Thursday, February 4, 2010

Patrick Ewing will coach in the NBA’s Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam

Orlando Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing will be the head coach for the sophomore team in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Feb. 12 at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The exhibition is one event at all-star weekend.

The NBA made the announcement a few minutes ago.

Adrian Dantley, a Denver Nuggets assistant coach, will coach the rookie squad.

Ewing works often in practice with Dwight Howard, and now Howard will have a chance to critique his mentor.

Howard will serve as an analyst for a portion of the game’s first half alongside TNT play-by-play man Kevin Harlan and commentator Kevin McHale.

Ewing is no stranger all-star weekend. He was selected to 11 all-star teams as a player.

Mark Cuban will listen to trades, rips Mavericks before win over Warriors

Three consecutive losses had sent the Mavericks into a nasty funk. Maybe worse, as the owner said in all-too-blunt terms before Wednesday's game.

"We suck right now," Mark Cuban said.

About three hours later, the Mavericks were battling Golden State and trying to find some way to calm the owner and the masses.

Fate was able to lend a hand. The schedule-maker served up the 13-35 Warriors, who looked nothing like the six-man team that beat the Mavericks at American Airlines Center in November. This time, Golden State was a one-man team.

The Mavericks finally subdued Monta Ellis and scored a 110-101 victory. It wasn't anything to pop champagne over. But it was a win.

"After three in a row, it doesn't matter how you stop the bleeding, you have to stop it somehow," Dirk Nowitzki said.

And they did so with Nowitzki overcoming a sprained right thumb and some tight defense by former Maverick Devean George to score nine points in the fourth quarter, six coming on three consecutive possessions to get the Mavericks a 101-92 lead.

Josh Howard had perhaps his best game of the season with 19 points, Jason Kidd had 16 assists and Drew Gooden added 16 points. Jason Terry added 21.

And the Mavericks again had trouble with a point guard. Ellis, who has scored 30 or more points in 20 of the last 35 games, had 46 points and that's not even the high for a visiting point guard at AAC in the last week. Portland's Andre Miller had 52.

But it was Ellis' free throws that cut the Mavs' lead to 101-97 before Terry nailed a baseline jumper. After Ellis missed a 3 with Nowitzki in his face, Kidd knocked in a 3-pointer with 1:25 to go to make it 106-97 and snuff out the Warriors, who had won by eight at AAC earlier this season.

This was one of the rare games this season when Howard and Shawn Marion looked in synch. Marion had a terrific start, and Howard took the baton as soon as he entered the game.

"He played great and we need him because he brings an element we don't have otherwise," coach Rick Carlisle said. Trade talk: Things had gotten so bad during the Mavericks' losing streak that Cuban had said his outlook on potential trades had changed.

"Whereas before, we might not have listened, at least now we listen," he said. "Nothing dramatic has changed, except our performance."

Cuban said he worries about the Mavericks' locker room.

"You worry about chemistry all the time, [especially] when things aren't going well," he said. "No team has perfect chemistry the whole year around."

Dirk gets thumbed: Nowitzki got his right thumb sprained against Phoenix last week. He got whacked on it again against the Warriors.

"You knew something significant happened because he doesn't usually come out of the game for anything," Carlisle said.

Said Nowitzki: "It's going to stay sore for a while, but I was able to tape it and play through it."

Jonas Jerebko will start at power forward for Pistons

Auburn Hills -- For now, it'll be Jonas Jerebko starting at power forward.

But Jerebko shouldn't get comfortable.

Despite some steady and energized games lately, typical of Jerebko, the position isn't his natural spot.

New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni benches Chris Duhon in favor of Nate Robinson

Nate Robinson gets a chance to lead the Knicks offense as Mike D'Antoni moves Chris Duhon to the bench in an effort to get more energy and production from the point guard position.
Nate Robinson gets a chance to lead the Knicks offense as Mike D'Antoni moves Chris Duhon to the bench in an effort to get more energy and production from the point guard position.

Nugs can't slow Suns

Grunt, lunge, sigh, repeat.

Such was Denver on defense Wednesday night, a step slow defending the 3-ball, over and over and over. In the visiting Suns' 109-97 victory, Denver was diced by penetrating dribblers and decimated by Phoenix's pick-and-roll. When a fellow named Goran Dragic drained a 3-pointer with 8:32 remaining in the fourth, the Suns became 9-for-16 from 3-point range (56.3 percent) — and the Nuggets trailed by 20.

"Our game plan started off where we were switching on everything (defensively), and I think we should have stuck with our same principles that we've been doing — staying with our man and rotating how we're supposed to rotate," said Denver's Joey Graham, who started at small forward.

Spurs' Parker likely to play tonight

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Injured point guard Tony Parker participated fully in the Spurs' light shootaround Wednesday morning and came away without any ill effects on his sprained left ankle.

That wasn't enough to get him into uniform against Sacramento later that night, as coach Gregg Popovich opted to keep Parker out for the third consecutive game.

Parker, however, does at last have a clearer idea about when he might be ready to return to the court after his latest bout with the injury bug.

“Tomorrow,” he said after the shootaround.

Tomorrow, of course, would mean tonight, when the Spurs continue their annual rodeo road trip at Portland. Popovich said that timetable sounded plausible to him.

“I think he's possible, or probable, or whatever the words are,” Popovich said.

Parker, a third-team All-NBA selection last season, is averaging 16.9 points and 5.8 assists. His numbers are down across the board from last season, but he had eclipsed 20 points in five straight games before injuring himself in a Jan. 27 win over Atlanta.

Making perfect: Veteran center/forward Antonio McDyess was not surprised to learn Popovich had scheduled a morning shootaround for the first time since the start of the regular season.

“You can't be surprised at anything when you've lost two or three in a row,” McDyess said.

Popovich has scheduled all afternoon practices this season, in hopes of giving his players more rest and recovery time after games. After the team arrived in Sacramento a little late and a lot jet-lagged Tuesday night, Popovich called off the traditional practice upon arrival, instead pushing the workout to 10 a.m. Wednesday.

McDyess said Wednesday's refresher, a light walk-through focused more on the Spurs' Xs and Os rather than anything Kings-specific, was a much-needed one.

Rodeo memories: Kings swingman Ime Udoka, who spent the previous two seasons with the Spurs, got nostalgic when informed that Wednesday marked the first game of his ex-team's rodeo trip.

“Man, I miss that trip,” Udoka said wistfully. “It was always a good time.”

Udoka and the Kings got their fill of the road earlier this month, going winless on a six-game Eastern Conference swing. After that, Udoka said it was good to be back in Sacramento, where he had dinner with former teammates Parker and Roger Mason on Tuesday night.

Odyssey overblown: Though the Spurs have gone a combined 40-16 on seven previous rodeo trips, Popovich said the annual effect it seems to have on his team has “probably been mythologized a bit.”

“We really do try to use it to come together and get distractions away,” Popovich said. “We take it as an opportunity to make a jump, but it has been exaggerated to some degree.”

Lakers' Jackson becomes franchise's all-time leader in coaching wins

When the final buzzer sounded on the Lakers' 99-97 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night at Staples Center, Phil Jackson rose and started to walk off the floor. A television reporter intercepted him before he could make his exit.

Always, the on-court interview after a Lakers victory is with a player.

Always.

Not on this night, not after Jackson became the franchise's all-time leader in coaching victories. Jackson won his 534 th game in two stints with the Lakers, passing Pat Riley, who set the record with the Showtime teams of the 1980 s.

Later, Jackson called the record a "team thing." It was not an individual honor. He praised the Lakers players during his twin tenures with the team in the 2000 s, and he also acknowledged the contributions of his assistant coaches.

"It's been a really good run," he said.

Jackson repeated the oft-told story of a meeting with team owner Jerry Buss after he accepted the job in 1999, after he had left the Chicago Bulls after winning six NBA titles and becoming their all-time leader in victories.

Buss told Jackson he wanted one more championship.

"I told him this team had two or three more titles in them," Jackson said. "We had a great opportunity and we got to the Finals and won three championships (to start the 2000 s). Then having to rebuild our team (and win another in 2009), that's remarkable."

Jackson took a season off from coaching the Lakers after the tumultuous 2003-04 season ended with a loss to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. He returned at the urging of Jeanie Buss, his girlfriend and the boss' daughter.

Jackson went on to praise Riley for his work in harnessing the remarkable offensive skills of the 1980 s Lakers, led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and also for changing styles dramatically while with the New York Knicks in the 1990 s.

"He became a different coach," Jackson said. "Every possession was like trying to run (the football) through the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line."

Certainly, victory No. 534 had elements of playing in the trenches.

The Bobcats sought their fourth consecutive victory over the Lakers and their seventh in eight games, and they declined to yield an inch.

The Lakers' biggest lead was only eight points.

Plus, the Lakers played without Kobe Bryant at full strength. He reinjured his left ankle during a collision with Lamar Odom late in the first half and could not gain sufficient lift on his jump shots.

He had a season-low five points on 2-for-12 shooting.

Bryant was originally injured when he collided with Elton Brand during the Lakers' victory Friday over the Philadelphia 76 ers. He was sore and limping after that game, then was improved for the next two, and then hurting again Wednesday.

"It set me back to square one," he said of aggravating his ankle.

Odom had a team-leading 19 points; Andrew Bynum scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds; Ron Artest and Pau Gasol added 14 points apiece; Shannon Brown had 10 points; and Jordan Farmar had a key steal and a dunk late.

Farmar's basket gave the Lakers a 99-94 lead with 4.5 seconds left.

Good thing, too, because Flip Murray hit a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds to play.

Of playing for Jackson, Odom said, "Incredible. Every day I learn something new. He understands people, personalities. Meshing them together is a big deal in basketball."

Before they went back to work, before they started Wednesday's game, the Lakers paused to acknowledge a passing of the torch. In this case, it was the basketball used in Monday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jerry West carried it to center court and Bryant joined him a few seconds later. West offered Bryant the basketball, a handshake and congratulations for passing him and becoming the leading scorer in Lakers history Monday.

Many in the sellout crowd of 18,997 rose to salute Bryant, who had 25,208 points going into Wednesday, and West, who scored 25,192 in his Hall of Fame career. After a minute or so, Bryant returned to the bench and West took a seat with the fans.

Then it was time for Bryant and the Lakers to help Jackson set another franchise record.

New York Knicks forward David Lee may play with USA Basketball

David Lee has been invited back to train with USA Basketball this summer and is a candidate to play with the national team at the World Championships in Turkey in August.

Lee was part of the player pool last July but opted not to practice with the national team in Las Vegas because he was a restricted free agent and had not yet signed a contract.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo has started the process of contacting players and their agents about their participation this summer. Colangelo is hoping that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will all commit to the team even though the three players from the 2008 Olympic gold medal squad will be free agents this summer.

In all likelihood, those players that are unsigned when training camp begins in July will not practice. However, most of the high profile players, are expected to be under contract when the World Championships begin on Aug. 28.

USA Basketball is expected to hold one mini-camp in Las Vegas in July and another in New York in early August. They are also expected to play at least one exhibition game at the Garden, which could turn into a quite an event if James, Wade or Bosh signs with the Knicks this summer.

Most of the NBA players that won gold in Beijing have expressed interest in being a part of the World Championships. In that case, Lee will have a difficult time earning a spot, especially when he'll be competing against the likes Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Denver's Chauncey Billups, two All-Stars who weren't on the Olympic team.

"(Durant) has really separated himself from the pack in terms of readiness," Colangelo recently said.

Lee is enjoying his best season and was in consideration for an All-Star spot. Although he didn't make the team there is a chance he could be added as an injury replacement.

Paul Pierce hurt his foot on Monday and if he misses any time with the Celtics he would likely ask out of All-Star Weekend in Dallas. Chris Paul was forced to pull out of the All-Star Game after injuring his knee. NBA commissioner David Stern picked Billups to replace Paul.

Stern would also pick a replacement if Pierce can't play. Lee, Atlanta's Josh Smith, Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut and Orlando's Vince Carter would all be candidates to replace Pierce.

Another possibility is Shaquille O'Neal, the future Hall of Fame center. O'Neal is a sentimental pick and with the game expected to be played in front of 100,000 fans at the new Cowboys Stadium, Stern may opt to pick a player whose clownish behavior fits in during the league's showcase event. The Cavs also own the best record in the East but only James made the All-Star team.

Sale of Charlotte Bobcats could be closer to fruition

On-going negotiations between Charlotte Bobcats owner Bob Johnson and former Houston Rockets President George Postolos could result in a sale of the NBA team during March or April, a source familiar with the situation confirmed Wednesday.

One question concerning a potential sale is whether managing partner Michael Jordan is serious about buying controlling interest. ESPN The Magazine reports Jordan has right of first refusal to buy the team from Johnson that would expire at the end of February. Jordan did not reply to an interview request Wednesday from the Observer.

While ESPN The Magazine characterized Postolos as making a “new” bid, his pursuit of the Bobcats has been consistent since last spring. The question has been Johnson’s willingness to sell; he made the team available, then pulled it off the market last summer, but now appears motivated to divest himself of the expansion team he agreed to buy from the NBA during late 2002.

NBA sources say Johnson acknowledged to fellow owners that the Bobcats would lose tens of millions during the next few seasons. The team is still heavily in debt, well in excess of $100 million, and Johnson’s minority partners haven’t generally participated in cash calls to cover the losses.

While the Bobcats have improved, with a winning record and a strong chance at their first playoff appearance, that hasn’t made much impact on ticket sales. The Bobcats are 22nd among 30 teams in home attendance, averaging 15,017.

Postolos declined comment for this story but has long said his goal is to be managing partner of an NBA team. He ran the Rockets for several years and was a key player in getting that team’s arena, Toyota Center, through the political process in Houston.

Postolos couldn’t buy controlling interest in the Bobcats, but sources say he’s backed by investors with the means to make a competitive offer. No other serious bidders have emerged publicly.

The challenge for Johnson is selling a team he bought for $300 million, in what’s become a depressed economy.

A pending sale of the New Jersey Nets – Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has agreed to buy 80 percent for a reported $200 million plus some debt assumption – can only lower the value of other NBA franchises. The Detroit Pistons are for sale, and possibly, too, the Washington Wizards following the death of owner Abe Pollin.

Johnson has not commented on a possible sale and efforts to reach him Wednesday failed.

Pittsburgh mentioned in Pistons' relocation speculation

The Detroit Pistons could be sold. Pittsburgh has a new arena, with a lot of dates to fill between Penguins games.

Can the Pittsburgh Pistons be far behind?

Don't count on it. But that hasn't stopped speculation about the potential for the Pistons to move to Pittsburgh, a city littered with the carcasses of professional basketball teams that came and failed.

It started with Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp, who warned in a Jan. 23 column that there is a possibility that a buyer of the Pistons, the National Basketball Association franchise, could move them elsewhere.

"And there's the lure of a new state-of-the-art arena in Pittsburgh later this year, and Kansas City already has its own version of the Palace [the Piston's home arena], waiting to pirate away another city's NBA or NHL franchise," he wrote.

Hockey fans might recall Kansas City. It was where the Penguins were headed during the dark days before the team cut a deal with state and local leaders in 2007 to build the $321 million Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. Team owner Mario Lemieux later admitted that the goal all along was to keep the team here.

Now it's Pittsburgh, by virtue of its new state-of-the-art palace, that's on the receiving side.

The Pistons have played in Detroit for more than 50 years. The future of the franchise became an issue last month when principal owner Karen Davidson, who took over the squad after the death of her husband William last year, said she would consider selling the team.

Mrs. Davidson said in an interview with the Daily Tribune that she can't imagine the team playing anywhere but in Motown.

So far, it doesn't appear that any potential buyers have emerged, certainly no one with an interest in moving the franchise to Pittsburgh or anywhere else.

An NBA team in Pittsburgh could pose competition to the Penguins, who now have the winter market all to themselves once the Steelers season ends. In fact, Penguins CEO Ken Sawyer said at one point he didn't believe Pittsburgh was big enough to support pro hockey and basketball.

Still, the Penguins said Wednesday they'd "certainly be willing to listen" to a prospective owner with an interest in moving an NBA team to the Consol Energy Center.

One skeptic is Mt. Lebanon billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. In an e-mail, he said, "I don't see any chance that a team would leave Detroit for any city. And I don't know if Pittsburgh could support an NBA team. They would have to compete with the Penguins, and that's hard to do."

But Yarone Zober, chief of staff to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, said the naysayers about basketball in Pittsburgh are wrong. He noted that the University of Pittsburgh basketball team typically sells out its home games.

Also, an exhibition game last fall between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Mavericks drew 10,011 people to Pitt's Petersen Events Center, up nearly 2,000 from a 2008 exhibition game.

Mr. Zober will get an argument from Bill Miller, owner and general manager of the professional Pittsburgh Phantoms of the American Basketball Association. In its first year, the team, which started its season in December, played its home games at the Carnegie Library in Homestead and was "happy if we get 200" people in the stands, he said.

"We can't get anybody to see our guys. I just can't see a following for NBA basketball here in Pittsburgh. It's a football town, a hockey town," Mr. Miller said.

The city at one time was home to a pro basketball pioneer. In 1946-47, the Pittsburgh Ironmen played in the Basketball Association of America, a forerunner to the NBA. The Ironmen played in Duquesne Gardens, a converted trolley barn. The Ironmen folded before their second season.

A team called the Pittsburgh Rens, short for Renaissance, represented the American Basketball League but didn't make it past its second season.

Basketball returned in the form of the Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association in 1967. They dispatched the New Orleans Buccaneers in the seventh game of the championship round to win the ABA title.

Owner Gabe Rubin, who claimed losses of $250,000, sold the team to Minneapolis in June of 1968. The franchise lost a reported $400,000 and returned to Pittsburgh for the 1969-70 season. In 1970-71, the team changed its name to the Condors. The Condors failed to qualify for the playoffs in two seasons and were disbanded after the 1972 season.

Yes, it's a sorry history. But a city's sports legacy can change in an instant. Just ask New Orleans. And with NBA superstar LeBron James becoming a free agent after the season ...

$2.5 million sought from ex-Pistons guard Allen Iverson in Detroit incident

An Ohio resident has filed a civil lawsuit against former Piston Allen Iverson that seeks $2.5 million plus damages stemming from an alleged incident at a Detroit nightspot last spring.

In an eight-page complaint filed in district court, Guy Walker claims he "suffered severe pain, emotional distress and mental anguish" from injuries suffered during an altercation at the South Beach Pizza Bar on the night of April 11.

Walker claims Antwuan Clisey, a Virginia resident, was working as a member of Iverson's security detail when Clisey initiated an unprovoked attack that cleared the bar, and Iverson, who was escorted away from the scene, did nothing to stop the altercation.

The complaint says Walker suffered "an orbital blowout fracture of the eye" as well as other injuries.

Iverson signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, and a team representative said Wednesday that Iverson was attending to a family matter and was not with the team. A phone call to Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, was not returned.

No trial date has been set.

By Vince Ellis

SNOWBOARDING: Danny Davis of Highland was released from the hospital Tuesday but will remain in Utah to continue rehabilitation for injuries he suffered in an all-terrain vehicle accident Jan. 17 in Park City. Davis, who underwent two surgeries to repair a fractured vertebrae and his pelvis, would have qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in men's halfpipe if he hadn't been injured. According to his Facebook page, Davis has made a major improvement. "Danny is moving right along, and we are in awe of his strength," according to the post.

Soccer: Jeff Hodgson was named women's coach at Madonna. Hodgson captained the Western Michigan team for three years and was an All-Mid-American Conference selection in 1993. After graduation, Hodgson played professionally with the Tucson Amigos of the USISL, the Arizona Sandsharks of the CISL and the Detroit Rockers of the NPSL.

Wrestling: Host Eastern Michigan fell to Buffalo, 28-12. David Pienaar (149 pounds), Phillip Joseph (185) and Wes Schroeder (heavyweight) won for the Eagles (10-9-1, 0-2 MAC). Buffalo is 8-9-1, 1-1.

Bryant's ankle set back to 'square one'

Just when Kobe Bryant was starting to quiet his critics, who were calling for him to sit out and rest his fractured right index finger, his tender left ankle could be the injury that finally gets to him.

"It was just hurting today," Bryant said Wednesday night after scoring a season-low five points on 2-for-12 shooting. "Tried to battle through it tonight. It was just stiff. Stiff and tight."

Bryant, who was walking with a limp after the Lakers' 99-97 victory against the Bobcats and visibly wincing in pain during his postgame comments, said the ankle was bothering him before the game even started and its condition declined further when Lamar Odom landed on his left foot just before halftime.

"It just made it worse," Bryant said. "It just set it back to square one."

Bryant left the court to head to the locker room with 12.5 seconds remaining in the second quarter after Odom aggravated the left ankle that Bryant rolled Friday in Philadelphia in a third-quarter collision with Elton Brand.

The ankle limited Bryant in Boston on Sunday, especially affecting his lift. After the game Bryant joked that his elevator usually goes up to the 12th floor but was stuck on the seventh floor against the Celtics.

He seemed to be on the mend Monday in Memphis, scoring 44 points on 16-for-28 shooting.

"He couldn't get off the ground, couldn't get any push off of that ankle tonight," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "He got out there in the third quarter and kind of kept the team in balance, kept us operating out there a little bit."

Jackson played Bryant for the first 3:10 of the fourth quarter before taking him out because of how Bryant's ankle was limiting his play. The Lakers were able to build an eight-point lead with Bryant on the bench, but Jackson subbed him back in when their cushion dwindled to four with 2:55 remaining.

"I really didn't want to have to bring him back but when they closed the gap there in the last two minutes, I think I had to," Jackson said.

"I'll be fine," Bryant said, adding he would be headed home to receive further treatment on the ankle.

Kevin Garnett: Team not pointing fingers

Kevin Garnett, like Richard Nixon, wanted to make one thing perfectly clear last night.

Despite Rajon Rondo [stats]’s comments in yesterday’s Herald about an upswing in personal agendas on the Celtics [team stats], Garnett insisted there is no “finger-pointing” within the team.

Though Rondo was asked about his comments following last night’s 107-102 win against Miami, Garnett swooped in and took the bullet for his teammate, who remained silent.

“I’m not speaking for him, but on this team we have a lot of strong personalities,” he said. “I remember last year when we lost to Portland - lost three straight - I could just sense that everybody within themselves was just trying to do more than they should or (were) reverting back to being leaders on their team versus the way we have been doing it.

“When I read the comments, or when I talked to him personally . . . that’s what it was. We aren’t a team here that points fingers. We keep everyone accountable. Everyone knows what this is within the locker room. But if anything needs to be said, it will be said within the closed confinements of the locker room and among each other as men.

“I want everyone in here to respect that, all right?”

Daniels closer

Marquis Daniels is scheduled for his first true test today - a full-contact practice in which his surgically repaired left thumb will be fair game.

Indeed, the swingman wants someone to hit the joint early to get the inevitable out of the way.

“I’m kind of inviting that,” Daniels said. “But I’m still nervous about it, too. I just want to get my timing down.”

Coach Doc Rivers is concerned about Daniels’ ability to blend.

Based on a light practice yesterday, Daniels had a significant distance to cover in terms of his basketball sense, more specifically, regrasping how the Celtics do things.

“The one that concerns me the most is Marquis because he hasn’t been with our team,” Rivers said. “He went through some stuff today with the guys, and clearly he doesn’t know our stuff anymore. That’s the biggest concern.”

Daniels likely will return Feb. 10 in New Orleans, although there’s an outside shot he could go Sunday against Orlando.

“He wants to play right away, but someone will have to convince me of that,” Rivers said. “I’m hoping New Orleans. That would be a great game for him because then we have Monday and Tuesday for practice.

“There’s a chance he could play Sunday. But if Paul (Pierce) can’t play on Sunday, I’m not going to push Marquis into duty just to play him.”

Allen starts

Tony Allen, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career, started in place of Pierce (left foot strain).

This was a mixed blessing for Rivers.

“Tony’s been terrific,” he said. “I like him off the bench more than in the starting lineup because he’s an energy guy. It takes that away from the bench, and now we’ll have to look for someone else to do that. I also like someone off the bench against Miami because you need someone to watch (Dwyane) Wade and then come in and play Wade.”

Allen had six points and six rebounds in 27 minutes. Wade collected a game-high 30 points to go with 13 assists.

Doc Rivers fanned the ire with team criticism

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said a story in yesterday’s Herald containing comments critical of the team from Rajon Rondo [stats], Kendrick Perkins [stats] and Paul Pierce [stats] was “overblown.”

Then he said he agreed with the statements and that he’d been saying the same things behind closed doors. Rivers later acknowledged he hadn’t read the story.

(Rivers altered course later, saying after the game the reaction to the piece, not the story itself, was overblown.)

Rondo’s remarks came in response to a query about the team’s recent lack of execution late after Monday’s game in Washington.

“I think it’s a little bit of different agendas maybe creeping in,” he told this reporter. “It just all depends. You know, I think if we all had the right spirit as far as one goal, one thing in common, I think we’d be a lot better.”

Rondo added, “I can’t really elaborate on it too much, but I think we’ve just got to be a team with no agendas. We’ve got to play unselfish, you know? That’s on defense and offense. You’ve got to want the best for the next man out there regardless if you’re in the game playing well or you’re out of the game not playing well.”

In a separate, earlier conversation, Perkins said, “I think each person’s just got to take themself out of the equation. You know, whatever you’ve got going on the personal side, whatever you’re trying to get done, just take it out and just think all about team.”

Before last night’s 107-102 win against the Heat, Rivers said, “I think it was a little overblown, to be honest. I think (Rondo) was saying something, but a little different than the way it was taken. And I would have wrote the same thing.”

Rivers was told via text message on Tuesday the Herald was working on something of interest and that he was welcome to have his say. He declined.

“But I do like our chemistry,” Rivers said of his team last night. “I like it a lot. (Rondo) was almost repeating what I said three weeks ago. And it was more about being focused going into the last three or four weeks before All-Star break. You know, too many agendas, too many guys worrying about travel, worrying about everything except for basketball. And it tears your team apart . . . for that stretch.

“He’s basically repeating everything I (said) in front of the team. I said, ‘We’re not going to be the team of two years ago or the team of last year. Every team’s different, so stop looking for that. Be this team.’ And that was the point I was making. He just said what I said.”

The coach was asked if it was a positive sign that his sentiments were now being voiced by his players.

“Well, I like the fact that I heard Paul and I think Rondo both say they’ve been given the answers to the test, but of late they’ve flunked the test anyway,” Rivers said. “I love that. That’s good. Having said that, I’d like to pass the test. But I’m not that concerned by it. I am concerned by all the injuries clearly. Obviously you don’t want that, and it does hurt your continuity as a group. It’s been difficult to get any continuity as a team. Every time we think we’re about to get it, something happens. But other than that, I like our team a lot.”

Of Rondo perhaps showing leadership, Rivers said, “I don’t mind that. There’s better ways of doing that, but I don’t mind that. Even the comments he made, I didn’t mind much at all, because, one, it says that he’s actually listening, and that’s always a good thing.”

But, as Rondo and Perkins intimated, there is room to question whether there’s a sense of urgency.

“Not as much as the ’08 team,” Rivers said. “But I do think they have a sense of what they want to play for exactly like that team. . . . We’ll have it (by the playoffs). You don’t need it right now. You know, it is January or February. So you need it later.”

After Ainge talk, Ray Allen’s in a good place

Ray Allen is well aware there are no guarantees in this NBA life. But after he and his wife met Tuesday with Celtics [team stats] general manager Danny Ainge to discuss trade rumors, he’s feeling better about his standing with the Celtics.

“Danny just told me, ‘Look, I know you guys have been dealing with this over the past couple of weeks,’ ” Allen said following last night’s 107-102 win against the Miami Heat at the Garden. “He was like, ‘I haven’t made any calls in trying to get you traded. It’s always speculation coming from other franchises and other newspaper outlets around the country.’

“So anything could happen. For me, I just keep playing basketball. It’s not my job to sit here and worry and let it stress me or bog me down. You know, it was great to sit there and talk to Danny because he and I have a great relationship.”

Allen was in the car with his wife and kids Tuesday when he received a call from Ainge. He steered his car to the team’s practice facility.

“We just talked about all the things that (have been rumored),” Allen said. “I don’t really watch a whole lot of TV and read the newspaper. It’s just other people on the outside talking about me being traded and going different places. Everybody’s like, ‘Are you going somewhere?’ I was like, it’s out of my control.

“There’s nothing that I need to worry about. It’s even tougher because other people have to deal with it and they bring it to me.”

It wasn’t the first time Allen has spoken to the club about his situation. The guard is in the final year of his contract, and the team made no real move to extend the deal prior to the season. He therefore understands that things could get very interesting over the summer.

“We’ve talked about it, and definitely I have a firm grip on where the team stands,” Allen said in an earlier conversation. “Obviously I’m going to be a free agent when the season’s over, but I’m not worried about that. I want to win a ring. That’s my focus.”

Last night, Allen said he is confident this team can win another championship if it rediscovers its focus.

“Believe me there’s not a better group of guys that are capable right now,” he said. “I’m not looking at our record, even though our record is not too shabby. We have a roster that can win it. . . . It’s never guaranteed. So we have to be very selfish about really wanting to be good now and really wanting to take care of our bodies, making sure that we hold each other accountable and doing it in a good way.

“And we’ve got to treat this season very specially and know that whatever comes out of it is what we want to come out of it, and that’s winning a championship.”

Celtics go fourth, prosper

At least the fourth quarter appears to be their domain again.

Granted, the Celtics [team stats] are far from a full house right now. Witness the sight of Paul Pierce [stats] in street clothes.

But as evidenced by last night’s 107-102 win over Miami - coming on the heels of Monday’s fourth quarter lock-down in Washington - the Celtics are again finishing better than they start.

Ray Allen and Eddie House, two Celtics who have seen better seasons, combined for 18 points over the last 12 minutes, including a trey each.

Overall Allen scored 23 points and House brought 16 off the bench. Rajon Rondo [stats] polished off the night with a 22-point, 14-assist double-double.

But for Doc Rivers the most encouraging number was easily the 41.7 percent shot by Miami in the fourth, as well as the Heat’s 43.9 percent second half number, a striking shift from the team that shot 62.5 percent in the first half.

“Two games in a row of great fourth-quarter ‘D,’ ” Rivers said. “But it had to get better. What were they shooting, 60-whatever-percent in the first half? That’s pretty high. But it’s funny, I told them at halftime, and this sounds crazy, I thought we were playing hard defensively.

“But Dwyane Wade controlled the first half.”

Unfortunately for Miami, Wade’s 30-point, 13-assist performance was rarely good enough to hold a lead.

Rondo’s 14-assist performance ultimately had the larger impact. The point guard’s distribution keyed a larger 29 assists on 37 baskets effort, including nine assists from Kevin Garnett.

“It was contagious,” Rondo said of the ball movement. “It started when we first came out, the first play of the game. KG, you look up, and he has about six (assists) at halftime. When guys are moving the ball, we are a great team. We are fun to watch. We shared the ball tonight and played very unselfishly.”

And still they carried a teetering 95-91 lead into the last two minutes, when Udonis Haslem fouled Garnett. Garnett was only able to hit the first free throw, and Quentin Richardson made the C’s pay dearly with a 3-pointer.

Kendrick Perkins [stats] repeated Garnett’s 1-of-2 performance the next time down for a 97-94 edge with 1:22 left.

This time the C’s managed to turn the corner with the sort of defensive play they used to make routinely.

Wade and Ray Allen exchanged misses before Tony Allen delivered the night’s big stop, stripping Wade, getting fouled and hitting both free throws for a 99-94 lead with 36.5 seconds left.

“I’ve said it for the last three, four, five games, Tony Allen is playing great defense,” said Rasheed Wallace, whose sentiment was seconded by Rivers.

“You can point him at someone and say, ‘Guard him,’ every night,” the Celtics [team stats] coach said of the benefit of running Allen, who started in place of Paul Pierce [stats], with the first unit. “There’s not a team I can think of without a good 2 or 3 on their team. So every night you can say, ‘Tony, guard this guy.’ ”

The Celtics had one last chance when Haslem was fouled while grabbing an offensive rebound. But he fell into the Garnett/Perkins trap and hit only the second of two free throws.

Sigh of relief for Paul Pierce

And on the third day, Paul Pierce [stats] rested.

For the Celtics [team stats], it’s good news that their captain is day-to-day with a left foot strain.

It could have been worse.

Pierce, without anything protecting his foot, showed up for last night’s game against Miami as a spectator.

After a season-long string of injuries, the Celtics realize this time they dodged a bullet.

“This stuff happens in the league, and you do every time a guy goes down, especially that way, with his foot trapped under another guy,” C’s coach Doc Rivers said. “You’re concerned. When I got the report back I took a sigh of relief, no doubt.”

Danny Ainge sweated through the same wait after Pierce trapped his foot under Washington’s Caron Butler in the first half Monday night, and left for good following a brief reappearance in the second half.

“Yeah, it was a relief,” the Celtics general manager said. “These things can be kind of flukey, and the chance for something worse to happen is there.”

Ainge simply took thanks yesterday in what the team considers to be a sound diagnosis after a day of speculation over what was wrong with Pierce’s foot.

“There was a lot of speculation and opinions, but he wasn’t even evaluated by team doctors until (Tuesday) night,” Ainge said. “We were concerned because Paul was still in some pain after the game.”

Neither Rivers nor Ainge offered an opinion on Pierce’s return, though the coach all but ruled out tomorrow’s game against New Jersey.

“He’s good, and it’s day-to-day,” Rivers said. “I don’t think he’ll play (tomorrow) but then after that we’ll see. I was worried when he did it. It looked awful. Just walking around at halftime I didn’t think it was a severe injury. He did play a little bit in the second half, and after the game he said it bothered him, so you are concerned.

“I don’t think there’s any special therapy. I don’t even think he’s in a boot or anything.”

Hornets fall with no Chris Paul

Kevin Durant scored 30 points, and Russell Westbrook had 26 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 103-99 victory over the Hornets last night in New Orleans.

Westbrook hit a mid-range shot with 13.7 seconds left to give the Thunder a 101-97 lead. After the Hornets cut it to 101-99 on Peja Stojakovic’s layup, Durant hit a pair of free throws with 8.5 seconds left, finally putting away a Hornets team playing without injured point guard Chris Paul.

Hornets coach Jeff Bower said Paul will have surgery today to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and will miss the All-Star Game. Although Paul is likely to be sidelined for up to a month, Bower wouldn’t give a timetable for his return.

Lakers 99, Bobcats 97 - Andrew Bynum had 17 points and Phil Jackson passed Pat Riley to become the winningest coach in Lakers history in host Los Angeles’ win over Charlotte.

The Bobcats had won three straight road games against the Lakers, but couldn’t capitalize on a season-low five-point performance by Kobe Bryant, who appeared to injure his left foot in the first half.

Bryant returned to play extensively in the second half, but sat out another key late stretch and didn’t score in the fourth quarter of his first single-digit scoring game of the season.

Mavericks 110, Warriors 101 - Jason Terry had 21 points, Dirk Nowitzki scored nine of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and host Dallas extended Golden State’s losing streak to seven games.

Hawks 103, Clippers 97 - Joe Johnson scored 34 points, Jamal Crawford added 22, and host Atlanta overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter to beat Los Angeles.

Jazz 118, Trail Blazers 105 - In Salt Lake City, Deron Williams had 13 points and 13 assists, and rookie Wesley Matthews had 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting to help Utah win its seventh straight game, by beating Portland.

76ers 106, Bulls 103 - Elton Brand scored 26 points and Andre Iguodala had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to help host Philadelphia rally for an overtime victory against Chicago.

Willie Green added 15 points in place of Allen Iverson [stats], who missed the game because one of his children is ill. The All-Star guard is expected back tomorrow night at New Orleans.

Suns 109, Nuggets 97 - Amare Stoudemire had 20 points and 17 rebounds, leading visiting Phoenix to a win over a Denver squad missing Carmelo Anthony (ankle) for the sixth straight game.

Knicks 106, Wizards 85 - Nate Robinson scored 23 points, Al Harrington and Larry Hughes also put in double figures off the bench, and host New York beat Washington to snap a three-game losing streak.

Spurs 115, Kings 113 - George Hill had 23 points and nine assists, and Tim Duncan added 22 points and 13 rebounds to help San Antonio win in Sacramento.

Raptors 108, Nets 99 - Chris Bosh scored 20 points, Sonny Weems set career highs with 14 points and 11 rebounds and shorthanded Toronto beat visiting New Jersey for its fifth win in six games.

Lakers nip Bobcats, 99-97

LOS ANGELES— If eight road games in 14 were not tough enough, the Los Angeles Lakers were back home Wednesday to face the Charlotte Bobcats, a team that had beaten them four of the past six times they had played.

It figured to be a long, frustrating night for the road-weary Lakers.

The Lakers played the first three quarters seemingly with little energy. Normal, easy shots fell short and routine layups missed their mark. Kobe Bryant missed his first five shots before burying a 3-pointer late in the second quarter.

But the Lakers dug deep for any remnants of life they had in their arms and legs and pulled out a 99-97 victory, their first against the Bobcats since 2008.

It wasn’t until late in the game that the Lakers were able to take control. They took a 92-84 lead with 5:24 to play on Jordan Farmar’s first 3-pointer of the game. Ron Artest then added a free throw to give the Lakers a nine-point cushion. But the lead didn’t last as the Bobcats outscored the Lakers, 8-1, to close the gap to 93-92.

But the Lakers had more in the tank as Pau Gasol scored on a dunk then blocked a Nazr Mohammed shot. Lamar Odom then scored on a layup with 1:02 left to put the Lakers ahead, 97-92.

Flip Murray landed a desperation 3-pointer, with one second left, but it wasn’t enough as Lakers coach Phil Jackson got his 534th victory.

For once, Bryant didn’t take over at the end.

Bryant, who seemed off all game, tweaked his left ankle late in the second quarter when he got it caught under Lamar Odom’s foot as they went for a loose ball. Bryant left the court with 12.5 seconds left in the first half, and he returned to the court wearing a black sleeve on his left calf and started the third quarter.

He played the third quarter then sat out after the first three minutes of the fourth. He came back in late in the game, but didn’t take a shot. He finished with five points on 2-of-12 shooting and had six assists.

Basketball is the easy part for Kobe Bryant

LOS ANGELES — No. 1 in scoring among the Los Angeles Lakers, if not yet in the hearts of Lakerdom. . . .

These days it’s an exploit a month for Kobe Bryant, the youngest NBA player to score 20,000 points . . . and 21,000, 22,000, 23,000, 24,000 and 25,000 . . . who just passed Jerry West’s 25,192 to break the Lakers record.

Of course, it was coming for years. The only surprise was the outcry among Lakers fans at references to Bryant as the best Laker ever by the Lakers broadcast team and local papers.

What it suggested was the hold Magic Johnson and Jerry West have on Lakers fans’ hearts, a whole level of warmth up from what they feel for Bryant.

On the other hand, Bryant is just warming up.

West reached 25,192 at 35 after pushing his slight body as far as he could, wearing huge wraps on his twangy hamstrings and tape jobs on his face that made him look like the Phantom of the Opera after breaking his nose yet again.

West asked himself how long he could take it on a daily basis before retiring.

The question has never occurred to Bryant, whose whole life has been a mission to do exactly what he’s doing.

Forget Lakers records, Bryant’s headed a lot higher on the pyramid than that.

No. 14 on the all-time scoring list, at his career averages (25 points a game, 75 games a season), he would pass No. 4 Wilt Chamberlain (31,149) and No. 3 Michael Jordan (32,292) in four seasons — the number of years he’d have under contract with the Lakers’ extension offer.

Everything depends on health, but Bryant works on his body 24/7/365.

So, assuming anything that far out can be predicted, you can put down the spring of 2014 as the one in which Bryant passes Chamberlain and Jordan.

In 1996, West, then the Lakers general manager, called Bryant’s pre-draft workout the best he has ever seen, but at 17, Bryant was a 6-5, 165-pound colt, and an untamed one.

Within three years, having seen the depth of his commitment, West could have told you this day was coming.

"One of the reasons we traded Eddie Jones was, you couldn’t harness that, you just had to let him play," said West before presenting Bryant the game ball before the Lakers’ 99-97 win over Charlotte.

"Once he saw the game a little bit differently and played the game a little bit differently, he became the player we see here. He’s a player for decades. . . .

"It’s an easy game for him to play now. He’s so much more poised in terms of what he’s out to do.

"Scoring was never the hard thing. Winning is the hard thing. For someone as gifted as him, his skills, the way he competes, the way he’s learned to shoot the ball and more importantly, the depth of his skills, that’s what makes him dangerous to play for a long time."

Driven by demons after an impoverished youth, West was nonetheless friendly as a puppy, if an extremely high-strung puppy, with a brutal heart-on-his-sleeve candor that moved even opponents such as Bill Russell, who hated the Lakers but loved West.

Magic, of course, could have his picture in the dictionary under "charisma."

Bryant, who learned everything the hard way and has the scar tissue to prove it, is polite but reserved in group sessions, and does few one-on-ones.

Shaquille O’Neal, whose charm made up for the holes in his game, had stalwart media defenders here. Bryant’s effort and commitment far surpass O’Neal’s, but Bryant isn’t as charming and no one was ever as funny.

Bryant is all about business. O’Neal could try to squeeze his massive body into John Stockton’s shorts before a game.

On the other hand, there’s so much that lies ahead for Bryant, on and perhaps off the floor. As always in his life, basketball is the easy part.

Passing through in his vintage style, West made his presentation before the game and may have reached his car by the time they tipped it off.

Bryant was born in the spotlight, and if he has anything to say about it, his time has just begun.

Danny Ainge, Celtics upgrade captain’s condition

The Celtics [team stats] last night turned a fire hose on the flames of speculation that surrounded Paul Pierce [stats]’s left foot injury.

The team released a statement saying the captain had merely suffered a strained left mid-foot during the first quarter of Monday night’s win in Washington against the Wizards. Pierce is currently listed as “day-to-day.”

“Everything else was just speculation, and all of it was wrong,” general manager Danny Ainge said last night.

Ainge said Pierce’s X-ray taken yesterday didn’t provide all the answers, and an MRI was scheduled. Pierce met with team physician Dr. Brian McKeon last night.

“I was concerned right from the time he got hurt,” Ainge said. “It looked terrible when it happened. Then Paul’s foot was sore when he woke up (yesterday) morning. I didn’t stop being concerned until Paul met with Dr. McKeon and went over the test results.”

According to Ainge, Pierce’s return will be based on the level of discomfort in the foot.

“He can play when it feels good enough,” Ainge said.

Pierce left Monday night’s game with 2:01 left in the first quarter after suffering the injury. He returned with 7:53 to go in the second period and played the rest of the half.

Just before the break, Pierce collided again with the Wizards’ Caron Butler. The players knocked knees, and both needed awhile before they could get up and off the floor.

Pierce started the third and had one point and two rebounds in 10:24. He was replaced by Glen Davis and did not play again.

Coach Doc Rivers said later he regretted leaving Pierce in the game.

“I shouldn’t have even played him in the second half, in my opinion,” Rivers said. “I think I messed that one up. He wasn’t playing bad; I just don’t think he was moving well enough. And why take a chance? That’s the way I looked at it.”

The injury didn’t seem like a big deal following the victory. Pierce had ice wrapped on the foot, but was able to walk around the dressing room without any alteration in his stride.

Scouting report: Heat at Celtics

TONIGHT - 8, TD Garden. TV - ESPN. Radio - WEEI-AM (850).

THE NUMBERS 2-0: Celtics [team stats] record against the Heat this season.

2-4: Celtics record in their last six home games.

WHO’S HURT For the Celtics, G Marquis Daniels (left thumb surgery) and F Paul Pierce [stats] (left foot) are out. The Heat did not disclose statuses for G Mario Chalmers (sprained left thumb) and F Jermaine O’Neal (back spasms).

WHO’S HOT For the Celtics, F Kevin Garnett made eight of his nine shots against Washington for a team-high 19 points in Monday’s victory.

WHO’S NOT Miami G Dwyane Wade is 1-for-11 on 3-pointers in the last two games.

BOTTOM LINE Miami is coming off two straight losses to the Bucks in which it averaged just 82.5 points. The Celtics will need to keep up the defensive pressure and make sure none of Wade’s friends get on a roll.

Win’s all a setup by LeBron James

LeBron James tied a career high with 15 assists and Shaquille O’Neal ruled underneath, collecting 13 points and 13 rebounds in 21 minutes to help the Cavaliers beat the worn-down Memphis Grizzlies, 105-89, last night in Cleveland for their ninth straight victory.

James scored 22 but was more focused on setting up his teammates. It was the fifth time in six games he has had at least 10 assists, accepting the challenge of running Cleveland’s offense while the club waits for guards Mo Williams and Delonte West to return from injuries.

Rudy Gay scored 15 for Memphis, playing its fourth game in five nights. Zach Randolph finished with eight points, 13 below his average.

Magic 99, Bucks 82 - Vince Carter had 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead shorthanded Orlando to an easy victory against visiting Milwaukee.

The struggling shooting guard had by far his most efficient game in more than a month, giving Orlando its seventh win in its last eight games.

Charlie Bell and Luke Ridnour had 13 points apiece for the Bucks, who had their three-game winning streak end. Milwaukee fell to 0-3 against Orlando this season.

Thunder 106, Hawks 99 - Kevin Durant had 33 points and 11 rebounds, Jeff Green added 19 points and two key baskets down the stretch, and Oklahoma City recovered after letting a 13-point lead slip away to beat Atlanta.

Durant became the first player since Allen Iverson [stats] nine seasons ago to score at least 25 points in 22 consecutive games and came up big down the stretch.

Pacers 130, Raptors 115 - Danny Granger scored 23 points and Indiana snapped Toronto’s five-game winning streak with a victory in Indianapolis.

Troy Murphy had 20 points and 14 rebounds for Indiana, which ended a three-game skid. Roy Hibbert had 18 points and nine boards and Earl Watson added 15 points and a season-high 11 assists.

Pistons 97, Nets 93 - In East Rutherford, N.J., Tayshaun Prince slammed down a tiebreaking dunk on an inbounds play with 45.6 seconds left and Detroit snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory against New Jersey.

Richard Hamilton had 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including three free throws in the final 21.3 seconds to play, as the Pistons won for only the fifth time in 24 games.

Clippers 90, Bulls 82 - Chris Kaman had 21 points and 11 rebounds in his return from injury and Eric Gordon scored 24 points as host Los Angeles snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory against Chicago.

Bulls guard Derrick Rose has been excused from the rookie challenge at All-Star weekend and will be replaced by Golden State’s Anthony Morrow.

Rockets 119, Warriors 97 - Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry scored 24 points apiece, and Houston salvaged the last game of its longest homestand of the season by beating Golden State.

The Rockets finished their six-game homestand with a disappointing 2-4 record.

Elsewhere in the NBA - Javaris Crittenton won’t contest his NBA suspension for bringing a gun into the Wizards locker room.

Rondo hints at other problems for Celtics

The Celtics [team stats] certainly have had their share of injuries this season, but some players are saying the problems aren’t all physical.

Cracks apparently are beginning to appear within a team that preaches togetherness before each game.

As the Celtics prepare to get back to work against Miami tonight, the subject of the team’s lapses in focus was raised. Doc Rivers constantly tells his players to avoid getting bored with the process, but it seems that has been the case.

Rajon Rondo [stats] concurred to a degree. Then he spoke of a deeper issue.

“We are getting bored with it some,” he said, “but I think it’s a little bit of different agendas maybe creeping in. It just all depends. You know, I think if we all had the right spirit as far as one goal, one thing in common, I think we’d be a lot better.”

Rondo had hinted at trouble after Friday’s game in Atlanta when asked about the current team encountering adversity it hasn’t faced since the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

“It’s a different team this year,” Rondo said then. “That’s our problem. A couple of years ago, we didn’t have the same team. We had the same main guys, but it’s still a team effort, from the first guy to the 15th guy.”

He still wasn’t getting into specifics in this latest discussion, but his comments were far stronger.

“I can’t really elaborate on it too much, but I think we’ve just got to be a team with no agendas,” Rondo said. “We’ve got to play unselfish, you know? That’s on defense and offense. You’ve got to want the best for the next man out there regardless if you’re in the game playing well or you’re out of the game not playing well.”

Asked if he and the Celts had tried to clear the air on this, he said, “We haven’t really been talking about it, but you’ve just got to know.

“In the locker room, you can feel it,” Rondo added. “You don’t feel like it’s the same continuity and camaraderie in the locker room as it was the first year. The first year, it was a crazy spirit in the locker room. But now it doesn’t feel the same. It’s not the same right now. We’ve got to find a way to get that back somehow, some way.”

Kendrick Perkins [stats] spoke along similar lines.

“I think each person’s just got to take (himself) out of the equation,” he said. “You know, whatever you’ve got going on the personal side - whatever you’re trying to get done - just take it out and just think all about team.”

Paul Pierce [stats] acknowledged the Celts haven’t been paying attention to detail, and he, too, seemed frustrated by the lack of cohesiveness on the floor. The club is among the best shooting teams, but it has been giving the ball up too often and not working hard enough on the boards.

“We were talking about it,” Pierce said. “Earlier in the year we didn’t turn the ball over much and we won a lot of games. We score when we don’t give up the ball pretty much.

“It’s just the little things, man. That’s what we always talk about. Little things like rebounds and turnovers, stuff like that. If we can take care of those things, we’ll go back to winning games. We’ll be more consistent.”

Pierce then shook his head and added, “It’s like you have the answers to the test and you still fail. It’s just like that. We know the answers.”

The last statement was repeated to Rondo.

“That’s a great quote,” he said. “I can’t really describe it any better. He’s exactly right. We’re just not getting it done.”

Shaq inside has made a big difference for Cavs

shaq608.jpg
Shaquille O'Neal has made a difference on both ends of the floor for the Cavs.

Looking at their overall statistical profile, this year's Cleveland Cavaliers are very similar to last year's. They play at the sixth slowest pace in the league, they rank in the top five both offensively and defensively, and they're tops in point differential.

But the way the Cavs are scoring and defending is very different this season. While Shaquille O'Neal, with Mo Williams out, is only now starting to put up numbers worthy of a spot on your fantasy team, he's made an impact on the way the Cavs play all season.

02_Columnist_Banner_Number.jpg

With the mid-range game being the most inefficient way to score in the league these days, the most important places on the floor are the paint and the 3-point line. The Cavs have thrived beyond the arc (both offensively and defensively) each of the last two seasons, but the paint is another story.

Look familiar?
Cavaliers by the numbers, last two seasons
Season Pace RK Off. Rat. RK Def. Rat. RK Rat. Diff. RK
2008-09 91.2 25 109.7 4 99.4 3 +10.3 1
2009-10 93.5 25 108.0 5 99.6 3 +8.5 1

Last season, the Cavs scored 36 percent of their points in the paint, a lower percentage than all but three teams in the league. This season, they rank 12th by scoring 43 percent of their points in the paint. Their mid-range points (those not scored in the paint, at the line or beyond the arc) are down to 22 percent (10th in the league) last season to just 16 percent (28th) this season.

The presence of the Diesel has made an impact on the defensive end of the floor as well. Last season, the Cavs' opponents scored 41 percent of their points in the paint. This season, that numbers is down to 37 percent, the lowest in the league. As a result, their opponents' mid-range points are up from 21 percent (15th in the league) last season to 24 percent (third) this season.

So while Shaq isn't the offensive force that he was in the past and he doesn't move too well defensively anymore, he's still a presence in the paint. He hasn't gotten any smaller as the years have gone by. And you can't coach size.

The Cavs have outscored their opponents in the paint in 35 of their 50 games so far this season, and they've won 30 of those. They're just 5-4 when they're outscored in the paint and 4-2 when paint points are even.

Per 100 possessions, the Cavs have a points-in-the-paint differential of +9.4, which is tops in the league. Last season, they ranked 19th with a differential of -1.4.

Who was No. 1 last season? Shaq's Suns, of course.

Points in the paint have been tracked since the 2000-01 season. And in eight of the 10 seasons since, Shaq's team has ranked in the top three in points-in-the-paint differential.

One anomaly was the 2002-03 Lakers, when Kobe Bryant became the team's leading scorer for the first time and shot a lot more threes than he ever had. The other was the season when Shaq was traded from Miami to Phoenix in February and played just 61 games total.

Diesel in the paint
How Shaquille O'Neal's teams have fared
Season Team PIP Diff Rank
2000-01 Lakers +6.7 3
2001-02 Lakers +7.1 2
2002-03 Lakers +3.6 8
2003-04 Lakers +6.6 1
2004-05 Heat +10.5 1
2005-06 Heat +12.0 1
2006-07 Heat +5.5 3
2007-08 Heat (47 G) -5.3 28
2007-08 Suns (34 G) +0.1 17
2008-09 Suns +12.6 1
2009-10 Cavs +9.4 1
PIP Diff = Difference between points-in-paint made
and points allowed in paint

Now, outscoring your opponent in the paint isn't necessarily a formula for success. This season, the 16-31 Pistons rank fifth in the league with a differential of +2.9, while in 2005-06, the 64-18 Pistons were very much a jump-shooting team and ranked last in the league with a differential of -8.6. If you've got four or five guys on the floor who can shoot and you move the ball well, you can still be successful without a post presence.

But the Cavs believe that controlling the paint will be critical for them come May and June. That's why they traded for Shaq last summer and that's why, despite his much larger expiring contract, he won't be the center they trade if they want an upgrade at power forward.

Even though there are some good teams at the bottom of the rankings when it comes to points-in-the-paint differential -- Portland ranks 30th, Toronto ranks 22nd and Dallas ranks 21st -- the teams the Cavs are focused on are all near the top.

The Celtics rank third with a differential of +5.8, the Lakers rank fourth at +3.4, the Magic rank sixth at +2.5 and the Hawks rank 10th at +1.5. So if you can match their size and take away the paint, you will have an advantage against those teams. It's not a coincidence that the aforementioned Pistons, despite their poor record, are one of only three teams who have beat Atlanta, Boston and Orlando this season.

The Cavs, of course, are 5-1 against the Lakers, Celtics and Hawks, with the only loss coming on opening night against Boston. They've won the points-in-the-paint battle in each of the six games, by an average of 10.3 per contest.

A year ago, the Cavs were 6-7 against those teams in the regular season and famously lost to the Magic, 4-2, in the conference semifinals. In two regular season games against the Lakers, they were outscored 104-52 in the paint. They didn't get outscored in the paint in that Orlando series, but Dwight Howard averaged 30.3 points on 66 percent shooting in Orlando's four wins, and it was his size and quickness on the pick-and-roll that allowed his teammates to shoot 41 percent from 3-point range.

In eight career games against Shaq, Howard has averaged just 13.6 points on 56 percent shooting. In the Cavs' Nov. 11 win in Orlando, Howard had just 11 points and took just three shots from the field.

On the surface, Shaq's impact on the Cavs seems minimal. But in the games that matter most, his presence is critical.

All stats are through Wednesday, February 3.


Kirilenko, Martin show flashes of All-Star form

0204kirilenko608.jpg
Andrei Kirilenko is averaging 17.5 ppg in two games so far this month.

Though we've used this space to highlight young players who have caught our eye, there are two veterans who can't be denied a place here any longer.

It wasn't that long ago that Andrei Kirilenko and Kenyon Martin were considered two of the NBA's rising stars in the frontcourt. Hard to believe, but six seasons ago, the duo made its first (and only) All-Star Game appearance.

Back then, Kirilenko was keeping a rag-tag Jazz team in the thick of the West playoff race while Martin was a key cog in a Nets team shooting for a third straight Finals appearance (which never happened).

08__Columnist_Banner_Five.jpg

While Martin (17 points, seven rebounds) had a much bigger impact on the 2004 All-Star Game than Kirilenko (two points, one rebound in 12 minutes), both had established themselves as solid defensive players with an occasional knack for scoring, too.

The similarities don't end there. Both signed huge contracts in the summer of 2004, though Martin moved on to Denver in the process. After their big paydays, though, both have dealt with injuries and diminished roles, making them appear to be overpaid role players.

Their career symmetry is back again as Kirilenko and Martin have found the fountain of youth of late, keeping Utah and Denver in a tight Northwest Division race. The Jazz were a stellar 10-4 in January, notching big wins over the Heat, Blazers, Suns, Cavs and Spurs. The Nuggets were an even-more-impressive 12-3, an astounding record considering they were without All-Star Carmelo Anthony and team leader Chauncey Billups for different stretches.

In the last week, Kirilenko played a huge role in wins over the Suns, Blazers, Kings and Mavs, frustrating opposing forwards and protecting the basket like back in those special days of 2003-04. Meanwhile, Martin has shown his old aggressiveness on the boards, pulling in double-figure rebounds as Denver picked up wins over New Orleans, Houston and a big road win over the Spurs.

Who knows how long these career revivals will last for Kirilenko and Martin? Both have teased before with flashes of their former All-Star selves. The longer they keep it up, though, the more interesting the Northwest race will be.

NBA.com's Five on the Rise is a weekly look at which young players (and resurgent veterans) have yet to reach stardom, have regained the form of their younger days and, most of all, have made the biggest impact for their team in the last week. These rankings are just one man's opinion and are released every Thursday during the season. If you have an issue with the names on this list, or have a question or comment for Jeff Case, send him an e-mail.

G. Daniel Gibson, Cavs
GMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
4319.36.71.21.10.50.1.464.472.706
Last Week's Rank -
When Cleveland made its run to the 2007 NBA Finals, Gibson went from seventh or eighth man in the regular season to key reserve as the playoffs wore on. Between injuries and the Cavs' addition of Mo Williams since then, he's basically been relegated to a specialist role -- until Williams and Delonte West went down with injuries. Gibson has done nothing but shine as the Cavs' starting point guard, scoring in double figures in his last six games (all starts) and showing a much better ability to run an offense than in seasons past. Always a reliable 3-point shooter, Gibson is averaging roughly three made 3-pointers a game as a starter and making a sweltering 44.4 percent from deep as a starter. In a postgame interview with NBA TV, he thanked LeBron James for keeping confidence in him during his time on the bench and throughout the week has said that playing with the Cavs' uber-talented roster makes changing roles a snap. "With this team, it's an easy transition," Gibson told The News-Herald. "They're not asking me to go out there and win the game. They are asking me to go out there and control it. With each game, more confidence grows, you understand what teams like to do and what's expected of you from your teammates."

G. Andre Miller, Blazers
GMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
5130.013.33.05.20.90.1.443.204.819
Last Week's Rank -
From his postgame comments in the locker room to his postgame interview with NBA TV's crew, you'd never know the milestone Miller reached last week. It was just another ho-hum day at the office as he scored 52 points -- the second-highest single-game total in team history -- in Portland's 114-112 overtime win at Dallas. His point total was eye-popping, but more outstanding was his shot selection throughout the night. He attempted only one 3-pointer and scored most of his baskets off layups, turnaround jumpers and mid-to-short-range shots, proving that Miller is more than just a distrubtor that he's often made out to be. Back to the 52 points, though -- it was two points shy of Damon Stoudemire's record set in 2005 against the Hornets and marked the third time in Miller's career (and first since 2002) that he scored 37 or more points in a game. "I've had a few heated nights in my career, but I think this was one of those nights where I just didn't stop shooting," Miller said. "The other nights when I was hot, I stopped myself from shooting the ball ... Tonight was the night where I just kept doing it. I just didn't settle."

C. Andrew Bynum, Lakers
GMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
4831.915.48.41.30.51.6.567---.747
Last Week's Rank -
As has been well-documented on this site (and others), Bynum has struggled to play well with Pau Gasol this season. But Lakers fans can point to a pair of games last week during which Gasol and Bynum seemed to be meshing in perfect harmony. While L.A. dealt with Kobe Bryant's injuries (finger, ankle), Bynum put in a pair of big games that showed some development in the big man's game. Take his Sunday outing in a win over the Celtics in Boston (19 points, 11 rebounds); Bynum not only got involved early -- scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter -- but showed aggressiveness by chasing down loose balls and even dunking in Kevin Garnett's face. In the Lakers' 99-97 win last night over the Bobcats, Bynum put in another solid stat line (17 points, 14 rebounds). In both games, he and Gasol worked well together around the basket and gave each other enough space to operate.

GMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
4229.312.14.82.81.21.2.511.328.719
Last Week's Rank -
Kirilenko keeps his spot in our rankings this week on the weight of his performances in wins over the Kings and Mavs. With both Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer out on Saturday at home against Sacramento, the Jazz seemed ripe for another home upset, which would have ended a four-game win streak. Yet there was Kirilenko, not only putting forth an 18-point, seven-rebound night, but also taking on the role of initiating the Jazz's offense and teaming with Paul Millsap to shut down the interior on defense. The duo combined for 50 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks (all of which were Kirilenko's) and Kirilenko's constant movement on offense overpowered the Kings' thin frontcourt as the Jazz hung on. Even more impressive was his play against the Mavs as Kirilenko put up a solid line (13 points, eight rebounds) but did a knockout job -- along with Millsap -- in limiting All-Star Dirk Nowitzki to 28 points. Though the Jazz's points allowed has risen a tick with Kirilenko starting (it's at 98.2 a game; they allow 97.3 ppg this season), Utah has also played two up-tempo teams during that span: Denver and Phoenix. Tossing out those two, the Jazz are allowing 94.1 ppg. We can't help but give a good portion of the credit for Utah's newly found defensive focus to Kirilenko.

F. Kenyon Martin, Nuggets
GMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
4635.012.29.32.01.11.1.475.320.588
Last Week's Rank -
We can quote you stats that prove Martin has improved his play of late (such as averages of 14.9 ppg and 11.3 rpg in January). We can also point out some games in the past week (such as a 24-point, 12-rebound night against the Kings or a 12-point, 15-rebound effort against a decent Rockets front line), too, that prove he's picked up his play. Instead, we'll let Martin's teammates do the talking. "This is definitely the best stretch he's had since I've been a Nugget," guard Chauncey Billups told The Denver Post. "He's just playing with so much confidence." That was no more apparent than his aforementioned game against the Spurs, in which he scored 27 points (going 12-for-21 from the field) and had 11 rebounds. While that line alone is pretty impressive, what's more telling is that Martin got those points without making a single layup or dunk, the usual staples in his offense. He routinely nailed open 12-to-15 footers over the Spurs. Martin also played his typical solid defense, holding Tim Duncan to a rather pedestrian 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The Next Five

G: Russell Westbrook, Thunder -- Westbrook gets the nod this week for his near triple-double en route to a schooling of Hornets rookie guard Darren Collison. Westbrook, who played with Collison at UCLA, helped limit New Orleans' new starter to a 4-for-12 shooting night and five turnovers. Westbrook, for his part, had 26 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds while impressing us, also, with just two turnovers. It marked the second straight game in which Westbrook flirted with a triple-double (he had 12 points, nine assists and nine rebounds in a win over the Hawks) and controlled the pace in both games. "I'm just trying to stay consistent," Westbrook told The Oklahoman. "Whether we win or lose, I think if I stay consistent it's a better outcome most of the time."

G: Goran Dragic, Suns -- Dragic has continued to rise all season for the Suns as their top backup and showed a ton of progress in January, which was easily his best month as an NBA player. He shot close to 50 percent from the field (49.5 percent) and averaged 10.1 points and 2.2 assists in about 17 minutes a game. After the Suns got word last week that Leandro Barbosa would miss the next six weeks following wrist surgery, Dragic gave his best Barbosa-like performances. He had 13 points in 15 minutes in a key win over the Mavs and although his stats weren't impressive in Phoenix's next two wins (over Houston and New Orleans), he did a steady job last week of helping Phoenix get on track after a mini-swoon.

F: Gerald Wallace, Bobcats -- Crash makes our list this week not only for his killer stats against the Kings (38 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks), but for how he got them. Go back and watch the highlights (or re-watch it on League Pass Broadband) and you'll see Wallace getting most of his points off cuts to the basket, transition hoops and alley-oops. Oh yeah, he had 15 free-throw attempts, too (making 12). In short, it was another case study as to why this guy is on the East All-Star team and some others are not.

F: Paul Millsap, Jazz -- Millsap must have heard us thinking last week of our topic as he, too, is another Utah player getting in on the vintage performance action. With regular starter Carlos Boozer on the mend from a strained right calf, Millsap did what he's always done for the Jazz: step into the starting lineup and deliver Boozer-like numbers. In his last four games (all his first starts of the season), Millsap averaged 23 ppg and 10.7 rpg, including a 32-point, 14-rebound game against the Kings and a 25-point, nine-rebound effort against the Mavs. The Jazz are dealing with the will-they-or-won't-they talk regarding a possible Boozer trade, and with an expensive backup in Millsap, it is a legit discussion. But Millsap, as usual, isn't making waves or demanding more playing time as Boozer's fill-in. "Somebody was going to have to pick up that load, and I took it amongst myself to try to step up and do that," Millsap told the Salt Lake Tribune.

C: Andrew Bogut, Bucks -- After being the early darlings of the NBA, the Bucks have come down to earth, struggling to an 8-7 record in January. The Bucks were on track for a losing record last month were it not for a late surge by Bogut last week to give Milwaukee wins in three of its last four games, including a pair of monster games against Miami. He had 17 points, 15 boards and four blocks on Jan. 30 at home vs. Miami and followed that up with a 22-point, 11-rebound game in a blowout win over the Heat in South Florida. Chalk some of that play up to a little frustration on Bogut's part, who told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel he hopes to be an All-Star one day. "He has looked like an All-Star caliber center in a lot of games," coach Scott Skiles told the newspaper. "The problem is he still has the occasional game where he looks like the exact opposite."