already tried it and it failed. He made the statement last year that he was going to dunk and all his friends should join him. He hoped that was the rallying cry, especially when all those guys were sitting courtside.

Then months later Dwyane Wade rolled his eyes. Carmelo Anthony told them to have fun. Dwight Howard, a former champ, and LeBron talked, but Howard didn't really feel like it, apparently. Jeez, and some of these guys are supposed to get organized and all sign with the same team? They can't even organize a contest.

Shaq is the elder statesman of the league. He's got some pull and because there's a humanitarian element to his plot, which he seemed to have thought about for a while, perhaps there's a small chance. But in reality, as written above, it probably doesn't happen.

• Cavs had a solid win tonight and they played great offense in general. They shot 53 percent, had 27 assists on 38 baskets, they even shot 83 percent from the foul line. LeBron had a great game with 28 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists, three blocks and three steals. So how could it still be a offensive failure? Because, once again, the late-game offense was.

For the second consecutive game, the Cavs won a close game without making a basket in the final three minutes. This is remarkable and unsustainable. They decimate the Raptors by using their "strong" set -- which is when Shaq, LeBron and Mo Williams all go to the same side of the floor and run various actions -- and then they put it in mothballs in crunch time. Instead, the old Williams/LeBron high and side pick-and-roll game starts and the baskets stop while O'Neal watches from the other side of the court.

I asked Mike Brown after the game why this play was run four consecutive times unsuccessfully. He said, and he's right, that that play has been quite successful at times this season. Indeed it does work and it has worked late in games. But seeing it fail time and time again after the strong set had worked perfectly down the stretch makes little sense. The other late basket the Cavs got was when LeBron posted and got Shaq for a dunk when he drew a double team. But there was no LeBron posting in the last three minutes, either. You know, the little trick that devastated the Warriors last week. There were just LeBron 3-pointers, where he was 0-of-7 in this game.

It is hard to fault James for anything; look at the guy's numbers. But the late-game trouble in the halfcourt isn't getting better. O'Neal isn't being used it in any more frequently. They can get away with it against the Clippers and Raptors. But they couldn't against the Jazz and they probably won't against the Lakers, either.

Recap:

For most of Tuesday's game, the Cavaliers looked like a team happy to be shooting at familiar baskets, but not quite as willing to stop the other team from doing the same.

But they remembered their bedrock foundation enough to hold Toronto to a 17-point fourth quarter, and escaped with a 108-100 triumph at The Q.

GAME RESET

Cavs 108, Raptors 100

Game No. 43 at The Q

What happened: Overcoming some shaky defense, the Cavs had some of their best offensive execution in several weeks to get past the high-scoring Raptors. Shaquille O'Neal keyed a 9-2 fourth-quarter run that made the difference, despite both LeBron James and Mo Williams struggling down the stretch.

The star: James came close to a triple double with 28 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists plus three blocks.

The co-star: Mo Williams had 22 points and tied a season high with 10 assists.

Highlight: O'Neal's basket-shaking dunk with three minutes to play.

Lowlight: The Cavs allowed 48 percent shooting.

Third Quarter: Cavs 91, Raptors 83

• Could be a very nice finish here with Bosh and LeBron slugging it out with each other. LeBron is sniffing a triple double with 22 points, six rebounds and nine assists and has made a couple of nice defensive plays. Bosh has exploited whichever defender the Cavs have put on him and has 19 points and six rebounds. Not impossible that LeBron would cover Bosh down the stretch if Mike Brown goes small.

Mo Williams was playing very well with 19 points and 10 rebounds. But the injury to his left shoulder was concerning. The way he got it bent back looked dangerously like how Dwyane Wade hurt his shoulder in a game a few years ago. He's in the locker room getting it looked at.

• Cavs defense continues to be soft. The Raptors are hitting shots and they have lots of offensive talent, this was never going to be a 92-90 game. But they still are able to create space too easily. The Cavs are going to have to buckle down on at least a few possessions and make it harder for them,

• Cavs need to remember the Shaq option in the fourth quarter. It will slow down the game and the Raptors cannot defend without a double team. Often, they forget about him in the fourth.

Halftime: Cavs 62, Raptors 60

• This is the third time in the last week the Cavs have given up a 60-point half, not a good trend at all. The Raptors shot 55 percent and scored 24 points in the paint, both well below the Cavs' standards. The biggest issue is how easy everything is. The Raptors are moving the ball anywhere they want on the court. So many baskets are too easy and this has been happening more frequently. Four different Raptors have 10 points or more and the only guy who has had to work for them is Chris Bosh.

• In the second quarter the Cavs really pounded the ball into Shaq and the Raptors had no recourse. They were often just single-covering him and he was able to get easy hoops and get to the line. He has 12 points. The Cavs offense has been excellent so far, shooting 62 percent with 15 assists on 21 baskets. Mo Williams is shooting well for the first time in two weeks, he's got 12 points. The Cavs have gotten to the line 21 times to the Raptors' seven and this is upsetting Toronto, which already has two technical fouls. Toronto puts teams on the line at a higher rate than most teams in the league so it isn't shocking. Part of the Cavs' game plan was to attack the rim.

• LeBron played an excellent first half, scoing 18 points with five rebounds and five assists. So did Bosh, scoring 16 points with four rebounds. This is shaping up to be a battle between them.

First Quarter: Cavs 28, Raptors 28

• The Cavs started this game not the least bit interested in playing defense. Toronto started out 10-of-14 and didn't have to break a sweat. It looked like DeMar DeRozan was practicing for the Slam Dunk Contest already with the way he was crusing to the hoop unabated. Mike Brown actually subbed his bench in quicker than usual to get some guys in there who showed some defensive interest. The Raptors are shooting 48 percent.

• Speaking of interest, Shaq became the fifth player in history to score 28,000 points but I'm not sure how interested in this game he is. The matchups are bad and he committed just a terrible foul to get into foul trouble and be forced from the game. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is already in foul trouble, too.

• The Cavs brought their turnover nonsense with them from the coast. Already six in this game, above their average even. Already cost them nine points.

Projected starting lineups

Raptors: Jarrett Jack, DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani

Cavs: Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, LeBron James, JJ Hickson, Shaquille O'Neal

Officials: Mark Wunderlich, Tony Brothers, Brett Barnaky (rookie, working first Cavs game).

• The Raptors have been one of the league's hottest teams since Christmas, winning 10 of their last 13. They had a little hiccup when Jose Calderon returned from injury, but coming off the bench behind Jack he seems to be humming now and so does Toronto. They are fresh off a blasting of the Mavericks. Bargnani and Bosh present a lot of problems because they are both active/inside-out bigs. Which means that it is easy to lose them in coverage and hard to find them to box out at times. In a league that is going smaller and smaller, the Raptors are a big, big team. When Bosh and Bargnani both play well, the Raptors usually win.

• Thanks in part to Turkoglu, the Raptors in a way present some of the same matchup problems the Magic did for the Cavs last season. It isn't the same because Toronto doesn't have a low block rock like Dwight Howard. But because of their size and ability to shoot from long range, the are tough to cover. In a way, Bargnani is like Rashard Lewis and Bosh presents some of the same issues as Howard. Then again, they aren't so much alike because the Magic stand around and watch Vince Carter chuck the ball all night -- but that's a different story for a different day. Toronto has scored more than 100 points in six straight games. When the Cavs allow fewer than 100 points, they are almost unbeatable. When they give up 100+, they are much more average. So that is the crux. Which wins out, the Raptors' matchup advantages or the Cavs ability to defend them? The versatile players like Andy Varejao, Delonte West and Jawad Williams probably will have a pretty big impact on how this game is played.

• As with coming off any long West trip, the Cavs are concerned about a hangover effect. However, in my experience covering the league, the hangover is greatly diminished by getting an extra day off. This is the first time in two seasons the Cavs have come back from a Westie with more than one off day. It allowed them to practice at home Monday. They also stayed overnight in L.A. Saturday and flew during the day Sunday, no red eye to mess things up. So, it reads here, don't suspect to see as much lingering.

Flu bug putting Bulls to the test

LOS ANGELES -- To put it mildly, the start of the Bulls' two-week road trip hasn't gone as well as anyone hoped.

There was the 17-point loss to the undermanned Golden State Warriors in the opener on Monday, plus steady downpours and periods of heavy rain in both the Bay Area and here, with more rain scheduled for the next stop in Phoenix. And now it appears the stomach flu is making its way through the team.

John Salmons, who complained of nausea throughout the day Monday, got sick after the Golden State game and didn't travel with the team here Monday night. He remained in Oakland, Calif., and was hospitalized for tests. He wasn't expected to rejoin the team here until Tuesday night or this morning.

Luol Deng and two other members of the Bulls' traveling staff also are experiencing minor symptoms. A virus can quickly make its way through a team --especially when that team is on an extended road trip and spending even more time together.

''Yeah, it's a concern,'' Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. ''It seems like it's going through [the team] a little bit. We can't afford anybody to be down.

"We've had players down before, and we didn't fare real well. We need everybody. We need all the troops. We need all the bodies and versatility and all the energy we can muster to continually try to improve and give us opportunities on this tough road trip to get a couple of wins.''

The only good news after practice Tuesday at USC was that Kirk Hinrich -- who missed Monday's game with the virus -- participated in the practice and expects to play tonight when the Bulls face the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.

''I'm feeling a lot better,'' Hinrich said. ''Hopefully, I'll be ready to go for as long as they need me. I'm gonna try to do my best to get my fluids and take care of myself, get fuel in, as good as possible.''

If Salmons isn't able to play -- which would seem a strong possibility at this point -- Hinrich may be asked to play extended minutes.

Regardless of who plays, the Bulls know they have to perform a lot better -- and cut down on the dumb mistakes -- to beat the Clippers.

''We have to play harder and smarter and play with more intensity, play smarter,'' Del Negro said. ''You could say Kirk wasn't playing or we were off. But the bottom line is we didn't guard well off the dribble, we didn't execute what we wanted to defensively, and I didn't think our ball movement was sharp. Our execution on screens and diving and rolling behind -- and all the little things we've been doing much better as of late -- just weren't there.''

That's what was most troubling about the performance against the Warriors, who were down to eight players, including three players recently signed from the National Basketball Developmental League. The Bulls were mostly in a daze and lacked focus and aggression.

''Not good enough, especially when you're on the road,'' Del Negro said. ''We've been having very good focus, very good intensity in our practices and transferring that to the games, but [Golden State] was the aggressor, they were always attacking us, and we were reacting. When you're doing that at this level, you're gonna lose.

''In order for this team to win games, we have to play 48 minutes and be efficient and play much better than we did [Monday], that's for sure.''

If they don't play better, the flu-stricken players won't be the only ones feeling sick.

Don’t expect big trades in West

Deadline trades can have a major impact on a playoff race. But don’t look for many blockbuster deals in the Western Conference.

Cleveland? Yes. The Cavaliers might acquire Antawn Jamison or another veteran.

Dallas? Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is never afraid to spend money.

But other Western Conference teams? Probably not.

The reason is simple: Teams with payrolls under the $57.7 million salary cap at the Feb. 18 trading deadline will receive an estimated $4.5 million windfall this summer. Teams over the luxury tax threshold pay dollar for dollar.

Toronto star Chris Bosh, a free agent this summer, might be traded. The Raptors also could keep Bosh and ship him this summer in a sign-and-trade deal.

Houston has been mentioned as a Bosh suitor. So has Oklahoma City. That’s highly unlikely.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti repeatedly has said he’s building for the long term. That’s why it’s doubtful Presti would trade for a player who could sign elsewhere in July.

One intriguing rumor is the Lakers trading Andrew Bynum for Bosh. But the Lakers will be in good shape whether they make a deal or not.

Since Portland lost both centers to season-ending injuries the Trail Blazers might trade Andre Miller or Steve Blake for a big man. But there are reports they could stand pat.

Denver would like to add an inside presence like Indiana backup center Jeff Foster. But the Nuggets also want to stay under the luxury threshold.

Utah might trade Carlos Boozer, but that would be a downgrade that would hamper the Jazz’s post-season chances.

New Orleans is trying to shed salary. But ignore rumors the Hornets might trade David West. They can get under the luxury threshold with a minor deal.

Because of his interior defense, Foster is drawing interest. But that’s not exactly a blockbuster.

Rumors will heat up the next month. But when the smoke clears it wouldn’t be surprising to see most West contenders have rosters similar to the ones they have now.

Brooks gets tricky to score around much bigger players

Game on the line, its final seconds slipping away, the Rockets have little interest in symbolism or poetry, but there is something fitting about their choice.

They give the ball and their fate to their diminutive, wisp of a point guard in yet another reminder of their season spent trying to measure up to long odds, and then let him go to work. But look closer, beyond the obvious and the assumptions.

Aaron Brooks takes off through the lane, splitting burly defenders who tower over him and lengthening his strides as he goes by.

He takes his drive from the right of the rim to the left, the ball from one hand to the other, stretched out surprisingly far from his body and the reach of those long arms around him. He spins the ball as if trying to pick up a 7-10 split, off the backboard and through the hoop. And he no longer seems limited by what he lacks but lifted by all he has.

“That's a gift I don't think many have,” Rockets director of player programs Shawn Respert said. “He has it. He knows he has it.”

Also like the Rockets as a whole, Brooks believes he is capable of much more. But as the Rockets hit the midpoint of the season, he is their leading scorer (at 18.6 points per game after averaging 11.2 last season) and most vital contributor, the difference in most games in their Yao Ming-less, post Tracy McGrady season. And typical of their season, he has had to do it with attributes unexpected.

While that might start with the speed necessary for one so small, there also is an uncanny ability to finish around the rim.

Brooks is not a great finisher on the Steve Nash or Tony Parker level but well above average for someone his size, and even more so for someone with his shooting range. Beyond that, however, he and the Rockets expect him to continue to develop as a finisher at the rim because of a variety of traits ranging from footwork to a rare feel for spinning the ball off the glass.

Long arms, big hands

“Aaron's obviously not prototypically-sized, yet he does have some attributes that give him an advantage,” Rockets vice president Sam Hinkie said. “He's light (about 165 pounds) of course, which makes him fast, but he has a great wingspan, a wingspan of 6-foot-4. That length combines with above-average size hands and very strong hands gives him the ability to play with the ball away from his body and effectively makes his playing area bigger than it would be if you said here is a 6-foot guy (actually 5-10).”

Brooks' hands are somewhat large to the finger tips but peculiarly wide from thumb to pinkie and remarkably strong, giving him the ability to reliably flip the ball off the glass.

“He always worked on putting a good spin on the ball,” former teammate Rafer Alston said. “He knows the angle on the glass pretty well. He gets to the basket so fast, he gets the shot up before a big guy can anticipate it. He has great touch around the rim and huge hands. When he goes in and they try to take it away, his hands are all over the ball. All they're smacking is hands.

“Even in practice, you think you have him covered and he'll flip it and roll it off the glass and it falls right in. He has so much touch and spin with the ball. He has probably the best touch around the rim. He spins it different ways. I've seen it all. When we scrimmaged, the shot clock would be going down and he'd spin it in. We were like, ‘How'd he do that?' ”

His secret: bowling

Brooks does work on those shots, but he said his ability to finish drives with a mix of touch and spin came not from practice squeezing shots between the long limbs of NBA big men, or hours on practice courts, but rather form his passion for bowling.

Brooks insisted bowling strengthened his hands (he bowls lefthanded, too) and gave him a feel for spinning the ball.

“I bowl a ton, all the time,” said Brooks, who averages about 195. “My mom and dad met in a bowling alley. I do spin the ball. I like to think that has something to do with it.”

The Rockets think his most valuable attribute as a finisher might be his footwork. Respert does plan to add some weight to Brooks' frame, believing he will handle and deliver contact better with another 10 pounds of core strength without losing quickness. Brooks believes repetition will help him grow as a finisher. But the key could be an ability to jump off either foot and finish with either hand.

“As much as I like his hands, I think his footwork is more impressive,” Hinkie said. “He does what very few players in the NBA do, which is play off the wrong foot. The average player chops his steps. In our league, 90 to 95 percent of the players do that. The ones that don't have a huge advantage. That is what Steve Nash does.”

Nash shoots such a high percentage without Brooks' speed or jumping ability because his footwork enables him to get those shots without needing those attributes. Brooks believes his similar footwork could eventually lead to similar results.

Unique footwork

“When you're going to the basket, if you go one-two, one-two, you have to stagger your steps, but if you can go off either leg, you don't have to slow down,” Brooks said. “You can just go to the rim and finish. If you go one-two, a guy can come in and time it. I think it messes the defense up if you can go off either leg.

“It happens so fast, I don't even realize what leg I'm going off most of the time. My emphasis is not getting blocked. If I can avoid somebody and get somewhere near the basket, I can find some way to spin the ball in.”

This comes from so many years having to overcome a lack of size. He recently has added more runners in the lane, and coach Rick Adelman has wanted more pull-up jumpers. But with Brooks' speed, there will always be opportunities to finish, chances to use his footwork to get past defenders, wingspan to get shots off cleanly, hand size and strength to flip the ball and uncanny knack to spin it.

Easy to see winning formula for Dallas Mavericks

WASHINGTON – They say the NBA season is a marathon, which means the Mavericks have run a half marathon.

Their legs got heavy along about mile 11 or 12, but they seem to have hit the midpoint of the season with a little more pep in their step and determination in their heart.

Their resolve to repeat their 27-14 first half, or maybe even improve on it, is stronger than ever, in part because they have shown to everybody (mostly themselves) how they must play to be competitive with the best teams in the league.

In a rampaging second half against Boston on Monday, the path to greatness was clearer than ever.

"The ball wasn't sticking in everybody's hand," Shawn Marion said. "When that happens, it's always easier. When it sticks, you end up ball-watching."

With Jason Kidd running the show, it seems impossible that the Mavericks could get stagnant offensively. But it happens. The ball gets stuck on one side of the court and the opposing defense doesn't have to break a sweat to make sure the Mavericks shoot a contested shot.

"Anybody on this team can have a big night," Erick Dampier said. "But the only thing for us is to win games. The rest of that stuff doesn't even matter. We have to share the ball and have fun together. We can't have four guys giving 100 percent and four or five guys not giving 100 percent. As long as we play hard and help each other out, we're a totally different team."

Sounds simple enough, but as the Mavericks showed in the last 10 days, it's not that simple.

They lost three of four before the comeback win at Boston because they lacked defensive grit and couldn't compensate because the offense was off kilter.

"You can say defense wins games, but you have to score points, too," Dampier said. "We can't be shooting jump shots every night. At some point, we got to take the ball to the basket and get easy buckets, layups or fouls. That's going to put pressure on their defense."

Tonight, it's hump day on this five-game road trip. It's the middle game of the journey and one that's likely to make or break a winning road trip that started with the dreadful loss in Toronto.

One uplifting win won't mean much if the Mavericks follow it poorly.

Not so soft: The Mavericks have forever fought the perception of softness, but coach Rick Carlisle is adamant that they are overcoming that tag.

"We want to get up and down the floor, but we don't want to be willy-nilly about it," he said. "We have a physical team. We start a 6-7 guard [Josh Howard], a 6-8 small forward [Shawn Marion], and our point guard is big [Jason Kidd]. And we have 7-footers at the big spots. We have to play physical."

Traveling by train: It will seem like old times to the older members of the Mavericks' staff over the next few days as the team rides the rails between games.

They will use a chartered train to get from Washington to Philadelphia to New York for the rest of the trip.

The players, of course, have never known anything but the private plane between games. But some of the coaches can remember the days when trains were common to travel between East Coast cities.

MAVERICKS' FIRST HALF IN REVIEW

Best win: at Lakers, 94-80, Oct. 30. It was a long time ago, but that show of force was no fluke.

Worst loss: vs. Warriors, 111-103, Nov. 24. Golden State needed just six healthy players to rough up the Mavs.

Biggest surprise: Their 14-7 road record is the best in the Western Conference. Not bad for a team that was 18-23 on the road last season.

Second-biggest surprise: Jason Terry is shooting 34 percent from 3-point range. He's 38 percent for his career, so you have to figure he's due for a streak.

MVP: Dirk Nowitzki. OK, so it's not a shocker. But he's putting up MVP numbers on a team that has more talent than he used to play with.

Longest winning streak: 5, twice (more recently, Dec. 8-16).

Longest losing streak: 2, twice (more recently, Jan. 9-13).

76ers searching for killer instinct

It's possible the 76ers are looking for something they won't find.

After yesterday's practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Sixers talked about discovering a "killer instinct" and "finding a way" to avoid such losses as Monday afternoon's, when they blew a 20-point lead and lost in overtime to the quite awful Minnesota Timberwolves.

This season, the Sixers rarely have been able to keep double-digit leads.

"You either have it - like leadership - or over time you develop it because of your experience, because of getting kicked in the behind so many times," coach Eddie Jordan said.

"I don't think you can teach that," point guard Allen Iverson said about the killer instinct. "That has to be something that's in you already. You just got to have it. I think you get it by just wanting to win. You just want to win; you just have to have it."

Iverson continued: "More than half of the games we've lost since I've been here, they should have been wins. And if I'm hearing what everybody's saying to me about before I got here, it was the same way."

Tonight at the Wachovia Center, the Sixers (13-27) will play the Portland Trail Blazers (25-17). Andre Miller, last season's starting point guard for the Sixers, likely will start for Portland.

Yesterday, Sixers forward Thaddeus Young said the team and coaching staff had an animated tape session while watching Monday's loss.

"It definitely wasn't positive," Young said of the 25-to-30 minutes of tape. "We had a lot of criticism that we had to take because we had a lot of miscommunications and misreads out there, and we have to get that together before we can talk about winning a whole lot of games."

At the end of regulation Monday, when the Sixers had the ball and a chance to win, Jordan kept Iverson on the bench. Instead he drew a play for swingman Andre Iguodala, who ended with a difficult 19-footer that missed at the buzzer.

Iverson, who did not play in overtime either, said Jordan's decision to keep him on the bench surprised him.

"Yeah, especially the way my career has gone - that's something that's never happened to me," Iverson said. "Four seconds on the clock, I'm pretty sure I could at least be a decoy or something like that."

Jordan said he didn't use Iverson because "Allen had been sitting." Jordan had removed Iverson from the game with 51.8 seconds remaining.

"I wanted to put the ball in Andre's hand," the coach said. "I thought he had a good look."

Jordan added: "I've gone so many different ways for these end-of-games: I went to Marreese [Speights] in the post, they double-team him and he kicked it out for an open shot. I've gone with Allen a couple of times. So we haven't had much success."

With his team lacking it, Jordan tried to define "killer instinct."

"Killer instinct is a straight-line drive to the basket, not between your legs and a spin dribble," he said. "That sort of thing. It's a mind-set more than anything else."