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• Can't decide if the Clippers really have any chance of hanging with the Thunder and the Spurs in the West. One unknowable is to what extent Chris Paul has been holding back, waiting for the playoffs. To that end, in Game 1 he busted out 23 points on just 11 shots, to go with seven assists and two rebounds, making him arguably the best player of the weekend. Meanwhile, things didn't get any easier for the Grizzlies when Paul took a seat. His backup, Eric Bledsoe, made all seven of his shots to go with six rebounds and four assists. All told that's 38 points on 18 shots from Clipper point guards, to go with 11 assists, eight rebounds, two steals and just two turnovers. Serious.
• Ethan Sherwood Strauss on WarriorsWorld, talking about life without David Lee: "In a vacuum, the injury is awful news for an already thin team. There is opportunity in destruction, however. Something may be gained by GSW resorting to guerilla tactics. Mark Jackson has been averse to using a small frontcourt. I don’t have many criticisms of Jackson, but this is one of them. On account of his size and athleticism, Harrison Barnes should be a prototypical stretch four. That hasn’t happened yet, even though the Warriors might reap rewards from spreading the floor with four three-point shooters."
• Maybe what was wrong with the Lakers offense was the Spurs defense.
• NBA owners still not totally convinced the would-be Sacramento Kings owners can come up with the cash.
• What about bringing Joe Johnson off the bench? Jeremy Gordon of Brooklyn's Finest: "Joe Johnson had such an easier time getting his points when he was playing with the second unit that the Nets might consider using him as more of a bench asset. He’s their best iso scorer, regardless of your unreasonably positive feelings re: Andray Blatche, and it might be better if he’s able to conserve his energy for when the reserve offense needs to get going."
• Did Lionel Hollins get outcoached by Vinny Del Negro?
• Devin Kharpertian of the Brooklyn Game: "Brooklyn Nets forward Reggie Evans dribble-drove before lofting a lob to Andray Blatche, throwing down the dunk to put the Nets up 80-56 in the third quarter of a playoff game against the Chicago Bulls. This is a real sentence, with no typos or lies or mistakes or anything."
• The Rockets need more Patrick Beverley and Omer Asik, and a better version of Jeremy Lin, writes Rahat Huq on Red94: "Jeremy Lin, for his part, was particularly atrocious, going 1-7 from the floor with 4 turnovers. His more glaring flaws were on greater display as he forced crosscourt passes when pressured, was out of control, and discontinued any usage of his left hand."
• There's a lot of fine print at the end of this ad. I think it might say "no, you don't actually get to party with Kevin Durant."
• James Harden explained the Rockets' loss by saying his young teammates were "shellshocked." Kendrick Perkins reacts, according to Daily Thunder: "Sounds like a personal problem." Also, a great thought from Royce Young: "You know how Rick Pitino motivated his team by telling them he’d get a tattoo if they won the title? If OKC wins it all, I think Russ should get to pick Scott Brooks’ wardrobe for all of next season. Or at least the season opener."
• Did Lawrence Frank fail the Pistons or vice-versa?
• Gregg Popovich, clutch with the crossword.

• Tony Bizjak, Dale Kasler and Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee: The uncertainty over the future of the Sacramento Kings will linger at least into next week. Just as Mayor Kevin Johnson announced on Tuesday that a local investor group was finally ready to present its formal bid to buy the team, league officials in New York revealed they have scrubbed plans to vote this week on a competing offer to move the team to Seattle. An NBA spokesman declined to offer a reason. League Commissioner David Stern two weeks ago said a postponement was possible due to what he called the complicated and unprecedented situation the league faces. The NBA has never before had to decide between two cities competing hard and well for the same team, Stern said. Both have well-financed groups eager to buy the team from the Maloof family, the team's current owner, and both cities assure the NBA they can build gleaming state-of-the art arenas in the next few years.
• Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times: Having Chauncey Billups back in the starting lineup for the Clippers on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers meant a lot to the team in many ways. Billups brings the Clippers championship experience. He won a title with the Detroit Pistons over the Lakers in 2004, when Billups was named the Finals most valuable player. "He's a little bit older now," Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said about the 36-year-old Billups. "He's missed most of last season and a lot of this season, so that's not as easy to do. We still expect a lot from him with his leadership. He can make shots, obviously. He's another guy that can make plays." Billups had missed the last eight games with a strained right groin. He has played in just 21 games this season and is expected to play in a back-to-back game Wednesday night in Sacramento. Del Negro said the plan is to play Billups about 20 minutes per game.
• Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: The photo, like so many others from Monday’s explosions, had gone viral. A young woman, her body mostly obscured by a distraught man and an EMT, lay face down on the blood-splattered Boylston Street sidewalk. Avery Bradley spotted the photo online and immediately posted it to his Twitter account with a simple hashtag — #sad. “It just caught my eye,” the Celtics guard said before yesterday’s practice. “All I could think was that this is crazy, to think that people go to an event like this to run. That’s what they train for all year. And for people to lose arms and legs, that’s just crazy.” So Bradley did what so many others could only do. He asked for help from a greater power. “All you can do is pray for their families. I definitely did yesterday,” he said. “I feel bad, and if there’s any way I can help, I will want to help. . . . It could happen anywhere. But to see it happen there or anywhere at all is just crazy.” The Celtics took the practice floor in a relieved state yesterday, most glad last night’s game against Indiana was canceled.
• Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News: With a $100 million payroll, four future Hall of Famers and a storied championship history, it's come to this. The Lakers' season finale Wednesdaytonight against the Houston Rockets could decide whether they perhaps salvage an otherwise disastrous season or miss the playoffs for only the third time in the team's history. Few would have guessed this scenario. Plenty envisioned the Lakers waltzing into the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. Many wondered if anyone could stop a star-studded lineup that featured Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol. Never shy to boast, Lakers forward Metta World Peace predicted the team would surpass the NBA's regular-season record (72-10) set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team. "I thought we'd be at a different point right now," World Peace said. "But that's all right." Instead, the Lakers (44-37) enter Wednesdaytonight's game against the Houston Rockets (45-36) at Staples Center with a possible must-win situation. The Lakers are a pure lock for the playoffs if they win, earning a seventh seed and playing the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. A Lakers' loss coupled with a Utah loss against Memphis would leave the Lakers in the eighth spot against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
• Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune: Wishing and hoping and thinking and — oh, right — playing. With apologies to Dusty Springfield, nothing else remains for the Utah Jazz. Their season may conclude with a loss to the Grizzlies here Wednesday, it may end with a Lakers win over the Houston Rockets in Los Angeles or it may be extended into a most unlikely postseason. If the Jazz can beat the Grizzlies at FedEx Forum, they will turn into Rockets fans, hoping Houston, trying to avoid falling into the eighth seed, can beat the Lakers in a game that fittingly, cruelly, doesn’t begin until after the Jazz and Grizzlies end on national TV. The Jazz, who won the season series against L.A., would be even with the Lakers and into the playoffs. "I guess I need to try to get in touch with Kevin McHale," Al Jefferson said of his former Minnesota coach, now with the Rockets, "and tell him to handle that for me. Give me a late birthday present."
• Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: As another Toronto Raptors season crawls to its conclusion, a franchise teetering on irrelevance has a series of enormous decisions to make. There may not be any one right answer for Tom Anselmi and the board of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, but there is almost certainly a wrong one. The decisions, as they seemingly do at the end of every Raptors season, revolve around the general manager, Bryan Colangelo, and the coach, Dwane Casey. Colangelo has an option year remaining on his contract. Casey has one year left on his deal. And the team is forever paddling in circles, creating the occasional wave, but ending up nowhere in the end. The decision for Anselmi and the board isn’t in any way obvious, with the largest issue being the relationship between Colangelo and Casey. Colangelo did his best to distance himself from his coach early in the season and there has been all kind of internal speculation that the two can’t possibly work together again. That determination may wind up saving his job or costing him the position.
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Hawks had a chance to control their playoff seed. Not anymore. A poor effort against the Raptors, one in which the Hawks went to their bench early and often, resulted in a 113-96 loss Tuesday night in a nationally televised game at Philips Arena. The Hawks played without Al Horford and just a half with Josh Smith in a game they trailed by as many as 23 points. Smith played 13 minutes and received treatment on his knees at the intermission. He banged a knee in the first half and did not immediately come back to the bench after halftime but later returned with both knees wrapped in ice. Regulars Jeff Teague (19 minutes), Kyle Korver (18) and Devin Harris (17) played less than a half. … The Hawks can clinch the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and a first-round playoff against the Nets, with a victory at the Knicks and a Bulls loss at home against the Wizards Wednesday. The Bulls will claim the fifth spot with a victory or if both teams lose Wednesday. The Hawks would finish sixth and get a first-round matchup with the Pacers. The Hawks have split the season series with both the Nets and Pacers this season.
• John Rohde of The Oklahoman: Thunder three-time All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook has never missed a game in the NBA and has the league's longest active streak at 393 consecutive games played. OKC (60-21) closes out the regular season at 7 p.m. Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks (37-44) at Chesapeake Energy Arena, but Thunder coach Scott Brooks wouldn't share his starting lineup after Tuesday's practice. Westbrook playfully was asked if there would be a fist fight if Brooks asked him to sit out the finale. “No, no, no. There won't be a fist fight,” Westbrook said with a smile, “but he won't ask me (to do) that.”
• Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News: With all the twists and turns during the 2012-13 regular season, it was only fitting that the Spurs gave us one more on Tuesday, signing Tracy McGrady to fill to roster vacated after the unceremonious whacking of Stephen Jackson. It is the seventh NBA stop for the former franchise player, and eighth as a professional including his recent stint in the Chinese league. He dominated with Qingdao Double Star Eagles, averaging 25 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists — the type of numbers he put up as a seven-time All-Star before injuries sapped his athleticism. McGrady won’t find it nearly so easy back in the NBA, where he averaged 5.3 points last season with Atlanta. There’s some speculation that McGrady’s addition had been the end goal all along. But at this point, the most likely explanation is probably the simplest: The Spurs excised what they viewed to be a cancer, and they needed a warm body to help pick up the slack on a Spurs bench that suddenly isn’t so deep. That means chewing up whatever time is available behind starting small forward Kawhi Leonard. And from what Gregg Popovich has said recently, there won’t be much. Leonard, he said, could earn up to 40 minutes a night, leaving precious little for a floor-bound ex-star.
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: Keeping Noah and Gibson healthy is critical during the postseason. The Bulls took Tuesday off, and both players continued treatment on their respective lingering injuries, plantar fasciitis for Noah and a sprained MCL for Gibson. Coach Tom Thibodeau said "it's a possibility" the players will be on minutes limits to start the playoffs, which affects his rotation. "You don't know what the minutes are going to be, so that's another huge factor," Thibodeau said. "We have to get that sorted out in a very short amount of time. "The question is: Are we going to be sharp? You're talking about playoff basketball, where the intensity level is very high and it's the same opponent over and over. Most of the time, games are decided by one or two possessions. So how you matchup with people is critical. A bad matchup for a minute in the playoffs, that's 10 points. We have to be right and ready."
• Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News: O.J. Mayo owes an apology to his teammates in general and Vince Carter in particular. In the least, Mayo owes them maximum effort in Wednesday’s season finale against New Orleans. Why Mayo, in coach Rick Carlisle’s opinion, “didn’t compete” during his 28 minutes on the court against Memphis on Monday, is the latest baffler in Mayo’s mystifying late-season swoon. In fact, Mayo’s lack of production and Carlisle’s now-obvious frustration level seemingly increase the likelihood that Wednesday’s game will be his last in a Mavericks uniform. Of course, this could be the finale for some or all of the nine Mavericks who are in the final year of their contract or, as in Mayo’s case, have optional deals for 2013-14. Mayo holds his option, meaning it’s up to him whether to stay at a $4.2 million salary or declare for free agency.
• Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic: Luis Scola and Goran Dragic were asked whether they would recommend interim head coach Lindsey Hunter returning next season. Both players punted the topic. “That’s a tough question,” Dragic said. “ ... I’m here to play basketball. It’s not my decision to make.” Dragic did say he liked Hunter’s approach to practice. “Alvin (Gentry) was a great coach for the veteran players; he knows when to give them a day off, but for our team we have a young team and we really need to practice hard every day,” Dragic said. “When he (Hunter) took over the team I think we maybe had one or two days off. I think it should be like that.” Scola said he thought Hunter did “a great job. Circumstances were bad and he did as good as he could. But I don’t make those decisions. I’m just a player.” Would a third coach in less than a year be unsettling for the team? “I think it would be a sign of things being bad,” Scola said. “But things are bad.” Suns owner Robert Sarver declined comment when asked about Hunter’s future, and Hunter said no time has been set for a postseason meeting with either General Manager Lance Blanks or President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby.
• David Mayo of MLive.com: One day after Pistons owner Tom Gores bluntly said he wasn't satisfied with on-court performance -- Gores also praised basketball operations, which supports the notion that team president Joe Dumars' job is safe -- Frank said he and his coaching staff want another year to right the ship. Frank noted that the Pistons are ahead of schedule in terms of their financial flexibility this summer because of the Ben Gordon and Tayshaun Prince salary-purging trades within the last year, and said he wants to remain head coach of a franchise in "prime position" to make major moves. "Obviously, you want to be a part of it, because that's why you went through the bleeding," Frank said. "I know, without a doubt, we all want to be back. But at the same time, that's not our decision. "But do I want to be back? Of course, because this is what you signed up for. You want to be part of reshaping the franchise and getting it back to where it was.
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: With a 20-61 record entering the season finale against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bobcats might end up with the NBA’s worst record for a second straight season. Charlotte will have a high draft pick and as much as $21 million in room under the salary cap this summer. Owner Michael Jordan and the front office face some big decisions between now and the start of training camp in October. Do they bring back the coaching staff? Which of their free agents do they re-sign? Do they cut ties with power forward Tyrus Thomas? Even what should they call themselves going forward? Coach Mike Dunlap: Winning one out of every four games isn’t the ideal NBA coaching debut, but the Bobcats’ record is about what was predicted at the season’s outset. When Jordan was asked at a season-ticketholder event about Dunlap, the owner said all his major employees’ performances would be reviewed after the season. To Dunlap’s credit, he’s had an impact in player development, the priority he was given when hired. Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson and Byron Mullens all improved. But Dunlap has had some rocky moments in his interaction with players, particularly veterans.
• Tery Pluto of The Plain Dealer: Kyrie Irving can be great. That's right, the Cavaliers point guard can be great. But he's not there. Not yet. Great players defend. Great players help their team win. Great players find a way to stay on the court for most games. It will be up to Byron Scott or whomever coaches the Cavs to deliver that message next season. At times, Scott has tried. He has pulled Irving from games for a lack of defense. He has talked about Irving's disdain for defense. He consistently compares Irving to Chris Paul, adding that Paul is superior defensively. It's no secret that Irving is a soft defender. That's true of many young players, who believe all that matters is the points next to their name in the box score. The fact the team has yet to come close to the playoffs with him should point out that Irving still has a lot of work to do. … There are times when rolls his eyes or shakes his head in disgust when a teammate makes a poor play. It's kid stuff, but he should know better. None of this is to say Irving is a bad guy or a lousy teammate. But he has some maturing to do, and the Cavs must demand that he do it.
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: Timberwolves forward Chase Budinger wants to return to the team next season if an agreement can be reached this summer, but as with any contractual agreement, there’s a bit of fine print. That is, if Rick Adelman returns to coach. Adelman is the reason the Wolves traded the 18th overall pick in last summer’s draft to Houston, where Adelman coached Budinger for three seasons before the pair was reunited in Minnesota. He’s also the reason a California kid wants to remain on the frozen tundra when he becomes an unrestricted free agent free to sign with any team this summer. “I would like to come back,” he said. “I like the organization. I like the staff. I love Adelman.” He saved the most important part for last there. “That’s a big part of it,” he said about the coach who taught a second-round draft pick in 2009 the NBA game. “Our relationship, he knows how I play. I work well in his system. It’s [Adelman’s decision] going to weigh big.”

• Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: It was an irrelevant game made even more meaningless by the horrific nightmare in Boston. How pointless was Game No.81 of the Heat’s season? Juwan Howard was in the starting lineup for the first time since 2010. Howard is 40 years old. During several timeouts, the Cavaliers’ coaches didn’t talk strategy, and didn’t talk about anything at all. They simply watched the clock, looked around at the arena and waited for play to resume. The Heat rested six players, including all five of its usual starters: Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh. Wade, Haslem and Shane Battier didn’t even travel to Cleveland. But, of course, the Heat still won Monday’s game. Because that’s what this team does. The Heat defeated the Cavaliers 96-95 on Monday night at Quicken Loans Arena in Miami’s penultimate game of the regular season.
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: A season filled with uncertainty will close with this dose of clarity: The Bulls won't know their first-round playoff opponent until Wednesday's season finale. That's because the Bulls defeated the hapless Magic 102-84 on Monday night as both Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson returned to test their recoveries from injury and coach Tom Thibodeau said it's "a possibility" both players will be on minutes limits at the start of the posteason. The victory pulled the Bulls to within a half-game of the Hawks for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks close Tuesday at home against the Raptors and Wednesday at the Knicks. If the Hawks split or lose their final two games and the Bulls defeat the Wizards at home Wednesday, they will claim the fifth seed and open the playoffs in Brooklyn. Similarly, if the Hawks lose both games and the Bulls lose on Wednesday, they will earn the fifth seed via a tiebreaker. If the Hawks win out, the Bulls will open at Indiana regardless of what they do Wednesday. Similarly, if the Hawks split their final two games and the Bulls lose Wednesday, the Bulls draw the Pacers. Even more important than the opponent is the Bulls' health.
• Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post: With 14.2 seconds to go and down one at Milwaukee, a game the Nuggets had to have to lock up a top four spot in the Western Conference, Ty Lawson surveyed the court and lofted the ball to Wilson Chandler. Chandler handed the ball back off to Lawson who drove the lane, crossed over the defender, Monta Ellis, rose up and hit a shot that was arguably the most important jumper any Nugget has hit in the last three weeks. Lawson is back. His heel is not all the way healed, but that shot suggested his game is. Coach George Karl orchestrated that moment; all Lawson had to do was deliver. The play was designed to make a hoop hero out of his point guard and Lawson put the cape on and assumed the role. The degree of difficulty won’t go down as calculus level stuff. It was a 10-ish-foot jumper. But Lawson’s speed and quickness, which was in full display on the play, got him free for an open look. And in the process wiped away – or should have – any of the doubt about what he is and can be in the playoffs.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: That little “w” next to Oklahoma City on the standings page of NBA.com? It stands for clinched Western Conference. That’s what the Thunder did tonight in taking care of the Sacramento Kings. And now, for the first time in the franchise’s Oklahoma City era, the Thunder will have home-court advantage through the Western Conference Finals should the team advance that far. “It’s possible we’ll need it in a series, in every series,” said Nick Collison. “So it’s big.” Not only did the Thunder clinch the top spot in the conference, but OKC also won for the 60th time this season, marking the first 60-win season in Oklahoma City’s brief basketball history. “It’s shows that we’re improving every year,” said Thabo Sefolosha. “It’s a big number. There’s not a lot of teams that can do it, and to be part of that group and just to get to that number is big.” With a win in the season finale Wednesday against Milwaukee, the Thunder can finish with a .744 winning percentage. Win or lose, though, the Thunder will have increased its winning percentage in each of its first five seasons, from .280 in 2008-09, to .610 in 2009-10, to .671 in 2010-11, to .712 last year. Even with a loss Wednesday, the Thunder would finish with a .732 winning percentage.
• Kurt Kragthorpe of The Salt Lake Tribune: The Jazz will be able to say they took the race for the Western Conference’s last playoff spot down to the final night of the season. Sorry, but that’s more of an indictment than an achievement. Thanks to Monday’s 96-80 victory at Minnesota, the Jazz will play Wednesday at Memphis, knowing they need to win and have the Los Angeles Lakers lose to Houston. Judging by the Lakers’ recent performance, including Sunday’s win over San Antonio without the injured Kobe Bryant, such assistance is asking a lot of the Rockets. When the Lakers’ Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks are combining for five 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter against San Antonio, there could be only one conclusion: The Jazz are cursed, right? No. You can blame an NBA conspiracy, the Lakers’ opponents or just plain bad luck for everything that’s transpired in April in damaging the Jazz’s playoff chances. Ultimately, this problem is their own creation.
• Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News: After couple years of having his fitness criticized while playing with the Wizards – and logging an infamous DNP-Conditioning last season – Andray Blatche was lauded for getting himself into shape during the summer before signing his one-year deal with the Nets. But the backup center was called out Monday by coach PJ Carlesimo for his conditioning, following a game when Blatche played 37 minutes and looked winded. “Dray was the only one I felt bad about (playing a lot of minutes). And frankly, he needs conditioning,” Carlesimo said “So I thought it was okay. He needs some conditioning and he obviously wants to play against (the Wizards) because he played there. … We thought Dray was going good and the conditioning is good for him.” This is less of an issue considering Blatche won’t play so much in the playoffs. But the 26-year-old admitted he wasn’t ready for the heavy minutes he got because most of the starters rested Monday. “It’s surprising when you play 37 minutes compared to playing 12,” he said. “It did catch me off guard. When you play 12 minutes, and then you go out there for 37 minutes, it caught me a little bit.”
• John Mitchell of The Philadelphia Inquirer: The 76ers continue to ward of questions concerning the impending end of Doug Collins’ coaching career in the Philadelphia later this week. Moments before Collins conducted his pre-game press conference prior to a meaningless game here against the Detroit Pistons, team director of public relations Michael Preston announced that Collins would not answer any questions regarding multiple reports in the last week that Collins will not coach the team next season. Collins has one year at $4.5 million left on his contract and he will not ask for an extension. The players have heard the rumors, however, and they are willing to talk about it. “It’s Doug’s decision from what I understand, and whatever he decides to do more power to him,” forward Evan Turner said. “I haven’t spoken on it with him.” “It is definitely the business of basketball,” forward Thaddeus Young said. “We have heard the rumors because they have been out there for months in some cases. But when I say it’s about the business of basketball, I mean, I don’t’ think there are too many teams that have that structure where they keep coaches for more than four of five years.”
• Terry Foster of The Detroit News: Lawrence Frank looks like a boxer after a brutal 12-round heavyweight championship bout. He's a little battered and bruised. And, he won't admit defeat. Before the Pistons won their fourth consecutive Monday night, 109-101 over the 76ers, Frank sounded like he wants this fight to continue. He wants to go another round, another season. Rumors, however, say Frank's fight is over. That he'll be fired after the season ends Wednesday. Pistons owner Tom Gores did nothing to dispel those rumors when he gave Frank and team president Joe Dumars less than a ringing endorsement. "I expected to be in the playoffs so I am disappointed by that," Gores said. "When I said that last year, I meant it." Frank, meanwhile, is preparing for the regular-season finale at Brooklyn. … Pistons president Joe Dumars could be facing the end of his tenure, too. My guess is Dumars stays because, over the course of the year, he created the cap space for the team and drafted Andre Drummond, the franchise piece this team can build around. But this is Dumars' last dance. If he does not return the franchise to the playoffs he should be gone.
• Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News: Joe Dumars' job also could be in jeopardy, and his situation is more complicated, the biggest test of Gores' two-year ownership. If judged solely on the current four-year stretch that includes a 111-200 record, multiple coach firings and one infamous player insurrection, Dumars should be dismissed. On the whole of his executive career, including the 2004 NBA championship and six trips to the Eastern Conference Final, he warrants another shot. But someone has to explain the losing and the fan apathy and the inability of anyone to firmly lead a once-proud franchise. Eventually, Gores will have to do something impactful, as he promised when he bought the team. If Frank was the owner's choice — not Dumars' choice — then Gores needs to admit his mistake and fire him. It's hard to trust Dumars to hire yet another coach, but Gores has to show complete faith, or get rid of both.
• Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle: The Warriors played only about 4 1/2 minutes of playoff-caliber basketball Monday night, but that was enough to beat San Antonio's junior-varsity squad and move back into sole possession of sixth place in the Western Conference. Stephen Curry scored 11 of his 35 points during an electric 4 1/2-minute stretch in which the Warriors put away the Spurs for a 116-106 victory that had Oracle Arena's 32nd consecutive sellout crowd chanting his name during offensive possessions. Curry hit 7 of 13 three-point tries in the game. "He put on an incredible shooting clinic," Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said. "I don't know who is in second place for the best shooter in the world, but he certainly has first place locked up." … Curry had 35 points, eight rebounds and five assists and is a three-pointer shy of tying the NBA's single-season record (269), set by Seattle's Ray Allen in 2005-06.
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: Chances are that most athletes did not even know Monday was the filing deadline for income taxes. Chances are that they did know how much they are targeted for taxes all year. For all of a pro athlete’s riches, an exorbitant tax withholding is a small price to pay to live the good life of playing games they love for money beyond dreams. But it can still be an alarming line on the check to see when an athlete gets taxed by states and cities for road games. “It was crazy. I was barely there and I was taxed $6,000 or $7,000,” Suns swingman Jared Dudley said of an Oklahoma City trip. Forty-one of 50 states and 5,000 local municipalities have laws allowing them to collect taxes on visitors, according to the Tax Foundation, a non-partisan tax research group. That includes 20 of the 24 states that have pro teams. A Suns game in cities like Philadelphia and Cleveland will get the players taxed by the city and the state. “Jock taxes” have become an effective way for governments to generate revenue without taxing their local constituents, much like how Arizona’s rental car tax helped build University of Phoenix Stadium. The genesis was a 1991 Illinois law that was a reaction to the Chicago Bulls being taxed for their road games in the 1991 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Joseph Henchman, the Tax Foundation’s vice president for legal and state projects, said any traveling business is increasingly subject to such tax targets, but athletes and celebrities became the easiest aims with accessible schedules.
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: If the Charlotte Bobcats ask the NBA for a name change, it would be at least 18 months before such a request was implemented. NBA commissioner-to-be Adam Silver met with the Observer and other print media outlets Monday during a visit to Charlotte. Much of his 20-minute interview addressed the possibility the Bobcats might switch their nickname to “Hornets” now that the New Orleans Hornets are switching to “Pelicans.” The Bobcats have done some market research but have yet to make a request with the NBA. Silver said he is fine with whatever the Bobcats decide, but that the team’s deliberate approach is the right course. Silver said this would be a “very expensive process for the team,” so it’s “a weighty process, not just what ‘X’ amount of fans say in an opinion poll.” Rather, it’s about whether a rebranding would be lucrative enough to justify spending millions on new uniforms, logos and signage.

• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post: These days — on the nights he plays — he waits out warmups on the midcourt line, intensely staring at the floor. Over the past few weeks, however, four of his teammates have resurrected his ritual, tossing the powder together as they gather underneath. “I think it was mostly J.J.,” Ray Allen said of James Jones. “We just started doing it,” Jones said, also referring to Mike Miller and Rashard Lewis. “I had never used it. Nothing special.” “It’s part of the routine now,” Lewis said. And there’s one part that never fails to make Lewis laugh. “Let me tell you the funniest thing,” Lewis said. “Before we do the powder toss, watch Ray and Mike. They run into the ref every time. Watch ‘em. Just watch ‘em.” Allen smiled when told of Lewis’s suggestion. “We set it up,” Allen said. “First, it started where Mike will shoot the little sticky tape over the thing, so then I started trying to block it.” Allen found that, as he did this, an official was always in the way. “So now he tries to fade away to where I go into the official,” Allen said. “We always find one to bump into. One official, he stepped in, and he was like, ‘Charge!’”
• Tim Bontemps of the New York Post: Deron Williams looks ready for the playoffs to start. Williams was spectacular against the Celtics last night, finishing with 29 points and 12 assists as the Nets came away with a 101-93 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 18,624 inside TD Garden. With the win, the Nets moved closer to wrapping up fourth place in the Eastern Conference and clinching homecourt advantage in the first round. They own a 3 '/‚ -game edge over idle Chicago with four games left to play in the regular season. … The reason the Nets (46-32) were able to get the win, more than anything, was the continued excellence of their star point guard. Williams was sensational from start to finish, slicing and dicing his way through Boston’s typically stingy defense with ease. Williams even was able to make Avery Bradley, one of the league’s elite on-ball defenders, look silly. Bradley, Boston’s starting point guard, managed to play just 10 minutes after Williams saddled him with four fouls, and none of Bradley’s teammates fared much better. It’s the kind of virtuoso performance the Nets have come to expect from Williams in recent weeks, as he continued his dramatic resurgence since the All-Star break. Williams came into last night’s game averaging 22.5 points and 7.8 assists a night.
• Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News: Worse, there was speculation their best two players - Blake Griffin and Chris Paul - were at odds. And Paul and Griffin both sensed it, which is why they decided to sit down and talk to each other. The gist of the conversation being the Clippers fate rested on their shoulders, and that their actions from that point on would set the tone for the entire team. "We talked about how we always need to be on the same page. We always need to be communicating," Griffin said. "Even if we might not have a good offensive game we can still contribute defensively and by passing the ball and in how we talk and how we lead during timeouts. Things like that, we can always do well. We always have control over those things." Paul agreed. "It definitely starts with me and Blake," Paul said "On the offensive end and the defensive end. When me and him are on the same page everyone else has no choice but to fall in line. Me and Blake realize we have to bring the energy every night and everyone else will feed off on it." The Clippers have won three straight games since the meeting, their defense picking up and their offense playing smoother and at a more up tempo pace in the process.
• Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News: The Lakers' 113-106 victory Wednesday over the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden cemented a one-game edge over the Utah Jazz (41-38) for the Western Conference's eighth playoff spot with three games remaining. The Lakers also swept their first back-to-back set this season after 15 unsuccessful attempts despite playing in a venue where they have gone 5-17 since 2002. It all started with Bryant scoring 47 points on 14 of 26 shooting in 48 minutes, an output that eclipsed the Rose Garden record held by LeBron James. "He's just determined to get us into the playoffs," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "That's what happens when you open your mouth and guarantee we'll get in the playoffs. Now he's got to do it." Bryant became the first player in NBA history to record 47 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals in a game. … Bryant converted on two free throws, thanks to a clear-path foul from Lillard. Bryant then followed that up with a 23-foot jumper that put the Lakers up 106-100 with 4:09 left. Once Bryant stepped to the free throw line with 28.2 seconds remaining, Lakers fans drowned out the Rose Garden with "MVP" chants. "That's very unexpected, particularly in this building considering all the history that we have," Bryant said. "But I appreciate it especially at this stage of this career."
• Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: Milwaukee's Larry Sanders blocks a lot of shots. And what came in the mail Wednesday? Larry Sanders blocks. See, the Bucks made wooden children's blocks that spell out LARRY SANDERS on one side and DEFENSIVE POY on another. Adorable. NBA teams like to send out these cutesy things to get award voters to consider their candidates. Nice gesture, but I believe the Nuggets' Andre Iguodala is the league's defensive player of the year — based on statistics, advanced statistics and the old-fashioned eye test. But it would be hard for the Nuggets to do something with "Andre Iguodala," short of sending out "dala" bills. That would be creative, though unethical. (That being said, my crowning achievement this season was the creation of the Iguodala nickname, in the spirit of a particular Wu Tang Clan song: "Andre Cash Rules Everything Around Me C.R.E.A.M. Get The Money Iguodala Dala Bills Yall.") The last time a perimeter player was the NBA defensive player of the year, Iguodala wasn't even in the league. That year, the former Ron Artest won the award. And since then, there has been a litany of big-man shot blockers, be it Ben Wallace, Marcus Camby or Dwight Howard. Could this be the season the trend shifts? Well, this should be the season the trend shifts. Iguodala has transformed Denver's defense, and for all players with at least 100 possessions, he has the fifth-best points allowed per possession in one-on-one scenarios, according to Synergy Sports.
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Hawks got the energy — and the result — they needed. A day after a meeting between coach Larry Drew and three team leaders, the Hawks snapped a three-game losing with an impressive effort. Josh Smith, Al Horford and Jeff Teague, the addressees, combined for 77 points in a 124-101 victory over the 76ers on Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center. “That is where this whole game began,” Drew said. “… The way we played against this team the last time we played them I thought was just a total embarrassment from an energy standpoint. The point I made to all of those guys are they are the guys we fuel off of. They can’t come out lethargic. They can’t come out just going through the motions. They have to come out on top of their games, particularly with their energy. That is where everything begins.” … Drew wrote two words on the white board in the team locker room before the game. Energy. Purpose. “Forget about our coverages,” Drew said. “Forget about our matchups. Forget all that. If we bring those two things, we’ll put ourselves in good position.”
• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: A creature of habit who lives by a day-planner, J.J. Redick didn't want anything to throw him in his return Wednesday night. "I need to be in the moment," he said. But Redick was caught off guard, learning only 90 minutes before the game that the Magic had prepared a video tribute in his honor. It was a classy gesture by the club and fans rose to give J.J. a standing ovation midway through the first period. Hmmm, don't remember the Magic showing a single Dwight Howard highlight when he came back a few weeks ago. Probably just an oversight. A fan held a sign that read, "Thank You J.J. We miss you." Redick teared up and waved to the crowd, his coolness having melted away. There was a shot of Redick's wife, Chelsea, on the Jumbotron, wiping her eyes, retouching her makeup. A nice, bittersweet moment of a forgettable season, a season of rebuilding and reunions. No need for anybody to shed any tears for Redick, though. J.J. is fine. He hated to leave Orlando, have his routine broken, his comfort zone detonated. But after the initial shock waves wear off and the annoying change of address forms are filled out, players adjust. J.J.'s adjustment has just included playing with a few ball hogs and waiting for Lake Michigan to thaw so he and Chelsea could take a walk around a park in Milwaukee. This is merely the business of the NBA, but a loud, unnerving wake-up call for guys like J.J. who are moved for the first time.
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: The Suns’ youth movement has frequently included a pair of 30-somethings. Luis Scola, who turns 33 in 19 days, returned to the starting lineup for the past 10 games, including a 38-minute outing Tuesday night at Houston. Jermaine O’Neal, 34, entered Wednesday night having taken at least 10 shots in his previous four games off the bench. In Tuesday’s loss at Houston, O’Neal and Scola closed the game on the floor together as they often have. The potential game-winning play was drawn up for O’Neal, who got it blocked, setting up Scola for a potential winner that he missed. “We kind of just go with the guys who are playing well,” Suns interim head coach Lindsey Hunter said. “Our young guys contributed really well throughout the game. Whoever’s playing well, you let them play. They root for each other.” Hunter said that he has felt the Suns needed O’Neal and Scola in the games at times for their steadying veteran influence, particularly on offense to bail the team out of extended ruts. “That’s important because you don’t want them to get in a situation where they’re trying to carry too much,” Hunter said. “You want them to learn and have as many positive things to build off than negative.” Scola and Markieff Morris are the only Suns to appear in every game this season.
• Vincent Goodwill of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Each time he was intentionally fouled, Andre Drummond calmly stepped to the free-throw line, ignoring Cavaliers coach Byron Scott's intimation he couldn't make free throws and the raucous Cleveland crowd jeering at him. Drummond, a 34 percent free-throw shooter, merely went about his business in his career-best night, and the strategy wound up working against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who fouled Drummond one time too many, leading to a 111-104 Pistons win at Quicken Loans Arena. Drummond finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds in 34 minutes, the best night of his young NBA career. Drummond was intentionally fouled seven times between the 5:20 and two-minute mark, when it's well within the NBA rules to send bad free-throw shooters to the line. He split each time except for the last trip, when he made both. Most players take the move as disrespect, but the 19-year old Drummond playfully looked at it as an opportunity to pad his stats, which is why he didn't flinch when Cavaliers players told him, "I'm about to foul you." "It gives me more points, puts us in the lead," said Drummond. "At first I tried to avoid it but there's no point because they're gonna see the fear. What are you going to run for? I tried to build confidence and that's what I did today."
• Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee: The Maloof family has given Sacramento an ultimatum: Come up with a solid bid to purchase the Kings by 5 p.m. Friday, or we won't even entertain your overtures. A source close to those negotiations told The Bee on Wednesday that the Maloofs have given the ultra-wealthy investors seeking to keep the team in Sacramento two more days to submit a written, binding "backup" offer that matches the deal the family has in place to sell the franchise to a group in Seattle. If the Maloofs receive a matching offer by the end of business Friday, they will consider it as a serious backup proposal should the NBA nullify their tentative deal with Seattle, the source said. If the offer doesn't arrive in time – or falls short of matching the Seattle bid – the Maloofs said they wouldn't negotiate with the Sacramento group. The source, who was not authorized to speak about the deal, said the NBA a few weeks ago forwarded a "statement of interest" in buying the team to the Maloofs from Sacramento-based investors. … State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, said in an interview Wednesday that the Sacramento offer is "strong and fully competitive." "I don't want to get too precise here, but it is as strong as the Seattle offer," said Steinberg, who took part in Sacramento's presentation to the NBA in New York. "It is equivalent to the Seattle offer." Steinberg declined to reveal the value of the Sacramento offer.
• Hillel Kuttler of The New York Times: For the eclectic Stoudemire, who has also written children’s books and is the subject of a documentary that will have its premiere April 19 on EPIX, the coaching role is new, but the destination will not be. He visited Israel in 2010, shortly after signing a free-agent contract with the Knicks. That trip, he said then, was spiritual in nature. The coming visit promises to be uplifting, too, especially ifCanada earns the gold medal, something it last accomplished in 1997. Canada has scored a coup just by getting a star of Stoudemire’s magnitude to Israel, notably a star who professed in his previous trip that he believed he might be part Jewish. That Stoudemire is coaching rather than playing does not disappoint the Canadian organizers, who see his involvement as spurring interest in their team and in the international Maccabi sports movement. “It was a bit of a dream scenario to reach out to Amar’e because of his discovering his Jewish roots and his playing basketball,” Alex Brainis, the head of Maccabi Canada’s delegation, said. “We figured that if he said yes, this would be a big recruiting tool.” When offered the post, “Amar’e was nothing but enthusiastic,” Brainis said. Stoudemire, who is recovering from knee surgery and may be able to return to the Knicks in the first round of the N.B.A. playoffs, will be one of the most recognizable faces at the Maccabiah, as the event is known.

• T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times: And a lot of sportswriters, players, coaches and administrators have tried over the decades to make winners out of the Clippers only to fail. I wrote about the immaturity of DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin and problems with Paul that have threatened to sidetrack my favorite team in town, no one more of a Clippers honk than Page 2. Shoot, I went to Memphis with the Clippers a year ago and no one goes to such a rathole unless it's to be there for their family. But then you know what it's like raising children. You can't be their friends. Sometimes you have to lower the boom, and toss in a little discipline even when it might hurt you more than them. So I had to spank the Clippers before we could all come together Sunday and beat the Lakers. … Bringing fun to a locker room is just what Page 2 does. And just as I have preached to the guys all year, if you're going to be successful, you have to feast on the really crummy teams to pad your record. Fortunately, the Clippers got to play the Lakers four times this season, which is like having the Houston Astros on your schedule. And they swept them, of course.
• Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News: Clippers center DeAndre Jordan shouted across the locker room Sunday to Chris Paul. "I don't like you, Chris," Jordan yelled out. Paul didn't flinch. "I don't care," Paul answered. Meanwhile, Clippers forward Blake Griffin turned to Jordan, whose locker is near his, and snipped: "Get out of my way DeAndre. Move," Griffin shouted. Jordan didn't back down."I don't like you, Blake Griffin," Jordan screamed. Finally, all three players shared a hearty laugh. Turns out it was all in fun. But it also was a message delivered to anyone who thinks the Clippers have a chemistry problem or their star players don't get along. There recently has been talk that Paul, Jordan and Griffin are at odds, but it sure didn't look like they had problems as they joked around in the locker room after beating the Lakers on Sunday to clinch the first division title in franchise history. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro insisted nothing out of the ordinary is going on with his young team. "There's not this big friction thing going on like people think," Del Negro said. "We've got some good guys. We have to manage (personalities) absolutely. But I know the guys want to win."
• Howard Beck of The New York Times: The Knicks thus claimed their 12th straight win and gave the streak an indisputable new legitimacy, taking down the defending Western Conference champions on their home court, where the Thunder (56-21) had lost just five times. “Probably one of the biggest wins we’ve had in a long time,” Carmelo Anthony said. For so many reasons. The Knicks reached 50 victories for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. They now need just one victory, or a Nets loss, to clinch their first Atlantic Division title since 1994. And the winning streak is the third longest in franchise history. The drive for a championship never looked more tangible. “It all goes hand in hand,” said Coach Mike Woodson, who got his 68th win with the Knicks, securing the best 100-game start in franchise history. … The Knicks had gone 20 days without a defeat, and 20 days without facing an elite team at full strength. They were spared the burden of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade last week in Miami. Their only victory over a team with a winning percentage of .600 or better was against the Memphis Grizzlies. “This may be the biggest, considering that’s a healthy team that’s playing with all their guns,” Chandler said. “It’s very hard to come in this building and get a win.”
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: Yet the only consistent thing about the Thunder's defense seems to be inconsistency. Oklahoma City followed up its best defensive performance of the season with one of its worst. After holding Indiana to eight points on 2-for-18 shooting in the fourth quarter Friday, the Thunder allowed a season high for points, yielded at least 30 points in three quarters (and 29 in the fourth) and allowed 19 offensive rebounds. The rebounding was the worst of all evils. That's because Sunday marked the fifth time in the past 10 games that the Thunder has allowed at least 16 offensive rebounds. The Knicks converted their 19 offensive boards into 23 second-chance points. … After out-rebounding the Pacers, the league's best rebounding team, by 22, Sunday's showing was the equivalent of five steps back after one step forward. In its past 10 games, the Thunder has allowed 14 offensive rebounds. By comparison, the league's high mark is Milwaukee's 12.3. So are the players not blocking out enough? “It's a combination,” Brooks said. “Everybody has to think rebound. We're such a high, explosive offensive transition team that we can't think about that until we secure the ball. That's just something that we will brush up on and try to get better at that the last five games.”
• Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune: By the time the Utah Jazz took the floor Sunday, through no effort of their own, they had crept back in the playoff picture. Early arrivals to Oracle Arena sat around the visitors’ locker room, watching intently on a projector as the Los Angeles Clippers ran the Lakers out of their shared gym. "I think everybody knows what the Lakers did today," Jazz forward Marvin Williams said. "We had a golden opportunity to come out and switch places with them." The Jazz took that opportunity and made a golden statement, beating the Warriors 97-90 after Mo Williams made a game-clinching 3-pointer with 13.4 seconds left. With the win, the Jazz moved a half-game ahead of the Lakers. The victory represented the Jazz’s most encouraging road effort of the season. It was just their third road victory over a team with a winning record, and it gave them consecutive road wins for the first time this season. Beating Golden State may have turned the tide of an entire season. The Jazz host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, and Minnesota on Friday, then close out the season with road games at Minnesota and Memphis. "We win out," Gordon Hayward said simply, "we’ll be fine."
• Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe: It’s less than two weeks before the Celtics take the floor for their first-round playoff series against likely the Knicks or Pacers, and during that time they need to find cohesion. The team decided to rest Kevin Garnett (ankle inflammation) for two weeks, and Paul Pierce also needed a break to rest his gimpy ankle. But sooner or later, the Celtics have to get their core on the floor at the same time, and Sunday night was it. The combination of Pierce and Garnett, with the welcomed help of the resurgent Brandon Bass, led to a 107-96 win over the improving Washington Wizards. If only the shorthanded Celtics had played with the same energy Friday as they did on Sunday, they would have made it easier on themselves in their quest for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. This is a critical stretch for the Celtics, who don’t want to match up with the Knicks, winners of 12 straight games after beating Oklahoma City on the road Sunday without Amar’e Stoudemire or Kenyon Martin. Moving up to sixth — they trail Atlanta by 1½ games — likely would set up a first-round series with the Pacers, who were soundly beaten by the Wizards Saturday, and the Thunder the previous night.
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: Newcomer Keyon Dooling and rookie Tony Wroten were back with the Griz after playing Saturday for the NBA Development League’s Reno Bighorns. It was a move designed to allow both players to stretch their legs. … Conley recorded his fourth straight 20-point game. The Griz hadn’t had a player score 20-plus points in four consecutive games this season. He’s been efficient, too. Conley took advantage of the Kings’ weak interior defense and attacked the baskets for layups. He’s shot 59 percent (36 of 61 from the field) in the four games. Zach Randolph is having a hard time getting his shot off around the rim because of shot-blocking defenders and he’s missing easy layups as of late. He finished 4 of 13 from the field and attempted just two free throws. Randolph is 11 of 30 in his last two games.
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: "We're playing like a team. We look good, man." The Pistons fan seated in the first row behind the media table Sunday night sounded surprised in the waning minutes of his team's 99-85 victory over the Chicago Bulls. That's understandable, since it had been nearly two months since the Palace crowd had witnessed a victory. And it had been over four years since fans had witnessed a victory over the Bulls on any court. But with the Pistons' bench combining for 43 points, and Brandon Knight tallying 20 points and five assists, the Pistons were able to get their first victory at the Palace since Feb. 13 -- a span of eight games. "It feels good just to finish out a game strong against them, where we were the team not to make mistakes and to capitalize on their mistakes," Knight said of the Pistons' 18-game losing streak to the playoff-bound Bulls. Although Pistons coach Lawrence Frank downplayed the streak's significance during three earlier losses this season, he admitted it was a topic of conversation.
• John Reid of The Times-Picayune: New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon and his teammates have experienced their share of disappointing losses and missed opportunities on the road this season. But for the first time in nearly two months they enjoyed a road victory, defeating the Phoenix Suns 95-92 on Sunday night in front of 16,780 at the U.S. Airways Center. … Eric Gordon frequently drove the lane and maintained being aggressive after halftime, which is something he has not done frequently this season. It was the Suns that extended Gordon a four-year, $58 million contract offer last summer. The Hornets matched the offer, even though Gordon said his "heart was in Phoenix." In a heat of the moment situation during this past Friday’s 95-83 loss to Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena, Williams got into a shouting match with Gordon during a timeout in the third quarter. Williams apparently didn’t think Gordon was hustling enough. But both appeared to move beyond the conflict as Williams kept Gordon in the starting lineup Sunday. Gordon played with intensity and the Suns struggled to stay in front of him. Gordon made all six of his free throws and he also had six assists and two steals 31 minutes of work.
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: Dirk Nowitzki has twisted and sprained his ankles dozens of times. But what happened Sunday night in Portland was different. He said he came down funny after jumping for a rebound in the second quarter. The ankle stiffened up at halftime, when he had it re-taped. He was ineffective in the third quarter, then sat out the entire fourth quarter. The Mavericks limped to the finish line for a 96-91 win. They were ahead by 26 late in the third quarter and by 20 at the start of the fourth. “I said at the start of the fourth it’s a little stiff, and I decided to just sit this one,” Nowitzki said. “Obviously, it got a lot closer than we were hoping for so we had to grind it out down the stretch. I think I jumped for a rebound in the second quarter and must have landed wrong or something. I must have irritated my bone spurs. I got really stiff and couldn’t really move much in the third quarter. I tried, got it retaped at halftime, but it didn’t help much. I said I’m going to sit this one out and the boys will bring it home. It was a lot closer than we hoped, but we got it done.” Nowitzki said he “definitely” will play Wednesday.
• Michael Beaven of the Akron Beacon-Journal: Cavaliers coach Byron Scott turned to an unlikely five-man lineup for a spark in the fourth quarter Sunday night and the decision paid off big time. Starter Wayne Ellington joined reserves Omri Casspi, Kevin Jones, Shaun Livingston, and Marreese Speights to help the host Cavs rally from a deficit to the Orlando Magic and earn a 91-85 victory. “That group I thought played pretty good basketball, especially defensively,” Scott said. “We didn’t score a lot, but they didn’t either.” A crowd of 16,341 witnessed the Cavs (24-52) start off slow against the Magic (19-59), but regain their composure in time to notch a second consecutive win. “It was a good win,” Scott said. “On the defensive end again, I thought our guys did a lot of good things just like we did in Boston [in a 97-91 win Friday night]. That is basically why we got the win tonight.” … Irving was asked before the game about the speculation that Scott could be let go following the season. He downplayed it and said: “Until that time comes, I’m not really worried about it. To even imagine that, I’m not going down that road. I’m focused on finishing the season with him and that’s all that matters right now.”

• NBA hopefuls, and LaMarcus Aldridge, take note: An above average NBA 3-point shooter is far more valuable to his team than an above average 2-point shooter. Ian Levy writes for Hardwood Paroxysm about how we are funny in how we perceive 3s: "Corey Brewer is routinely lambasted for being such a willing and inaccurate 3-point shooter. But while his 3.7 three-point attempts per game generate 1.3 negative blog posts per week, rarely is Joe Johnson criticized for the 9.5 2-point shots he attempts each game, even though they generate essentially the same number of points per shot."
• Magic Johnson tells the tale of his son coming out of the closet.
• The inspiring tale of Ray King, playing for North Carolina Central despite cancer, bathing in bleach every night to ward off staph infections.
• Is the Rockets re-build -- keep a bunch of cap space around for a star who'll come somehow or other -- a road map for post-Josh Smith Hawks?
• Mark Jackson's "next level boldness" has the power to rearrange your thinking.
• Watch for "Millionaire Mama's Boy," a reality show starring JaVale McGee. Not kidding.
• The many ways Carmelo Anthony can kill you.
• Does Manu Ginobili remember the moment he was drafted? He does not, because he wasn't there, nor watching, because he didn't even know it was draft night. He had to be woken up.
• To recover faster from concussion, doctors told Nikola Vucevic not to read, watch TV or text. So what did he do?
• Jim Cavan for The New York Times on the Wizards' freakish recent defense: "Over the last 42 games, the Wizards are third in defensive efficiency (98.6), fourth in opponent field-goal percentage (43.3 percent), second in opponent 3-point percentage (33.1 percent) and second in defensive rebounding percentage (75.6 percent)."
• The sports fans perennial task: to imagine what a player might be.
• Kobe Bryant's off-ball defense really perked up against the Mavericks.
• Things have gone badly for the Suns. But does that mean a change is in order? Suns bloggers chew on Lon Babby's extension.
• LeBron's best game.
• The restaurant that thrives in the building owned by the Players Association, which has offices upstairs.
• Lawrence Frank, candidate to coach Rutgers?
• Not into Jay-Z: A.J. Price.

• Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News: In the aftermath of another heartbreaker, there was nothing more the Spurs could do but make the best of it. Monday’s 92-90 loss to Memphis essentially ended with a Mike Conley layup with 0.6 seconds left, the Grizzlies’ point guard doing to the Spurs what Miami’s Chris Bosh and Houston’s James Harden had done in the span of eight days before. Namely, rip their guts out. It was the Spurs’ sixth consecutive game to come down to the final play of regulation and the third they had lost in the middle of a white-knuckle race for the Western Conference’s top playoff seed. “If they have the character I know they have, this is all going in the computer,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “It will make them smarter and make them make the right decisions come playoff time, hopefully.” By now, forgive the Spurs if they are all “learning experienced” out. Monday at FedEx Forum, they very nearly did to the Grizzlies what Miami had done to them in San Antonio the night before, when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade sat and the Heat won anyway. This time, Popovich kept All-Star forward Tim Duncan and small forward Kawhi Leonard at home to rest sore left knees, along with sixth man Manu Ginobili, who is out for as many as four weeks with a strained right hamstring.
• David Barron of the Houston Chronicle: James Harden sat out a second consecutive game as coach Kevin McHale said his primary goal for the All-Star guard was for him to be at maximum efficiency as the playoffs approach. “I think it’s important that James tries to get this thing to the best level he can, considering that we’re short on time,” McHale said. “The longer you have something that bothers you, the more accustomed you get to it and the less you think it bothers you. But when you look at you play — actually stand way, way, way back — you analyze that ‘I’m not doing things the way I used to.’” Harden, who iced his foot twice and underwent treatment Monday morning, agreed it’s better to err on the side of caution. “Health is definitely more important,” he said. “When I’m not effective on the court and not playing to my best abilities, hopefully guys can keep winning and we can go the right way and I hope I can come back and help them out as well.”
• Phil Collin of the Los Angeles Daily News: At one point, the Clippers sat atop the Pacific Division with a 32-9 record on the heels of their 17-game win streak. Entering Monday's game against Indiana, the Clippers were 17-16 since that point. And after a month in which the Clippers went 7-7, it's obvious they're still trying to rediscover the formula that propelled them to their fast start. "We didn't finish a few games out," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said of the .500 record in March. "We had a couple of opportunities, but you have to be able to finish games out by getting stops or making plays but we missed a few opportunities, especially on the road. You've got to play better. You win games by playing at a high level consistently." The Clippers have been beset by injuries, even after it looked like they were ready to make a big run when Chauncey Billups returned in earnest from his Achilles' injury. But then a new series of bumps hit, particularly among key reserves Eric Bledsoe and Jamal Crawford. "You can talk about injuries, you can talk about schedule, you can talk about all these things," Del Negro said. "Everyone goes through it, some more than others. At the end of the day, you have to win games."
• Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times: That day is here. Shaquille O'Neal's No. 34 will join Chamberlain's No. 13, Abdul-Jabbar's No. 33 and the banner that honors Mikan's No. 99 in the upper reaches of Staples Center on Tuesday when the Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks. After winning three of his four titles with the Lakers during a 19-season career that ended in 2011, O'Neal doesn't need to fear his place in purple-and-gold lore anymore. Collectively, the Lakers' Biggest Four logged 11 most valuable player awards, 18 championships and 51 All-Star game selections over their careers. Fifteen of those titles came with the Lakers. "It's not surprising the success the Lakers have had," said Hall of Fame guard Gail Goodrich, a member of the 1971-72 team that won the championship with Chamberlain and West, "because they've had great centers." The Lakers' luck in acquiring those centers, however, was nothing less than extraordinary.
• Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: If you ask Al Jefferson, the NBA forgot to dish out an award on Monday. Denver's George Karl and Miami's Erik Spoelstra earned coach of the month honors for March, while the Knicks' J.R. Smith and Big Al were named players of the week for their respective conferences. "They said Al Jefferson's player of the week," Jefferson said. "I think the Utah Jazz is the team of the week." Can a trophy maker along the Wasatch Front make that award happen? Continuing their red-hot play of late, the Jazz might be front-runners for team of the month honors based on their 112-102 blowout win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night at EnergySolutions Arena. The victory pushed the Jazz's season-high winning streak to five games, the most consecutive wins they've strung together since the end of the 2011-12 season. The outcome also gave Utah (39-36) sole possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, putting the streaking squad a half-game above the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers (38-36). "We're just a team playing like we want to be in the playoffs," Jefferson said, "and that's the difference."
• Eric Koreen of the National Post: Jose Calderon is not done handing out assists for the Toronto Raptors. As of now, Calderon is acting as Landry Fields’ landlord. Fields has been living in the condo Calderon lived in during much of his Raptors tenure for the entire year. There are no immediate plans for Calderon to kick his old teammate out. The two will deal with it at the end of the year, Calderon said on Monday. So, that gave Calderon one less thing to worry about as he made his return to Toronto, playing his first game in the Air Canada Centre since the late-January trade that ended his seven-and-a-half-year tenure as a Raptor. Everything else — well, Calderon had a word for it. “It’s been weird since this morning, being in Toronto in a hotel,” Calderon said. “It’s just weird. It’s a weird feeling all around.” Yes, almost the entirety of Detroit Pistons’ 108-98 win was strange. But at least it was predictable. There was no doubt how the fans would react to the return of the franchise’s all-time assists leader. “I think obviously there’s a lot of emotion involved. I think this will be a little bit different than some of the other former Raptors,” said Pistons coach, and former Nets coach, Lawrence Frank. “I was around when Vince [Carter] came back, and [the same thing happened with] Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh. This will be, hopefully, the complete opposite.” It was.
• Brendan Savage of MLive.com: Forward Jason Maxiell might have played his final game for the Detroit Pistons after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a detached retina. Maxiell, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and might not return to the Pistons, is expected to make a full recovery. "It's very disappointing," coach Lawrence Frank said. "You feel horrible for Jason. You hate to see any of your guys get injured, especially where their season is over. "The positives are the surgery went very well. He won't be able to resume any basketball activities for two months but the good thing is it's not career threatening. He'll be able to get back and get back to playing basketball." … Maxiell, 30, has spent his entire eight-year NBA career with the Pistons since they made him their first-round pick (26th overall) out of Cincinnati in 2005. He became the player with the longest Pistons' tenure when Tayshaun Prince was traded to Memphis in January. He has started 175 of 523 career games for the Pistons, averaging 6.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks.
• Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Cavaliers aren’t the kind of opponent likely to inspire the Hawks to find the the “playoff mode” coach Larry Drew is seeking as the regular season draws to a close. That was the concern for Drew after he said his team “played as if we can turn it on at any point” during a lackluster victory against Orlando Saturday. It took a while for the Hawks to find their form against the struggling Cavaliers, but they eventually did enough to secire a 102-94 victory Monday at Philips Arena. “We want to get back to just grinding defensive possessions out,” Drew said. “I thought we did a little better job tonight (but) not what I was hoping. I thought we had some breakdowns tonight. As we wind this thing down we need to get back to where we not focus on our offense as much as our defense. That got us into a little bit of trouble tonight.” … Hawks forward Kyle Korver extended his streak of consecutive games with a made 3-pointer to 68 games to tie Reggie Miller for fifth place on the NBA’s all-time list. Dennis Scott is fourth all-time with 78 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer made.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: Charlotte coach Mike Dunlap said he's glad his team is playing teams in contention for the playoffs. "The great thing about playing the Bucks tonight is they have the playoff fever," Dunlap said. "Every possession presents itself with an intensity that is good for our young guys to understand." Charlotte scored 60 points in the first half but only 42 in the second half as the Bucks won their 10th consecutive home game against the Bobcats. The Bucks and Bobcats met twice early in the season, with Charlotte prevailing at home, 102-98, on Nov. 19 and the Bucks winning at home, 108-93, on Dec. 7. Charlotte started 7-5, matching its total of victories last season. But it has won just 10 more times since that promising start. "Youth, is one," Dunlap said. "And two is you have them in a concentrated period of the training camp and you come right into the season. There's a bit of fizz there in terms of clarity.”
• Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press: Nikola Pekovic had 29 points and Dante Cunningham added 19 points off the bench to lead the Timberwolves to a 110-100 victory over Boston on Monday night, April 1, at Target Center. The victory left Wolves coach Rick Adelman two wins shy of his career 1,000th victory. Adelman, in his 22nd season as an NBA coach, is 998-702. The win also snapped the Wolves' 11-game losing streak to Boston. Avery Bradley led Boston with 19 points. The Wolves took advantage of a depleted Celtics team that played without Kevin Garnett (ankle) and Paul Pierce (personal reasons). Both remained in Boston. This was a game the Wolves were supposed to control and they did. Pekovic returned from missing one game with a sprained left ankle and his presence made a huge difference inside. Without Garnett, the Celtics had virtually no inside answer for Pekovic.
• Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe: Jeff Green’s resurgence coincided with the point at which Rajon Rondo suffered his injury, but Doc Rivers said he isn’t sure if that’s a coincidence or not. “Because with the whole heart thing and sitting out a year, you don’t know if this is progression from sitting out a year or if this is just him getting better as a player and getting more confident,” Rivers said. From the start of the season to Jan. 25, the day Rondo was injured, Green, who sat out last season after undergoing open-heart surgery, was averaging 9.6 points. Since then, Green was averaging 16.3 points per game entering Monday night, when he scored 10.
• Mike Tokito of The Oregonian: Damian Lillard broke the NBA rookie record for most three-point makes in a season. His first three-pointer of the game, with 6:16 left in the first quarter, was the 167th of the season, breaking the record he had shared with Golden State's Stephen Curry, who set it during the 2009-10 season. Lillard finished 3 for 7 behind the arc and had 17 points.
• Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal: Tristan Thompson is one of seven finalists for the prestigious J. Walter Kennedy Award, given annually by the Pro Basketball Writers Association to the player, coach or trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community. Thompson created “Giving Thanks in Tristan’s Town” for Thanksgiving, purchasing turkeys and groceries for 150 families from Historic Greater Friendship Baptist Church in Cleveland. He helped distribute the meals along with game tickets. Thompson has also raised funds for Cavaliers Youth Fund and has been an advocate for pediatric epilepsy because his younger brother has epilepsy. He has worked on behalf of the Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center and is active in filling requests with the Cavs’ community service department. He has helped with events at the Children’s Rehab Hospital, Harvest for Hunger food drive and participated in the filming of a Valentine’s Day video for women whose military husbands were deployed.

• Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade watched on the locker room television, then burst out to greet their teammates. To use Erik Spoelstra’s phrase, they “tackled everyone.” And if it was possible, David Stern would have parachuted in to join them. Stern had looked foolish the last time, announcing “substantial sanctions” were forthcoming before the undermanned Spurs pressed the Heat. This time? The franchise that’s irritated Stern for more than a decade was hit with something more significant than a fine. Those who believe in the worst of the NBA office probably see signs of a conspiracy again. After all, Joey Crawford showed up, and when is the last time that’s been good for San Antonio? Then there was the call by another official, Jason Phillips, with 32 seconds left. The Miami version of Nando De Colo, Norris Cole, fell on a drive; Kawhi Leonard got the foul because he was the only one nearby. “We got some lucky breaks at the end,” Spoelstra said, and he followed with something as true. “But that’s basketball.” One call didn’t determine this game, not when the Heat played with the kind of competitive joy the Spurs had in November in Miami. Chris Bosh used the word “fun,” because it was for them. Just as the Spurs played loose in Miami, so did the Heat Sunday. … With the Thunder waiting for the second game of a back-to-back in OKC on Thursday, will this be the week that scrambles the Western Conference seeding? Stern wouldn’t mind, since he’s butted heads with the Spurs for years. And while he pushed for an economic model that allowed small markets to compete, he always preferred selling something other than a Spurs franchise that has never moved the television needle. And so there Stern was Sunday, with his final postseason as the NBA commissioner approaching, watching Bosh line up the game-winner.
• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post: Could the Heat center imagine playing at such a level at age 37? “I don’t know if I’ll still be playing,” said Chris Bosh, who recently turned 29. “I don’t want to, no. I will if I have to. You can’t tell the future, but I don’t plan to.” If the rest of his career is anywhere near as enjoyable as Sunday night’s 88-86 victory, you’d think he could be convinced to reconsider. With LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers all sitting — due to what Miami coach Erik Spoelstra characterized as nagging injuries but what many suspected was payback for San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich’s ploy in November — Bosh had a rare opportunity to anchor the Heat, and to do so against the Spurs, the West’s best squad. And so there he was, with the Heat down one. There he was, after Spoelstra trusted his team to push the ball without a timeout. There he was, standing open after a screen, 25 feet from the basket, just past the top of the key, after Tiago Splitter failed to switch and three defenders flailed toward Ray Allen. “I saw myself shooting that,” Allen said. “I was about to shoot it, and I felt my guy come up on me, and hey, there’s somebody open, and I found him.” He found Bosh, who had 20 points at that stage, including a couple of 3-pointers. “Fairly decent look,” Spoelstra said. Bosh wasn’t surprised to be that free. “I had to make the shot still,” he said, laughing.
• Harvey Araton of The New York Times: One championship, two finals appearances, and countless clutch shots and defensive stands later, Pierce, at 35, is considered one of the league’s sage big-game veterans, a future Retired Number Celtic, a nearly certain Hall of Famer. His delayed ascension might also reflect the best-case career trajectory for the Knicks’Carmelo Anthony, whose professional years have mimicked Pierce’s 20s far more than they have LeBron James’s. With the Knicks poised to displace the Celtics as Atlantic Division champions after beating them, 108-89, on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, this would be a propitious time to present Pierce as Exhibit A in the case for Anthony’s potential growth into no-questions-asked superstardom. Anthony’s critics, including me, have never underestimated his combustible package of size, strength and first-step speed. But his teams in Denver and in New York have produced poor playoff results, and he has admitted to failing to fully grasp the essence of collective elegance until last summer’s Olympics. Isn’t it fair to say that when it comes to winning at the highest level, Anthony is still an undergraduate student trying to complete a master’s program?
• Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe: As one of three NBA coaches on the league’s competition committee, Rivers, who is joined by Dallas’s Rick Carlisle and Memphis’s Lionel Hollins, is asked to vote on potential rule changes and other competition-related matters. One issue Rivers said he expects to come up this offseason is the idea of coaches sitting star players in games, which Miami did Sunday night against San Antonio. The Heat sat LeBron James, Dywane Wade, and Mario Chalmers against the Spurs, indicating that each had injuries such as a hamstring strain and a sprained ankle. The move caused a stir because Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had sent forward Tim Duncan, guard Manu Ginobili, and guard Tony Parker home before playing the Heat Nov. 19. … “I’ve got a feeling it will come up, probably loudly,” Rivers said. “But I don’t know what you’re supposed to do about it as a coach. It’s a tough one, honestly. From the fans’ standpoint, they pay to see the players play and I get that. From the league’s standpoint, they want to protect that. From a coaching standpoint, you want to do what’s best for your team. It’s a tough one.” However, the Celtics may have an advantage in this area because their star players are pushing 35 and above, so no one really questions why they sit: they’re just old. “I think ‘old’ is an actual injury,” Rivers joked. “You have the ‘hamstring injury’ and you have the ‘old injury.’ ”
• Craig Stouffer of the Washington Examiner: With a 109-92 victory over Toronto before 14,360 at Verizon Center, the Wizards (27-46) achieved their objective and saw shades of what their starting backcourt hopes to be next year. Bradley Beal matched a career-high with six 3-pointers and a game-high 24 points after missing 11 of the last 14 games with a sprained left ankle. His return was the perfect complement to John Wall's 18 points and 10 assists with a single turnover, the bookend to a superb March played mostly without his rookie teammate. "It's very important, especially to me and especially to the team, because we want to end on a good note, make a run for the ninth seed," Beal said. … Beal checked in with 4:37 remaining the first quarter. His 3-pointer over 6-foot-11 Jonas Valanciunas (18 points, 10 rebounds) broke a 33-33 tie early in the second, starting a stretch in which the Wizards outscored the Raptors by 10 over the final eight minutes of the half. "I think we've seen it in his attitude," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said of Beal. "He's been working, and he wants to get back. That's a good sign. ... I've been in it long enough where I've seen guys say they don't want to get back."
• Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star: The vogue trend in the league is to shoot three-pointers at every opportunity. On that basis, Gay is a victim of fashion. His three-point shooting is middling overall (33.9 per cent career), and trending like an anvil tipped into a well (26.7 per cent this year). Gay missed his shot. Toronto missed its chance. All the momentum drained away then. It finished 109-92. “You don’t want to question a guy’s decision, but we’d much rather go to the basket,” coach Dwane Casey said. “He made that choice.” Bad choices, large and small, haunt this team. It was a wrong choice to come out looking like they needed a little nap after the excitement of the anthems. ‘We came out with a lax disposition,” Casey said flatly. “(Casey) said that to us also,” Kyle Lowry said afterward, as if relieved to hear that he wasn’t the only one. It was a wrong choice to get into early foul trouble.
• John Reid of The Times-Picayune: New Orleans Hornets guard Greivis Vasquez said Coach Monty Williams called him out in front of his teammates during halftime for not playing like a leader after committing three turnovers and scoring five points. But Vasquez used it as motivation, dominating the third quarter by making all six shots, distributing three assists and most importantly not committing a turnover for the entire second half on his way to a team-high 25 points. Vasquez not only looked for his shot, but he got the Hornets in their offensive sets quicker and looked specifically for forward Anthony Davis on lob passes coming off pick-and-roll plays. Vasquez and Davis combined to score 29 of the Hornets' 36 points in the third quarter. It was enough for the Hornets to end a two-game losing streak and finish their seven-game homestand at 4-3.
• Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal: Kyrie Irving’s return from a sprained left shoulder Sunday provided Shaun Livingston with a welcome break. Livingston is able to return to his reserve role after averaging 32 minutes in the eight games he started. Livingston played well in Irving’s absence, but he now strengthens a bench that has been depleted by the injuries to the starters. “It keeps the second unit a little more intact and it cuts down his minutes, which I think is important,” coach Byron Scott said. “I thought he was running on fumes for a little while because of all the minutes we’ve been playing him. He gets more of a break and can resume his normal position and normal playing time. That definitely helps.”
• Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune: The NBA's decision to upgrade a Gibson foul onLeBron James from a regular shooting foul to a flagrant foul surprised Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. "I guess we have to call the league and get clarification on that," he said. "I didn't see it that way. I still don't have a good understanding of what a flagrant foul is. By rule it's unnecessary, excessive. I thought I got some clarity last year, but apparently I didn't." James complained after Wednesday's game of fouls he deemed "not basketball plays." Asked if James' opinion carries weight with the league, Thibodeau replied: "I guess we have to talk to the league to find out."
• Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News: When a team shoots 50 percent on the road and holds its opponent under 40 percent, it expects to win. But when these two meet, no one stat can guarantee victory for the Pistons. They had a chance to send the game to overtime, trailing by three with 22 seconds left, but Charlie Villanueva's 3-point attempt didn't find its mark. Jose Calderon would've been a candidate to take a tying 3-pointer, but he has a tendon problem in his elbow and when the ball swung to him, he was no threat to shoot, so Villanueva launched a long jumper in a failed attempt to send the game to overtime. Rodney Stuckey hit a 3-pointer on the final possession to cut the lead from four to one. The Pistons (24-50) were already undermanned without Jason Maxiell (eye injury, didn't make the trip) and Will Bynum (hand). The Bulls (40-32) were playing without Joakim Noah, Marco Belinelli, former Piston Richard Hamilton and 2011 MVP Derrick Rose, who's yet to return from tearing his Achilles. Even without those four, especially the pesky Noah, the Bulls made the necessary plays down the stretch to give the Pistons that sinking feeling. "It was some bad bounces, I had a bad turnover," said Greg Monroe, who finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, benefitting from Noah's absence. "Just a half-second late, that might've been the difference. We played with good energy, good effort the whole game. When it counted, we were a step late."

• Howard Beck of The New York Times: It will be at least another month, perhaps in a first-round playoff series, before declarations can be made, or conclusions drawn, or torches passed — or wrested away. After five years of pre-eminence, the Boston Celtics have at least earned a withholding of judgment until the games really matter. But the ground continued to shift beneath them Tuesday night, the balance of power tilting ever more sharply, unmistakably, southward. The Knicks cruised to a 100-85 victory at TD Garden and inched ever closer to taking the Atlantic Division crown that the Celtics have owned for the last five years. It was the Knicks’ fifth straight victory, the Celtics’ fifth straight loss, and it left a seven-and-a-half game gap between them, with 13 games to play. “We want to beat them, let’s just be quite frank about it,” Carmelo Anthony said, after scoring 29 points in the win. “We always want to beat Boston. New York in anything wants to beat Boston. And when we do, it’s a great feeling.” The Knicks (43-26) have a 2-1 edge in the season series, having won twice in Boston for the first time since 2003-4. They meet once more on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, with the Knicks poised to win the series for the first time in nine years.
• Marc Berman of the New York Post: The South Beach showdown is six days away, but Mike Woodson is hoping the Miami Dream Team enters with a 30-game win streak. “They’re playing at such a high level, nobody is coming close to beating them,’’ Woodson said before the Knicks’ 100-85 win over the Celtics last night. “It would be nice. Their streak could end. They’re playing two good teams [beforehand]. [But if] they’re undefeated and we go into Miami, hopefully we can be the team to break their streak.’’ The Heat have won 27 straight and have Chicago tonight, New Orleans Friday and San Antonio on Sunday. If the LeBron James juggernaut keeps winning and beats the Knicks Tuesday in Miami, it would be just two away from tying the Lakers’ 1971-72 magical run of 33 straight wins — the NBA record.
• Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe: Tuesday night at TD Garden, the Celtics faced the Knicks without Kevin Garnett and Courtney Lee. And though the Celtics have masked the absence of key players before, winning without Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger and Leandro Barbosa and even Garnett, they could not do so against New York, which prevailed soundly, 100-85. For the first time since Rondo went down with a season-ending knee injury in January, it seemed as though the Celtics had finally – if not reluctantly — succumbed to the reality of their limited roster. A 15-point home loss to a shorthanded team will do that. “It’s been like that for us all season long, it just seems like it gets worse and worse,” captain Paul Pierce said of the injuries. “We can’t feel sorry for ourselves.” The Celtics have lost five consecutive games, and as Garnett is expected to miss up to two weeks with inflammation in his left ankle, a rather gloomy question looms: Is this what the Celtics can expect while their defensive anchor is out? “No,” a defiant coach Doc Rivers said. “Guys, I think you’ve been around me long enough. Kevin’s not playing. I don’t worry about it. I really don’t. “Somebody else has to play better. A lot of guys. It’s not going to be one guy. But overall, we were pretty bad [Tuesday]. Kevin had nothing to do with that.”
• Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: Kenyon Martin, as plain-spoken as they come, left no doubt about the reason he’s not a Celtic today. The team decided it simply wasn’t interested in the veteran power forward, who signed with the Knicks for the rest of the season on March 15. Coach Doc Rivers said on Monday that the Celtics were more interested in finding a guard at the time Martin was available. “It’s their fault; they lost,” Martin said after helping the Knicks to last night’s 100-85 win with nine points and five rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. “There was talks, there was negotiations, they chose not to do it. It was out of my control. I’m a Knick now, so they lost. I’m just here to prove I never lost it. I guess I’m a better person than I am a basketball player. But the chip I’ve always played with hasn’t gotten bigger. I’m here to prove what I can do; that’s against everybody, every night. It doesn’t start with the Celtics. It’s whoever puts on that uniform opposite us.” Martin shot 4-for-7 last night, including three put-backs. He is 20-for-28 in his last three games.
• Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune: For nearly 10 minutes the Timberwolves poured it on in a slow, consistent, startling burn. From the starters to the bench, through timeouts and personnel changes, the Wolves played pesky defense, shared the ball and shot it. Boy, did they shoot it. On Tuesday at the Palace of Auburn Hills, against a Detroit team that is darned near 0-for-March, the Timberwolves did everything right in a 105-82 victory. Especially in the third quarter. Or, more specifically, over the final 9:48 of said quarter. “We said win the third quarter,” Wolves coach Rick Adelman said. “And we dominated.” It took less than 10 minutes for the Wolves, running and hitting from everywhere, to rain down three-pointers in a 32-9 run that turned a five-point game into a double-digit rout. And it didn’t stop there. By the time this was over, the Wolves (25-44) — the worst three-point shooting team in the league — had hit a season-high 14 treys, with seven players getting at least one.
• Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News: With Andre Drummond still out at least for one more game, it's perhaps one more opportunity for rookie Slava Kravtsov to get some playing time. The 25-year-old rookie has played only 20 games this season, averaging 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.8 minutes. The Pistons have an option for his second year, which they'll have to decide on before July 1. "He's worked hard," said Frank, noting his 14-point, 10-rebound game against the Pacers on Feb 22. "He's had some good moments and some moments where (he's struggled), just the adjustment of the verbal commands and positioning and quick-twitch reacting."
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: Lamar Odom came into Tuesday’s game with 4:15 left in the first quarter, and before he even had his sweatpants pulled off, the boos rained down from the sellout crowd at American Airlines Center. When he touched the ball for the first time, the boos got louder. Second time, more anger from the crowd. The last time there had been this much venom in the joint, the snake convention was in town. Either that or when the Miami Heat came through, which could be construed in these parts as the same thing. Odom had a modest impact in the first half, when he had four points and three rebounds in nine minutes. The Mavericks weren’t real concerned with Odom’s return. In pregame warm-ups, Odom gave a couple of winks toward the scorer’s table but had no interaction with any Mavericks to speak of. Odom had a dramatic divorce from the Mavericks last season when owner Mark Cuban questioned the 2010-11 sixth man of the year about his commitment to the franchise. Weeks later, he was told to leave, making it “addition by subtraction,” as Cuban said at the time. If there was any intention on Odom’s behalf to apologize or converse with Cuban on Tuesday, he never got the chance. Cuban was not at the game. He’s on vacation with his family for spring break.
• Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times: It was an interesting question that even Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro thought came at an interesting time of the season. Del Negro was asked by a member of the media in front of the group about his coaching future with the Clippers. The Clippers picked up Del Negro's contract last year, but he wasn't given an extension. His deal expires when the season is over. "I enjoy the pressure," Del Negro said. "That's what it's about. I love the competition. Could things be a little bit better in certain areas? Of course. But all those things get answered at the end of the year. "Our focus is on tonight's game and on this season and all those things get answered at the end of the season, one way or the other," he said. The Clippers are playoff-bound for the second consecutive season under Del Negro. It will be only the third time in franchise history the Clippers have had consecutive playoff appearances. Del Negro was asked if his future was tied to how far the Clipper go in the playoffs this season. "No, my future is great," Del Negro responded. "I've got a great future, no matter what. I've been pretty fortunate, so I don't really worry about that stuff so much. Like I said, all those things take care of themselves when we finish."
• Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee: Here are a few other thoughts, quotes and observations from the meeting in the overheated, and overcrowded council chambers: Steve Hansen, who was thought to be vacillating about the arena issue, and who some thought would vote against the term sheet, instead gave a very impassioned explanation for his pro-arena vote. He cited the potential for jobs and economic growth, and added, "We have four billionaires who have said that Sacramento is worthy. It's been a long time since people have validated us in this way." Kevin Johnson, a former All-Star, said he intended to call David Stern despite the time difference and the fact the NBA Commissioner was not feeling well. Ron Burkle spokesman Darius Anderson, who addressed the council and took a swipe at Seattle for attempting to steal the Kings, said the four major investors will accompany Johnson to New York for his April 3 presentation to Stern and members of the league's finance and relocation committees. The ownership subset thereafter will evaluate both Seattle and Sacramento situations and make a recommendation to the entire Board of Governors. The owners will vote at the April 18-19 meetings, also in Manhattan.

The Heat's winning streak -- 23 and counting, second longest in NBA history -- has touched off a parlor game for NBA fans and Vegas bettors.

Which team will finally beat them?

The schedule would seem to be a logical place to seek answers, and the Bulls and Spurs stand out as tough upcoming opposition.

But the first good team pops up a whole week from now. The Heat just beat a staunch opponent in the Celtics. For now, it's all cupcakes:

• Wednesday: At the Kyrie-less Cavaliers.
• Friday: Hosting the muddled Pistons.
• Sunday: Home against the 15-52 Bobcats, a year removed and little improved from being the worst team in NBA history.
• Monday: On the road against the not-much-better Magic, who famously got little in return for Dwight Howard in the name of rebuilding through the draft.

I'm here to tell you that every single one of those teams is as likely as the Bulls or Spurs to end the Heat's streak. It matters way less than you think who the Heat play. That's not because the Heat are so good it doesn't matter who they play. (The Spurs are a handful!) That's because the Heat's next loss will likely be in deference to the team of exhaustion and injury concerns, a combination that threatens to cost every NBA team a game at almost any time.

All through this streak, the Heat have been mailing in portions of games, letting inferior opponents hang around. It's a dangerous game, as far as the streak is concerned, that could go wrong at any time.

It has almost cost them games already. Even during the streak, the Heat have almost lost to the Bobcats, Cavaliers and Magic, winning by five, four and one, respectively. The mighty Sacramento Kings took the Heat to double overtime. The broken-spirited 76ers had a lead in the closing minutes.

Those teams couldn't touch Miami when it's playing at its best, but the Heat can't afford to do that very often.

This is no criticism of the Heat. Rather it's a criticism of the NBA, whose schedule has never allowed coaches and players to do their best work night in and night out. It's physiologically impossible for the best players to perform their best all season long. We'd like this game to be about bringing your A-game every night. But that's really not how it is done. Never has been. Steve Nash's Phoenix years are a case study in this. He went hard every single night, and despite amazing training and diet, was gassed by the playoffs. The schedule simply won't allow full effort all season.

They used to say you can't "turn it on." This was offered as a reason for teams not to play it cool throughout the season, expecting to rise above in the playoffs. But they don't say that anymore, because in recent years teams have been doing just that, most notably Kevin Garnett's Celtics and also Kobe Bryant's Lakers. Research suggests teams that have recently won titles have a long history of taking it a bit easier in the regular season, then playing much better when it matters in the playoffs.

The truth appears to be that you simply must ration effort one way or another. The best coach in the NBA, Gregg Popovich, knows this and brilliantly leads the league in keeping his players off the floor, even while they're healthy. Sometimes for entire games. That's a big part of why the Spurs have long had the best records in the NBA.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has pecked at the edge of Popovich's approach -- nowadays he sits James for a few minutes to start most fourth quarters, in the name of a fresher player. (The Heat organization is convinced that the story of LeBron James' poor performance in the 2011 Finals against the Mavericks was one of exhaustion from a player who had played insane minutes all season.)

James and Dwyane Wade honor fatigue and injury risk less by sitting for long stretches, and more by taking it easy on the court. Watch Wade as he fluctuates between vigorous and serene. Watch how James metes out his forays to the rim, which are taxing both in the explosive movements and the dangerous fouls. When the team has a lead, James and Wade tend to spare themselves that punishment -- as, research shows, NBA stars tend to do. When the team trails and needs a bucket, however, they attack viciously.

It's not such a dangerous game from the point of view of a playoff series, in which a team can afford to lose a game or two. But for keeping a streak alive, when no losses can be tolerated, it's a ticking clock. Against weak opponents, the Heat offense is at its very best for only a few possessions per game.

Even in a streak like this, it's important to think about the long term. You can't win a marathon at Mile 16.

Very sophisticated research in elite soccer has shown that just two competitions a week, as opposed to the traditional one per weekend, ramps up the injury risk significantly. It removes entirely the ability for a player to do a real conditioning workout and recover in time for the next contest. Getting the same exercise in games comes with vastly higher injury risks. Conditioning and rest have real benefits that professional basketball players know too little.

The cost is that we seldom get to see the best NBA players -- who play far more than twice a week -- performing at their very best.

I have asked several players recently at what time of year they're at their physical best. So far, to a man, they answer: training camp.

(How messed up is that, from the league's point of view? They're at their physical best, and nobody is even watching.)

From there, no matter how tough your spirit or inspired your workout plan, it's an athletically degrading league-mandated saga of long travel, short sleep, minimal conditioning and a growing collection of injuries, bangs and bruises. One injury expert told me he thought almost every NBA injury was an overuse injury.

"When you get down to those late months and the playoffs, you know that guys aren't at their peak physically," says the Heat's James Jones. "They're gutting it out. You're seeing performances in spite of injuries, in spite of fatigue, in spite of nicks and bruises. And that's where the greatness is revealed."

Where it's not revealed, at least not intelligently, is in a Monday night in March, on the road against the lottery-bound Magic.

The Heat could lose at any time, because any team can lose at any time. Because in this league, it's about fatigue and injury risk as much as it is about the other team. To win that contest, you've got to ration your A-game.

David Thorpe went above and beyond for this one:

• Why it misses the point to say the Nuggets don't have an All-Star.
• The trick, for Derrick Rose, to preparing mentally to re-take the court.
• The real lesson of DeAndre Jordan's dunk.
• Seinfeld trivia.

• Paola Boivin special to The Denver Post: With just 17 games remaining in the season, Andre Iguodala is closer to making a decision about his future. Iguodala's contract gives him the opportunity to "opt out" and become a free agent after the season. Although the issue will get his full attention then, he admits he is aware of what is happening around him. "Obviously, you're talking to your agent and you're paying attention to trades, and salary caps that are being opened up through sign and trades and other guys who are in the same position as you," he said. "It's in the back of your mind. But as far as making a concrete decision, you really don't size it up until the season's over, because we have some opportunities to do some really good things here.”
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: The Suns did not get to this position of three consecutive non-playoff seasons and a 29-53 pace for this season by making many right choices, but Managing Partner Robert Sarver deserves credit for one. Sarver offered Stoudemire a $96.6 million contract in 2010 but with built-in stipulations to ensure he was healthy. Less than three years later, Stoudemire’s regular season is done in New York after 29 appearances because he needs another surgery on his right knee. For years, the Suns were more concerned about his right knee, which required arthroscopy, than the more-discussed left knee, which underwent microfracture surgery in 2005. Sarver was willing to give Stoudemire a maximum contract, but only if Stoudemire met thresholds for minutes played. New York, in desperate need of a splash after snubs from LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, was willing to give Stoudemire a guaranteed five-year, $100 million contract. … Stoudemire’s contract is untradeable because it is worth $45.1 million for the next two seasons and is uninsured for knee and eye injuries. … Sarver was right on this one.
• Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News: Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard had just completed the type of workday for which he should be entitled to hazard pay, clocking in for 35 minutes of chasing NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant in Monday’s hard-fought 105-93 victory over Oklahoma City. Rising from the chair in front of his locker at the AT&T Center, Leonard emitted the type of groan that, escaping from his 21-year-old lips, sounded like something reserved for yoga day at the rest home. “It’s a great sound,” Leonard said, smiling slightly. “It means I played hard.” The Spurs followed their baby-faced, cornrow-sporting Pied Piper through an early 13-point deficit and to perhaps the best win of their regular season so far. With the comeback, the Spurs washed away the taste of Friday’s 136-106 loss to Portland and pushed their lead over the Thunder in the Western Conference standings to two games. Leonard had nine of his 17 points during a game-changing 26-4 run in the second quarter, highlighted by a steal ripped from Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook and taken for a dunk. Tiago Splitter added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Danny Green had 16 points and made all four of his 3-point tries, as the Spurs (49-15) won for the third time in four games without All-Star point guard Tony Parker.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: Derek Fisher decided to view Monday’s defeat not so much as a setback but a reminder, a harsh one, no doubt, but one that him and his Thunder teammates can tuck in their back pockets and pull out whenever the moment calls for it on this continued journey. But in the moments immediately following the Thunder’s 105-93 loss at San Antonio, the wound was still fresh, causing nearly every player to sit half dressed in their game attire long after the final buzzer. They lingered at their respective lockers. Some stared blankly into their cellphones, others into space. All made it known in their own subtle way that they preferred to be left alone, with thoughts that in all likelihood centered on what had just transpired. … Left unsaid but made abundantly clear on the court was the reminder of how troublesome these Spurs still are and will continue to be in the event the two teams do indeed meet in a playoff series for the second consecutive season.
• Jason Wolf of The News-Journal: New Eagles coach Chip Kelly visited with 76ers coach Doug Collins before the Sixers tipped off against Brooklyn on Monday. “It was nice to meet him,” Collins said. “It’ll be exciting to see the team he puts on the field. I know he’s very excited. So it was good to just be able to say hello and hopefully we’ll be able to get together once the season is over.” Collins developed a relationship with former Eagles coach Andy Reid, who led the Birds to five NFC Championship games and Super Bowl XXXIX before his 14-year tenure came to an end with last season’s 4-12 record. “The couple of years he had to go through ... were very tough, not only professionally but personally with the loss of his son and all. I think as coaches we’re all sort of kindred spirits,” Collins said. “We feel the pain of each other losing. That’s sort of the way it goes in this business.”
• Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News: Gerald Wallace sat at his locker following another disappointing performance, isolated in the room with his head down and his hands crossed. Wallace didn’t play the entire fourth quarter in a 106-97 defeat Monday night. He signed a four-year, $40 million contract last summer to become the team’s defensive stopper, and he was on the bench as Brooklyn’s defense faltered against the lowly Sixers. “I’m not talking,” he said. Whether it’s the nagging injuries or a sign that he’s breaking down, Wallace, 30, has often disappeared on the court since the end of January, a stretch where he has failed to score in double-digits in 29 of his last 34 appearances. P.J. Carlesimo said he didn’t play Wallace in the fourth quarter — preferring to go with Reggie Evans and Keith Bogans — because “we just put the guys out there that gave us the best chance to win.”
• Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune: The Jazz applied a tourniquet more than cured the disease, but their 103-90 victory over the slumping Detroit Pistons on Monday night was still a welcome relief. Mo Williams scored 20 points, Al Jefferson added 16 and Utah’s bench contributed big-time as the Jazz snapped a four-game losing streak at EnergySolutions Arena. For a moment, coach Tyrone Corbin and his team could forget last week’s nightmarish road trip, during which Utah lost three games in the final seconds before a blowout defeat in New York. For a moment, the Jazz could look ahead to the final 18 games of the regular season with a hint of optimism instead of head-shaking frustration. Yes, Utah handed lottery-bound Detroit its eighth loss in the last nine games. Yes, the Pistons aren’t the caliber of the teams Utah will have to beat over the next month to reach the Western Conference playoffs. But the Jazz won and, for the first time in 10 days, no team in the playoff race with them gained ground. Not the Lakers. Not Golden State. Not Houston.
• Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News: If given the benefit of hindsight and knowing the reaction that would come from the outside world, most would take a step back as DeAndre Jordan launched his 7-foot frame near the rim for a thunderous dunk, especially if you're eight inches shorter. But Brandon Knight? Nah. He'd go after Jordan again because in his mind and heart it was the right play. He took things personally. Not the reaction from the public, which used Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to make fun of Knight becoming a poster, but of the Los Angeles Clippers clowning the Pistons on Sunday night without much resistance. "When I step on the court, I don't take people dunking six, seven or eight times and not attempting to stop it. It's personal to me," said Knight with crutches under his arms after sustaining a "severe" ankle injury in the first quarter of Monday's 103-90 loss to the Utah Jazz. "Where I'm from and where I grew up, you just don't let that happen." He wasn't dejected or upset about the turn of events; Knight was merely thankful his left ankle wasn't broken and genuinely laughed about the situation.
• Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle: Led by a tenacious defensive effort by Klay Thompson on Carmelo Anthony, the Warriors limited New York to 27.4 percent field-goal shooting. The Warriors hadn't held an opponent to 63 points or fewer since the Philadelphia Warriors did it to the Milwaukee Hawks in 1953, before the NBA had a 24-second clock, and they hadn't yielded a sub-30-percent shooting night since Washington clanked up a 26.9-percent performance in 1975. "I don't know how many teams in history have nights like that," Jackson said. "I think it's closer to who we truly are, and it's a great way to stop the bleeding." The Warriors had allowed 106.8 points per game on 46 percent field-goal shooting and 39.4 percent three-point shooting during their 17-game swoon, falling seven games back of fifth-place Denver. But on a night when the trio of Thompson, Stephen Curry and David Lee outscored the entire Knicks squad, the Warriors found themselves still leading seventh-place Houston by 1 1/2 games and the eighth-place teams, the Lakers and Utah, by 2 1/2 games.
• Al Iannazzone of Newsday: Mike Woodson said the Knicks don't plan to waive Rasheed Wallace to add another healthy big man, but he wouldn't rule out making a move. Wallace (foot surgery) and Amar'e Stoudemire, who had his right knee scoped yesterday, are lost for at least the regular season. Woodson said he will talk to general manager Glen Grunwald after this five-game trip "and start assessing" their options. "I think we have until the latter part of March to make some decisions," Woodson said. To add someone, the Knicks would have to subtract someone. It doesn't make sense to cut a healthy body. But Woodson was adamant that it won't be Wallace, who is on this trip. "I never made that statement about waiving Rasheed," he said. "Rasheed still has a chance to bounce back. As we go up this road, we've just got to wait and see -- are these guys able to come back for us?" This means a bigger role for Kenyon Martin.

• Howard Beck of The New York Times: The ball flew — sometimes from the edge of the arc, sometimes from well beyond it, often with Knicks defenders closing fast — following its own gentle arc toward the net, splashing through 11 times, until Curry, the boyish Golden State Warriors guard, had amassed a career-best 54 points and set the record books ablaze. The performance was unreal — “Remarkable,” Carmelo Anthony said — but the Knicks were just slightly better, holding on for a 109-105 victory. In the aftermath, the Knicks (34-20) expressed more relief than elation, with a healthy dose of admiration for Curry’s splendid shooting: 18 for 28 from the field, 11 for 13 from the arc. “There’s nothing we could have done,” Tyson Chandler said sheepishly. “We threw a lot of different looks at him. He’s a special young player with a very unique talent, the way he shoots the ball.” The Garden had not witnessed a performance this brilliant since LeBron James scored 52 points for Cleveland on Feb. 4, 2009. Curry’s night was in many ways more entertaining and impressive, with his points coming, as they did, so far from the basket.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: Monta Ellis never doubted it for a second. And the Milwaukee Bucks guard had less than a second remaining when he tossed up an off-balance 27-foot shot that twirled around and nearly bounced out before settling back in the net, beating the buzzer and the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Ellis' walk-off winner was just that, although he actually ran off the floor and into the locker room after giving the Bucks a 110-107 victory at the Toyota Center. "I didn't want to go into overtime," Ellis said. "I was kind of winded. The buzzer went off when it was rolling around the rim. There was no need for me to come back out." The referees reviewed the shot through video replay and quickly ruled that it counted. Ellis' dramatic shot capped a productive two days for the Bucks (28-28), who swept Dallas and Houston on their short Texas trip. Milwaukee was able to regroup after losing its previous three games by a total of six points.
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: Improbable and unforgettable. That is how a Wednesday night in FedExForum at the close of February will be remembered when the Grizzlies look back on this regular season. The Griz tossed aside a 25-point deficit and changed the makings of a lopsided loss with their defense to earn a dramatic 90-84 victory over the Dallas Mavericks before 16,017 fans who still might be wiping their eyes in disbelief. “Grit, grind, heart, sacrifice I could name 10-15 words (to describe) this,” forward Zach Randolph said after the Grizzlies extended their winning streak to eight games. “It was one of those games.” A game in which: Griz coach Lionel Hollins called time out twice in the first 3 ½ minutes. The starters were benched in the first five. The Mavs racked up 38 points in the opening period and enjoyed a 51-29 lead with 5:25 left in the second quarter. Memphis outscored Dallas 36-4, which included a franchise record 24 unanswered points, during a stretch that bridged the second and third quarters. Dallas looked feeble throughout a five-point third quarter — a Memphis franchise-record low for an opponent in any quarter. “A lot of it was pride,” Griz point guard Mike Conley said. “We felt the grumbling in the stands. We were embarrassed.”
• John Rohde of The Oklahoman: The arrivals of guards Derek Fisher and Ronnie Brewer broke some of the mid-season monotony that often coincides with the dog days of January and February in the NBA. The team's first outing with the new arrivals in uniform was a 119-74 romp over the New Orleans Hornets (20-39), who were incredibly shorthanded without rookie center Anthony Davis (sprained shoulder) and guard Eric Gordon (rest). The 45-point victory matches the Thunder's largest of the season (114-69 over Charlotte on Nov. 26) and marks the first time since 1994 the SuperSonics/Thunder franchise posted back-to-back victories by 30-plus points. OKC (42-15) defeated Chicago 102-72 on Sunday. Brewer started the fourth quarter and finished with five points and two steals. Fisher did not score in 20½ minutes, shot 0 for 4 (all from 3-point range) and has two assists. Asked if the presence of Fisher and Brewer might end up being better than even he anticipated, Thunder coach Scott Brooks said: “I knew what we were getting with Fish, but it's definitely (that way) with Brewer. I still have to understand how he's going to fit in.”
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: The Suns had no business boarding a plane with a stunning 105-101 victory Wednesday night at San Antonio. They were playing overtime games on consecutive nights against a team with an 18-game home winning streak. They entered the fourth quarter trailing by 10 after rallying to win twice all season on the road. They were playing the Spurs, having previously gone 2-11 in the second games of back-to-back sets this season. And most improbable of all, Manu Ginobili was shooting a free throw with 3.7 seconds remaining and a Spurs three-point lead with no Suns time outs remaining. That is when Jeramine O’Neal, who posted his first 20-point, 10-rebound effort since before the Suns’ last win in San Antonio, did his best imitation of his favorite quarterback, Troy Aikman. O’Neal grabbed a Ginobili miss and hit Wes Johnson downcourt after Johnson streaked untouched from the free throw lane to the opposite wing. Johnson pivoted as he caught the ball and made the tying 3-pointer at the buzzer. It might not have won a game like he did with a buzzer-beater at Missouri in his first Big 12 game for Iowa State but it was more amazing, considering how he had been buried on the bench, how awful the Suns’ season has been and how it set up the Suns for a second overtime wins in two nights. They are Phoenix’s first consecutive wins since mid-December.
• Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: Shooting guard Dion Waiters has scored 25 or more points in his two previous games. He's the only rookie in the league to score at least 25 points in consecutive games this season. In the win over Chicago on Feb. 26, he had a team-high 25 points, two rebounds, one steal and one block in 36 minutes. Prior to Waiters, the most recent rookies to score 25 or more points in a victory over the Bulls in Chicago were Blake Griffin (December 2010), LeBron James (December 2003) and Carmelo Anthony (November 2003). Waiters continues to lead all Eastern Conference rookies in points per game (14.6), assists per game (3.1) and steals per game (1.0). Over the last five games, Waiters is averaging 19.8 points and is shooting 54.1 percent from the field (40 of 74).
• Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News: Brandon Knight's absence could create a convenient excuse if the Pistons wanted one for their porous perimeter defense since the All-Star break. It's been a parade of open shots — almost a virtual layup line all over the place as the Pistons have yielded more than 100 points in three of their four losses since returning from the break. When it was suggested to Pistons coach Lawrence Frank that Knight's defensive awareness was being missed on the perimeter, Frank would have none of it. "It has nothing to do with personnel, nothing to do with who's on the floor," said Frank at the Wednesday morning shoot-around at the Verizon Center, as the Pistons prepared to play the Wizards. "If you wanna write it, say it, but I'm telling you: no. Brandon's a good defender, but regardless of who's on the floor, everyone is capable of getting the job done." Jason Maxiell took the challenge personally in the third quarter of the Pistons' 96-95 victory Wednesday night, blocking four shots in his best activity in weeks.
• Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee: Patrick Patterson's accurate perimeter shooting is something the Kings hope to take advantage of as he becomes more acclimated to his new teammates in Sacramento. Kings coach Keith Smart said it will take the team's guards time to familiarize themselves with Patterson and where to find him on the floor. Wednesday was Patterson's third game with the Kings since he came to the team last Wednesday from Houston. "He does understand how to get to spacing spots on the floor," Smart said of the third-year power forward. "… He may not be in the area of the floor some of our other (forwards) have been. (Guards) have to keep an eye on him. He understands spacing very, very well." The Kings entered Wednesday's game against the Orlando Magic shooting 43.9 percent, 23rd in the NBA. Patterson's accurate shooting (51.7 percent this season) should aid that and create better scoring chances for his teammates.
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: With an impressive victory over the Jazz Wednesday, the Hawks have won three to start a six-game road trip. Suddenly a much-better-than-.500 excursion is a real possibility. The Hawks led by as many as 20 points and held off a late rally en route to a 102-91 victory over the Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Al Horford was at the center of the victory as he scored 16 of the Hawks’ 20 fourth-quarter points on the way to a career-high 34 points. “He was big,” coach Larry Drew said. “We were running plays for him. When the shot wasn’t there he was passing the ball. He got everything within our offense. The guys were doing a good job of finding him. He is really playing at a high level right now. I mean an extremely high level.” … The Hawks continue their season-long trip Friday against the Suns. They end the trip against the Lakers Sunday and the Nuggets Monday. “We will not be satisfied,” Drew said. “I will not allow them to be satisfied just getting these first three wins.”
• Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post: What George Karl does for his seven-figure income rivals the labor required of a mansion sitter, Bingo announcer or Vanna White. Beats working. This is not an angry demand the Nuggets find a better coach than Karl, or at least one who brings more energy than a nightly walk to the locker room and back at halftime. Instead, the peeps should ask: Where on earth can I get a job like that? Five-star hotels. Charter flights. Summer vacations that begin early, immediately after the first round of the NBA playoffs. This team is wrapped in powder blue and coddled by team management like spoiled grandchildren. The Nuggets are not a contender to win the NBA title this year, according to general manager Masai Ujiri. Oh. My. Gosh. Thanks for the breaking news. … There is much to like about Karl. He whipped cancer. Twice. He's a fascinating sports philosopher. Way back, almost a generation ago, he was stuck with Joe Barry Caroll and Ralph Sampson in the same Golden State locker room, yet avoided going insane. Karl has won more than 400 games for the Nuggets. Props to him. But know what might be even more amazing? Karl has won 50 of those games in retirement.
• John Canzano of The Oregonian: The only difference-maker Portland really needs is Terry Stotts. He's been here all year, and if owner Paul Allen and general manager Neil Olshey get Stotts some depth this summer and add some smart peripheral pieces, I'm convinced he'll be the Blazers coach who finally breaks through. Nate McMillan was at his best in 2009-10, overcoming an absurd run of injuries to finish with the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. But Stotts is staying relevant with a roster that was broken from Game 1, refusing to make excuses or join the rest of us in declaring this season done. Stotts lost again Wednesday, this time, 111-109 to a more dangerous, deeper, better NBA team that ran circles around the Blazers but could never quite get away. Yes, even after a loss, it's clear that Stotts is doing a terrific job. This season isn't headed to the playoffs. Nobody is going to hang a banner commemorating it. But we're witnessing the finest job of Blazers coaching in more than a decade, and Stotts very nearly pulled it off again against the Nuggets. Forget the playoff teams, forget the teams that won more games, and just look at the lineup and teaching that Stotts used to combat the 48-minute relay-race the Nuggets put on.

• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Once the Hawks started rolling, there was no stopping them. The Pistons offered little resistance any way. The Hawks built a 26-point lead and posted a 114-103 victory over the Pistons Monday night at The Palace at Auburn Hills. The victory moves the Hawks into a fourth-place tie with the Nets in the Eastern Conference. Al Horford continued his strong scoring efforts. He finished with 23 points and 22 rebounds, tying a career-high. It was the sixth straight game Horford has scored 20 or more points. Horford put an exclamation point on his effort by hitting a 3-pointer in the final minutes.
• Terry Foster of The Detroit News: There is an old saying that NBA teams don't feel sorry for teams filled with injuries. The Pistons were that team Monday night. They were without guards Brandon Knight and Will Bynum against the Hawks, who cruised past the Pistons, 114-103. Team officials announced about a half-hour before tip-off that Brandon Knight would miss his third straight game with a hyperextended right knee. Knight moved around gingerly during the game-day shoot-around and did not appear ready to play. He wanted to see, however, how he felt at game time. They also were without Bynum, who was suspended a game for hitting Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough. "Nobody feels sorry for you," Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said.
• Michael Lee of The Washington Post: A league source confirmed a published report that the Wizards were close to completing a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers at the trade deadline that would haveresulted in a reunion with Caron Butler. NBA.com’s David Aldridge reported that the Wizards and Clippers had agreed to a swap of Butler for Trevor Ariza late Wednesday night but Clippers owner Donald Sterling rejected the deal because he didn’t want to disrupt the chemistry of a 40-18 team that currently has the third-best record in the Western Conference, or risk upsetting Chris Paul, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Butler spent four and a half seasons in Washington, making two all-star appearances and earning the nickname “Tuff Juice” as a member of a high-scoring trio with Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. The Wizards dealt Butler to Dallas at the trade deadline in February 2010 to begin the rebuilding process after President Ernie Grunfeld finally decided to break up the team after the Arenas gun incident.
• Robert MacLeod of the Globe and Mail: If the Raptors (23-34) hope to make a serious run they cannot afford to put up ragged displays like Monday’s against the Wizards (18-37), who walked away with a 90-84 victory. It was an excruciating night of basketball, especially on behalf of the Raptors, who seemed to be listless participants playing without any sense of urgency. “Why we wouldn’t have that at this time of year, and for what we’re fighting for and scratching for and what we’ve been through is shocking to me,” an upset Casey said afterward. Toronto had defeated Washington 96-88 last week, but was flat during a tepid opening half, as the Wizards opened up a 40-32 lead. … The Raptors now have 25 games remaining in the regular season, 13 against teams that currently sport sub-.500 records. Not an impossible task, but not an easy one, either. “So we got a tough row to hoe,” Casey said.
• Eric Koreen of the National Post: So, where does that leave Colangelo? In lieu of a franchise superstar — and Gay is not at that level — the person in charge of moulding the roster is arguably the most integral man in any basketball organization. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment will have three options: pick up the third-year option on Colangelo’s contract; offer Colangelo an extension beyond next year; or decline to pick up the option, effectively firing him. But, as Casey noted, this is what was promised before the year. You might disagree with some of the decisions that have been made along the way, such as the Gay trade or the contract extension given to DeMar DeRozan, but this team has done what was expected as a whole, even if there have been some individual disappointments. When the Raptors traded a pick nearly assured to be in the lottery for Lowry, they knew a late-lottery pick in this weak draft was the probable result. They were OK about that price. More than likely, how you feel about Colangelo, and by extension the Raptors’ direction, depends almost entirely on how you felt before this season. It is not clear if the people in charge of MLSE share this belief, though, so nights like Monday cannot help Colangelo’s cause.
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: He began the five-game road trip in Denver with a 2-for-14 shooting night, vowing afterward to be better. Last night Paul Pierce ended his largely uneven journey with a Tour de Truth performance, saving his best for last in the Celtics’ 110-107 overtime victory against the Jazz. After missing a twisting 19-footer at the buzzer in regulation, the captain clanged no more. He made all three of his shots in the extra frame, scoring seven of the Celts’ 13 points and finishing with 26. Asked about the perfect punctuation to Pierce’s up-and-down trip, Doc Rivers said, “He had an up-and-down game tonight. He was struggling, and then all of a sudden he just kind of reached down. “He’s just a great player, and that’s what great players do. He was exhausted, and you could just see it. He just reached down and grabbed it from somewhere and made shots for us. We needed it. We wouldn’t have won without that.”
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: It is the common perception that the Celtics dressing room is a healing commune where those of questionable basketball reputation can be saved. A Lourdes of leaping, if you will. So as the Celts return home today with Terrence Williams and Jordan Crawford — two players who would not have been available to them were it not for concerns about their approach to the game and the fact they did not entirely please previous employers — there is the expectation among some, and hope among others, that regularly observing Kevin Garnett and breathing the same air will improve their focus and make them better teammates. The newest C’s have the opportunity to either prove the perceptions a lie or rip off the old tags and begin anew. Pierce knows that altering the career course of another adult may be quite a bit to ask, but he also recognizes it’s part of his job as captain and accomplished veteran. “I think you just try to feel things out with new guys,” he said. “I mean, at this point in the season you usually get a chance to talk to guys in practice, but there’s not a lot of practice time.”
• Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News: Al Jefferson was trying to pick up his first victory ever against the team that drafted him in 2004 with the 15th pick. With Monday’s loss, he’s now 0-11 against the Celtics. Jefferson was traded to Minnesota along with four other players in July 2007 for Kevin Garnett, who teamed with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to win an NBA title in 2007. Jefferson downplayed his connection to Boston after Monday’s shootaround, but he talked about playing against Garnett, who was traded for Jefferson and four other players in July of 2007. When asked about a “rivalry” with Garnett, Jefferson said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a rivalry. KG loves to compete. I love to compete. If you don’t stand up for yourself and hit him back, he’s going to be dogging you all night. It’s nothing personal, just basketball.’’
• Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: The Nuggets were flying above the Lakers like they were playing Quidditch. Dunk! Dunk! Dunk! "Our running game was sensational, and I think we put enough defense into the game," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "I think anytime we play the Lakers, it's a speed-versus-size game, even without Pau Gasol. I thought our guys had the extra engine to play as many minutes in the 48 that you can play fast." The Nuggets average an NBA-best 56.8 points in the paint, but with 4:27 left in the third quarter — yes, the third quarter — Denver notched its 58th point in the paint. Denver finished with those 78. The Pepsi Center, as it is against the Lakers, was also sort of like the Staples Center. Hundreds of Lakers fans, even a couple who weren't obnoxious, took over certain sections of the arena, creating an intense, playoff atmosphere in mid-February. But the Nuggets fed off it. The Nuggets entered the night a jaw-dropping 23-3 at home — only the Spurs, at 22-2, had a better home record in the conference. And the Nuggets entered Monday winners of eight consecutive home games.
• Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: Big picture, the Lakers have still gone 11-5 since the day of their clear-the-air team meeting in Memphis. But the feel-good sentiments were contrasted Monday night by some ongoing cold – or should that be "old"? – realities for this Lakers team. The Lakers were as slow as ever in letting the Denver Nuggets blow by them. Final score: Denver 119, Los Angeles 108. Fast-break points? Denver 33, Los Angeles 3. "Man," Kobe Bryant said, "that's a killer." The Lakers are last in the NBA in points allowed per game off turnovers, and that's just how Denver took control of this game – also running off Bryant's early missed shots. The Nuggets kept control with Dwight Howard shooting 3-for-14 on free throws and Bryant's individual defensive effort lacking even as he rediscovered his shooting stroke. Howard's free-throw shooting is still a major concern for the Lakers, even as his effort has improved in recent games.
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley continues to be quite a steal. Conley became the franchise’s all-time steals leader Sunday when he passed Rudy Gay during a 76-72 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Already holding the Grizzlies’ single-season record for total steals (144 in 2010-11), Conley is on pace to also shatter that mark. He ranks first in the NBA with 119 total steals in front of Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (115). Conley will break his own record if he simply grabs one steal in each of the Grizzlies’ remaining 27 regular-season games. … There’s incentive in front of Conley, too. His career-high average of 2.3 steals per game this season ranks second in the league behind Paul (2.5). If Conley continues on this pace, he’ll again earn a contract bonus for ranking among the league’s top five in thievery.

• Chris Paul, James Harden, LeBron James, Kenneth Faried and Joakim Noah. Would make sense as a most entertaining team, but it's actually presented as a guess at the NBA's smartest players. Kind of like the honor roll students who are also fun at a party.
• Ten teams, five in each conference, are not only out of the playoff picture entirely, but have nothing left to play for this year. This is a problem with the NBA schedule. Other than Kyrie Irving highlights, the trade deadline is likely the season's last excitement for fans of the Pistons, Wizards, Cavaliers, Magic, Bobcats, Blazers, Timberwolves, Hornets, Suns and Kings.
• Hugh Hefner might not be the best source, after all, of Jerry Buss anecdotes.
• Kevin Pelton's cold, hard facts analysis is that if the Lakers were forced to choose between Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant, they'd have to choose Howard because of age.
• The Maloofs are on the wrong end of a lot of jokes in the NBA today. Here's one on Craig's List.
• Couldn't lots of teams use Marcin Gortat?
• Fab Melo, I am sorry for you that it was caught on camera when you, a player with a reputation for being hefty, broke a folding chair a few months ago merely by sitting on it. I'm even sorrier the NBA is promoting that video on its YouTube Channel.
• Rockets figured out something powerful, which is underscored in these highlights: Shoot a ton of 3s and hit just about all of them, and everything is peachy.
• Shawn Kemp dunked HARD on Alton Lister, and Lister's wife was pissed.
• Ethan Sherwood Strauss on WarriorsWorld: "I laughed at all of you who dared suggest that Bogut’s return would screw up team chemistry. Sneered, even. And yet, his return has coincided with a 6-game losing streak that only, mercifully ended against the horrid Phoenix Suns."
• Nikola Pekovic, most powerful man in the NBA?
• Things have always been a little tense between Andre Miller and the Nuggets.
• According to the Pacers' GM on Twitter, Danny Granger won't be going anywhere.