ESPN NBA

There's no arguing: People like Damian Lillard's game.

I'm one of them.

Hell yes I feel the urge to honor that guy, and, as a Blazer fan, to keep him at all costs. Lillard reminds me in different ways of all kinds of amazing young players. One is Kobe Bryant, for perfect work ethic seemingly out of the womb, to pair with unwavering confidence. He reminds me of young Kevin Durant; both were high-scoring Pacific Northwest prospects who basketball people declared to be nearly perfect, even as they posted rookie season PERs barely above the league average. Lillard also has elements of Damon Stoudamire, who did the heavy lifting of bringing hope and buckets as a rookie, all season long, to a team that sorely needed both.

Lillard excels at the things our eyes are best at appreciating -- essentially, highlight scores. He's bad on defense, so-so at seeing the floor and moving without the ball. But those elements of the game aren't exactly putting butts in seats. We tune in for the big makes, and he's a big maker. He is also durable as hell and may well become the first rookie to ever lead the league in minutes played tonight.

Lillard also may have a game that meets the moment. Nowadays referees and the rulebook are generally on the side of protecting high-speed, high-scoring ball-handlers.

I just looked up on Basketball-Reference rookies who, like Lillard, played a lot of minutes and scored a lot of points, but didn't have the highest PERs. I was wondering: Did those guys tend to go on to become much more efficient over time?

And the answer is they almost all had good careers, and especially lately some have been great: Names like Derrick Rose, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are on that list.

Lillard might be on that path. Who doesn't enjoy seeing greatness in the making?

Zach Lowe and Kevin Pelton are among the smart, analytics-based guys picking Lillard.

I'm OK with simply stopping the analysis there. Maybe Lillard does what we want rookies to do, period. Maybe we invented the Rookie of the Year award to give to players like him.

That's fine. Give the man his prize.

But.

Well, you read what Ethan Sherwood Strauss had to say about this (Insider) and explain to Anthony Davis what he should have done better.

You're saying, essentially: PER ain't perfect.

OK, I hear that.

Let's talk about John Hollinger's PER for a second. That's the best-known of the many advanced stats where Davis dusts Lillard. Davis has the 15th-best PER in the NBA, up there around with All-Stars. Lillard is 99th, between Pau Gasol's nightmare season and Will Bynum.

I'm not asking you to take PER, or even stats, as gospel. What I know, though, is that it's exceptional for players to make big leaps in PER. So if Davis is way ahead now, even while he's much younger, Lillard is fighting long odds to think he'll catch up or surpass Davis.

I also know there are ways, but only limited ways, to be an amazing player without showing up well in PER (see Shane Battier).

But those things are almost impossible for someone with a game like Lillard's. PER and the box score know scorers like Lillard -- makes, misses, free throws, 3s -- it's all tidily charted. PER's known limitations, in fact, come more on the things where Davis plays:

• By PER founder John Hollinger's own admission the box score knows almost nothing about defense. Lillard's biggest fans admit he's a bad defender. Davis, interestingly, was drafted to anchor the defense and hasn't really done that yet. But if PER were overhauled to include some magical defensive metric, it would widen the gap in favor of Davis.
• Among stat geeks, PER's most vocal critics are people like David Berri and Wayne Winston, who have both shed copious amounts of ink laying into PER. But at the core of their critique is an accusation that PER perversely rewards players who shoot too much. Players like Lillard, they would argue, are getting artificial bumps from PER.

I've also seen the claim that PER favors big men. This one is tricky, and I'm not sure if it's true. This year's top 10 in PER features eight guards or small forwards and two big men. Certainly Berri's competing measure favors big men far more than PER does. Not to mention: basketball favors big men. There's a reason everyone is bigger in the NBA than at every lesser level of the game.

But that PER omits most defense and omits almost none of a scorer's abilities is irrefutable. That's a stat built to make Lillard look good, which puts Lillard-style players like Westbrook, Dwyane Wade and James Harden in the top 10.

That such a stat is making Lillard look bad compared to Davis is eye-opening.

The real and true evidence-based argument for Lillard would be the sheer weight of his total contributions. Respect the brute power of big numbers! Lillard may not have helped as much per minute, but he helped for about 1,300 more minutes.

All true. And precisely why Hollinger developed a measure called Value Added. This is where you basically take a player's PER and then multiply all that by minutes played.

You can probably see the punchline coming. With fewer than two-thirds of Lillard's time on the court, with a measure that most experts say would favor Lillard's game to his own, Davis still has the better total Value Added on the season. And it's not all that close -- Davis is 35th in the league, Lillard 46th.

If we're talking about which player delivered the most useful work to his team this season, there is no case for Lillard over Davis.

But is that what we're talking about when we talk about Rookie of the Year?

• Phil Collin of the Los Angeles Daily News: One teammate uttered the words "bionic nan." Kobe Bryant has taken to calling Metta World Peace "Logan," the character in "Wolverine." Whatever Metta Madness is flowing through his veins, it looks like World Peace will return to the Lakers lineup tonight, 12 days after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. A medical miracle? Not really, World Peace said. He was itching to play the moment he was asked by Dr. Steve Lombardo if he could put weight on the leg, and he hopped out of bed and did so only hours after the operation ."As long as he didn't have to stitch anything together, I couldn't do anything to (further damage) it," World Peace said Monday after going through 3-on-3 workouts. "I was in great shape. The doc said he was surprised my knee was in such great shape playing 14 years in the NBA and always in a defensive stance. "When I heard all that, it wasn't like I was trying to come back to be a Superman. I figured I've just got to play through pain and it will get better as time goes." … Guard Steve Nash, who was "super optimistic" about a return last Friday, remains doubtful with a hamstring strain.
• Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald: The last thing the Bulls need with six games left in the regular season is to roll back downhill with their health concerns, but that appears to have happened. Joakim Noah returned to the court Sunday against Detroit after missing eight games to rest chronic plantar fasciitis in his feet. Noah played well (13 points, 7 rebounds in 21 minutes), but his feet didn't react well Monday morning, according to coach Tom Thibodeau. "Jo had a little bit of a setback. We'll see. We'll see where he is," Thibodeau said after practice at the Berto Center. There's no telling if or when Noah might be back to normal this season. It seems unlikely he'll play Tuesday when the Bulls host Toronto. While most injuries slowly improve, plantar fasciitis patients often talk about how the ailment is so unpredictable. Thibodeau said Noah felt good after Sunday's game.
• Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: While the rest of the NBA community is busy speculating about the future of LeBron James and how the Heat plans to navigate the new salary cap, Pat Riley is thinking long-term about how special the run of this Heat team can become. Speaking with reporters at the Heat’s “Family Fest” on Sunday, Riley pointed to models of success the NBA considers some the best in its history as the ultimate goal for the Heat while also reminding the city to enjoy this “special time.” “I just want to keep helping them, keep bringing in more pieces that are going to complement them and hope we can have one of those 10-year rides, you know,” Riley said. “You think about every team, through the Celtics in the ’60s and the Lakers in the ’80s and the Bulls and then again the Spurs, those guys have been together eight, nine, 10 years and if we can keep this group together for eight, nine, 10 years, then we’re all going to have some fun.” And then a piece of advice. “So, don’t ever take it for granted,” he said. Already this season the Heat has won 27 games in a row, the most in franchise history and the second most in the history of the NBA. Now the team is on the verge of another milestone. A victory Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks would give the Heat 61 victories, which would tie the franchise’s record for a single season.
• Howard Beck of The New York Times: This streak brings its own questions: Is the new, efficient Smith here to stay, or will he revert to bad habits under postseason duress? Can Anthony keep scoring at this rate when defenses target him during the playoffs? Can the Knicks make the finals with a merely average defense? Does their defense have another gear? What happens to the chemistry if Amar’e Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace and Kurt Thomas return? And most curious of all: After months of mediocrity, where did this Knicks team come from? “It’s April, I guess,” Anthony said. “It’s April. It’s time to go.”
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: The one thing people would never accuse Mike Conley of is being flashy. He tends to appear conservative — on and off the court. But that is starting to change — at least on the floor — where Conley’s offensive game suddenly has a lot of bling-bling to it. The Griz have increasingly relied on Conley to carry a heavier offensive load, particularly late in games, and it’s allowed him to shine. It’s a dramatic transformation for a point guard who had been content with being a passive piece of the puzzle for most of his six-year career. Conley enters Tuesday night’s game against the Charlotte Bobcats having scored at least 20 points in each of the past four games. That’s the longest streak by any Grizzlies player this season. Relatively speaking, Conley is in the proverbial zone as a scorer. “I’m really comfortable right now,” Conley said. Coach Lionel Hollins seems impressed yet not surprised by Conley’s maturation. “He’s just a more confident player,” Hollins said.
• John Reid of The Times-Picayune: Although they got into an apparent shouting match during a timeout in last Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Hornets Coach Monty Williams and guardEric Gordon both appear to have moved past the conflict. But Williams said he's not going to stop pushing Gordon to improve his overall play, especially during the final five games of the season. Against the Jazz, Williams did not put Gordon back into game after they apparently got into shouting match. Williams was visibly agitated, yelling in Gordon’s direction when he apparently didn’t think Gordon was hustling enough. Assistant coach Randy Ayers stepped in front of Williams to calm him, after Gordon hollered back at him. “He’s a dynamic guard, that’s why I push him,’’ said Williams, who plans to start Gordon for the second consecutive since the incident on Tuesday night when the Hornets play the Lakers at the Staples Center. “I’m not going to allow him to settle for where he is in his career right now. He’s got to get better. If he gets better, he should be an All-Star someday.’’ Gordon admitted the conflict was a heat of the moment situation that shouldn't be blown out of proportion. “It got very heated in the moment, but I’m not letting none of that get to me,” Gordon said. “I’m just out here, still trying to play.”
• Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal: As Kyrie Irving continues to shrink away from any public platform, Tristan Thompson is embracing his role as a spokesman — and he’s backing it up with his play on the court, too. “Just being myself, just being a natural leader and speaking up if I see something is wrong,” Thompson said after the victory Sunday against the Magic. “Just recently y’all have been coming to me, and I’ve been speaking, so I guess you can say I’ve been a leader.” Because of the position he plays and his immense talent, Irving remains the floor leader. But twice in the past week Irving has been given the opportunity to take a stand publicly and twice he declined.
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: If there was any lingering doubt, Timberwolves forward Kevin Love’s season officially is over, but it’s not just because of that healing shooting hand. Love will have arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue in his left knee later this week. Love will consult with two surgeons on Wednesday at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery: He’ll see his hand doctor for a checkup on that right hand he has broken twice this season and also will consult with knee surgeon Dr. David Altchek, who probably will perform the operation that same day. Love’s left knee has bothered him much of the season, but it has grown more painful in recent days as he ramped up workouts for a possible return yet this season. He told team doctors after games in December that his hip was hurting him, and Wolves doctors concluded that the problem was connected to his knee pain. David Kahn, Timberwolves president of basketball operations, called the arthroscopic surgery “minor” and said he expects Love to resume his normal summer workouts in Los Angeles by early June after a season in which he has played just 18 games.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: Larry Sanders has plenty of competition for the most improved player honor, and he's also in the conversation for the defensive player of the year award. New Orleans' Greivis Vasquez, Houston's Omer Asik, Philadelphia's Jrue Holiday, Orlando's Nikola Vucevic and Indiana's Paul George are garnering support for the most improved award, voted on by 122 journalists who cover the NBA. … Several detailed analytical studies support Boylan's view. And a mere glance at last season's statistics shows Sanders played in 52 games without any starts and a total of 643 minutes, while this season he has started 53 of 69 games and played 1,892 minutes, an average of 27.4 minutes. This is the second consecutive year the Bucks have put a player in contention for the award. Ersan Ilyasova finished second to Orlando's Ryan Anderson for the most improved honor in 2011-'12. … The Bucks designed a public relations campaign featuring a colorful set of blocks to promote Sanders' candidacy for the most improved player and defensive player of the year awards. Sanders led the league in blocks for much of the season until recently being passed by last year's rejections leader, Serge Ibaka of Oklahoma City. Ibaka is averaging 3.07 blocks to Sanders' 2.9.
• Michael Lee of The Washington Post: John Wall was unaccustomed to having a teammate challenge him, but in hindsight, he couldn’t disagree with anything that Okafor told him: Wittman had to go with someone else if he was ineffective and Wall has to trust that the coach is doing what was in the best interest of the team, which should always come first. … What followed after the encounter has been the best basketball of Wall’s young career. Beginning with the next game on March 1 against the New York Knicks – the Wizards’ opponent on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden – the third-year point guard has been on a statistical tear that has changed perceptions of his career and shown that his talents are no longer stagnating. In his past 21 games, Wall is averaging 22.7 points, 7.9 assists and 4.9 rebounds and has recorded 10 games with at least 20 points, three games of 35 or more, and seven double-doubles. In that time, only LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are averaging at least 22 points, seven assists and 4.9 rebounds. “I think I really had to grow. Get my teammates back behind me. Because that’s not the way you’re supposed to come out as a leader and as a franchise guy,” Wall said of his attitude the night of the argument with Okafor.
• John Rohde of The Oklahoman: With Sunday's 125-120 victory over the Thunder, New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is now 11-1 all-time against Kevin Durant in NBA games where both have played. Durant's lone head-to-head victory against Anthony came in a 151-147 double-overtime contest at KeyArena on April 6, 2008, which means Durant has yet to defeat Anthony while with the Thunder. Anthony did not play in OKC's 95-94 victory at New York on March 7 this season. Against Durant, Anthony has averaged 30.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from 3-point range and 84.8 percent from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Durant has averaged 26.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 42.2 percent from the floor, 38.3 percent from 3-point range and 89.1 percent from the free-throw line.
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: Dirk Nowitzki doesn’t want it to end like this. Slugging it out for the eighth seed — or more likely missing the playoffs — is bad enough once. Or twice. In the autumn of his NBA career, he wants more. And while he has no problem putting pressure on ownership to find some high-quality warriors to play alongside him, Nowitzki also is OK taking on his share of the workload off the court. He’s ready to hit the recruiting trail. “I’ve said it all year long — this is a big summer for us,” Nowitzki said. “We have to get better. We have to get some guys in that can get us back to the top level. We want to be a top-four seed in the West. That was always our goal, to play for the top. So this is a big summer. If [owner Mark Cuban] needs me to recruit and do all that stuff, I’m more than happy to.” Will it be enough to woo a marquee free agent or finagle a sign-and-trade? Nobody knows for sure. But it can’t hurt.
• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star: What if? What if the Raptors hadn’t screwed up so many years ago when they had the chance to hire Hammond? What if they hadn’t blown it by going through a ridiculous process of whittling a large group to four only to say they were going to open up the process again only to come back to the same four and eventually picking Rob Babcock. The four — Babcock, Jeff Weltman, Mark Warkentien and Tony DiLeo (remember that Gang of Four?) —were basically underwhelming at that time and that the Raptors — and I am pointing a finger directly at Richard Peddie — didn’t even deign to interview Hammond, who was the No. 1 man to Joe Dumars in Deroit at the time, was a shocking blown opportunity. John wanted the job and deserved to have a shot at it; the short-sightedness of Peddie and his people set the franchise back years, so far that they might still be digging out almost a decade later.
• Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis and Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee: Beverly Hills billionaire Ron Burkle, a driving force for the past two years in trying to keep the Kings from leaving town, will not invest in the team or the proposed Downtown Plaza arena, Mayor Kevin Johnson announced Monday afternoon. Facing questions over a conflict of interest, Burkle instead will focus on redeveloping other portions of Downtown Plaza. "He's so committed to Sacramento," the mayor said, adding that he spoke with Burkle on Monday. "There's a host of ancillary development opportunities that Ron will participate in." … Johnson insisted that Burkle's new role would not deflate the effort to keep the Kings from going to Seattle, and said other investors would pick up the financial slack. He did not give specifics.
• Marcus Thompson II of The Oakland Tribune: The Warriors have a get-well game Tuesday against visiting Minnesota, which is 18 games under .500. A win coupled with a loss by Utah or the Los Angeles Lakers would clinch the Warriors' first postseason bid since 2007. But success against the Timberwolves won't answer an emerging concern. If you let Utah, a bad road team on the cusp of missing the playoffs, shut down Curry and the Warriors offense at the most critical of times, will Golden State be able to score in the postseason? Sunday night was less an anomaly and more like a trend. The Warriors have lost seven of their last 10 games against winning teams, including Sunday's home loss to Utah. In those 10 games, the Warriors averaged 22.4 fourth-quarter points. That includes a 17-point fourth quarter in a blowout of visiting New York, but finding offense against stiff defenses has been a major problem. … Jackson likes having Jack on the floor, so the three-guard lineup isn't going anywhere. That makes sense considering the way Jack has played this season. Jack is more secure with the ball than Curry, and defenses have aggressively double-teamed Curry late in games, something harder to do when he's playing off the ball. This quandary will continue into the postseason when the defenses step up a notch and coaching chess matches ensue. Because, no doubt, as goes Curry, so goes Golden State.
• Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune: Well, this ought to be a good story. Jazz forward DeMarre Carroll tweeted Monday afternoon that he broke the rim during a pickup game at Life Time Fitness, an athletic club in South Jordan. There have been plenty of classic backboard breaking moments [this is a solid compendium] but the whole library doesn't quite seem complete without footage of Carroll's. Does anybody have it? Carroll, 26, averages 16 minutes per game in 64 appearances this season. He is a pending free agent, but even if he ends up leaving it's unlikely it will be without recounting the story of the time he broke the backboard at Life Time Fitness. Stay tuned.

• 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.”

• 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."

NEW ORLEANS -- First came the game jersey. Then the right wristband, followed by the left. With the fans still begging for more spoils, Chris Paul kicked off his shoes, one going into the scrum of fans crushing the barricade cordoning off the baseline section, the other to a kid in the corner section.

New Orleans is an undeniably permissive city, but Paul now wearing nothing more than an undershirt, red shorts and black socks. With little else to peel off, the strip tease was over. The point guard shuffled through the tunnel of his erstwhile home arena to savor the Los Angeles Clippers’ 105-91 win over the New Orleans Hornets.

Back in the Clippers’ locker room, not one of Paul’s teammates had hit the showers. Everyone was glued to the mounted flat screen, watching the Miami Heat try to preserve their 27-game winning streak against the Chicago Bulls. Aside from a few, ahem, gentlemen’s bets, no Clippers expressed a loyalty either way -- but when there’s a sexy event happening in your industry, it’s impossible not to be captivated.

“You’re not rooting for anyone,” Clippers guard Jamal Crawford said. “It’s just exciting basketball.”

Paul ambled over to his locker at the far end of the room, where he was swarmed by local media. It’s been 15 months since the Hornets dealt their franchise player to Los Angeles, but there’s still mutual allegiance between Paul and New Orleans.

“Just being here, seeing all these familiar faces, I miss it,” Paul said. “No question about it. I miss the people here. My pastor was sitting on the baseline. My old chef, my barber, everybody. This is my family.”

The Clippers came into New Orleans still smarting from their previous night’s overtime loss in Dallas. The team didn’t play poorly against the Mavericks. The process was fairly clean, but the results simply weren’t there.

For most of the season, the Clippers have made defenses pay for the kind of aggressive traps Dallas deployed against Paul. The Clippers have plenty of releases in their offense to counter that kind of pressures -- a pass from Paul to a teammate at the top of the circle, who then quickly hits a shooter along the arc. But few of those open looks fell in Dallas.

That wasn’t the case Wednesday night, as the Clippers lit up the Hornets’ pack-the-paint defense from beyond the arc, draining 13 of 29 attempts from long range.

“Down the stretch tonight they tried to trap,” Paul said. “But tonight we were able to make them pay. Blake [Griffin] found Matt [Barnes] in the corner for the dagger.”

Process, meet result: Barnes had a similarly clean look on Tuesday night during a crucial late possession in overtime that could’ve tied the game, but it didn’t catch rim. On Wednesday, Barnes was able to hush a crowd in New Orleans that heckled him relentlessly.

Paul finished with 16 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals, but his floater during the final two minutes gave the Clippers a 10-point lead and effectively iced the game.

Griffin arrived in New Orleans a little down. Over his previous three games, Griffin recorded as many turnovers as field goals (10) and shot 31.3 percent from the floor. He’d been a reasonably decent facilitator from the high post, but Griffin needs some red meat in his on-court diet (not off, where he’s a stickler for healthy stuff), and the aggressiveness hadn’t been there.

On Wednesday, Griffin stormed back, undeterred by a skilled young defender in Anthony Davis and big man Ryan Anderson. Griffin said he was disappointed with a couple of easy misses, but his output was solid -- 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field and a 7-for-8 night from the stripe.

“I was much more aggressive,” Griffin said. “A lot of times I don’t want to force things. A lot of times, I want to be a facilitator in games. I need to pick and choose my areas a little bit better.”

At times, Griffin sees himself as a finesse player in a power body. It’s a delicate balance, but the power trumped the finesse for much of Wednesday night. When the Hornets showed high on a pick-and-roll in the first quarter, Griffin slipped to the basket without hesitation, catching the pass en route to finish strong. That possession ignited Griffin, who attacked the basket with a renewed commitment to bullyball.

On a night when both the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets lost, the Clippers moved back into the No. 3 slot in the Western Conference. And while a win over a lottery-bound team shouldn’t beget too much satisfaction, this is a Hornets team that dispatched both Memphis and Denver over the past week.

As the Heat’s winning streak was officially snapped while Griffin addressed the media, the power forward recalled the Clippers’ 17-game winning streak in December and the invincibility a team feels when it’s ripping off wins like that.

“In the middle of it, it just feels like you can’t lose,” Griffin said. “You have confidence that you can win any game you’re in.”

The Clippers head to Texas for a back-to-back with San Antonio and Houston, in search of a restored sense of fearlessness they carried with them less than three months ago.

• Andre C. Fernandez of The Miami Herald: The streak was threatened again. Could have fooled the Heat, which again turned a seemingly precarious situation into a victory in a matter of minutes. Even with Dwyane Wade sidelined for the second game in a row and LeBron James scoring only six points through 21/2 quarters, the Heat’s winning streak hit 27 games Monday night with a 108-94 win against the Magic at Amway Center. The Heat used a 13-0 run after finding itself tied at 68 with 2:59 left in the third quarter and scored 20 of the game’s next 22 points to pull away for good and move closer to the 1971-72 Lakers’ NBA-record 33-game winning streak and the Eastern Conference’s top seed. The Heat can clinch the conference’s top record Tuesday if the Knicks lose to the Celtics or by beating the Bulls on Wednesday in Chicago. The Heat also won its 13th consecutive road game, which is one away from matching its franchise record away from home and three away from matching those same Lakers for the longest road-winning streak in league history (16).
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: Perhaps no one on the Magic roster wanted to play against the Heat more than Arron Afflalo, one of Orlando's most competitive players. But an injury to his right hamstring prevented him from playing Monday and will keep him out the rest of the season. He suffered the injury during the Magic's loss Friday to the Oklahoma City Thunder. "I don't know if my leg was kind of turned inwards as I kind of reached down for the ball, but whatever movement I made caused me to have a slight tear in my muscle down there," Afflalo said. "Obviously, we didn't have that much time left in the season, so there'd be no way I could even get remotely back ready to play for one or two games." Afflalo is the Magic's leading scorer, averaging 16.5 points per game. He's also the team's leading shot-taker, attempting 14.1 shots per game. The team will treat his injury with rest and physical therapy, and on Monday he walked through Amway Center with a pronounced limp. He hopes that his injury will have a silver lining. He hopes the time off will allow other nagging injuries to heal fully, and he said he hopes to begin training for next season in about six to eight weeks.
• Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: New Orleans Hornets guard Brian Roberts may be the best 27-year rookie in the NBA. Robert played three years in Bamberg, Germany before making an NBA roster as a 26-year-old when he stuck with the Hornets following a nice showing in the Las Vegas Summer League. In only his second NBA start Monday night against the Denver Nuggets, who came into the game on a 15-game winning streak, Roberts exhibited the poise expected of a seasoned veteran, or at least one who has been through the rigors a a professional basketball season in the past. Roberts accumulated a career- and Hornets' season-high 18 assists against the Nuggets, drawing praise from veteran Denver Coach George Karl who said "That little kid played great; he passed as well as any one who has passed against us in a long time." That "little kid" might have earned his way back for a second stint next season based on Monday night's effort in relief of injured starter Greivis Vasquez.
• Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: It was over, garbage time, time for the no-names to check in -- when one realized the no-names were already in. The rebuilding Hornets, without their two top players, ended the Nuggets' 15-game win streak abruptly and abrasively, 110-86 on Monday, with guys such as Brian Roberts and Darius Miller having huge nights. Denver was disheartening. By halftime, Denver trailed 59-38 -- the 21-point halftime deficit was the Nuggets' largest of the season. … Folks are learning as much about Ty Lawson's importance when he's not playing as when he is. After a scorching couple of months, the point guard missed his third consecutive game with a heel bruise. In the previous two, Denver barely beat two lottery teams. And then the first half in New Orleans was atrociously abysmal (abysmally atrocious?). Fill-in starting point guard Andre Miller was minus-28, seldom getting Denver into a rhythm. It's been six days since Lawson injured the heel at Oklahoma City. Karl said Monday that it looked "tender." Lawson will get treatment and go through a light workout in San Antonio on Tuesday, as he aims for the big matchup against the Spurs on Wednesday. Sure, the streak was going end at some point. But like this?
• Phillip B. Wilson of The Indianapolis Star: Two more Indiana Pacers were affixed the dreaded “day-to-day” injury tag Monday as the starting backcourt of George Hill and Lance Stephenson sat out against Atlanta at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Hill, the starting point guard, is bothered by a left groin strain. Stephenson has a right hip flexor. The Pacers were also without starting forward David West (back strain) for a fifth consecutive game and 2009 NBA All-Star forward David Granger, who has played just five games as a reserve due to a seasonlong knee problem. “George’s is probably more serious than Lance’s,” Vogel said before the game. “(Hill) still has a good chance of playing on Wednesday, (but) they’re more concerned with his groin than they are Lance’s hip.” The Pacers are about to embark on a four-game trip with the first stop Wednesday at Houston. “David is going to be still day-to-day,” Vogel said. “There’s an outside chance he could play Wednesday, but not 100 percent sure. And Danny as well. Those guys both could see action in Texas.” The Pacers started D.J. Augustin for Hill and Gerald Green for Stephenson. Vogel wanted Orlando Johnson to come off the bench. The plan had Sam Young spelling Paul George and Ben Hansbrough backing up Augustin.
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: This one was over early. Or was it? The Pacers were missing four starters. The Hawks were playing to clinch a postseason berth. All signs pointed to a blowout. That is exactly what happened, at least for much of the game, but it certainly didn’t go the way most would expect. It was the Pacers that led by as many as 28 points late in the third quarter. However, they had to hold on for dear life as a group of Hawks reserves nearly erased the entire deficit. In the end, it was a 100-94 Pacers victory Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Hawks (39-32) could have clinched a playoff berth, the team’s sixth straight, with a victory and a 76ers loss at the Jazz later Monday night. The loss dropped the Hawks into a tie with the Bulls, who own the tiebreaker, for sixth in the Eastern Conference. … The Hawks continue a four-game road trip, with a 1-1 mark, at the Raptors Wednesday.
• Brandon Parker of The Washington Post: As John Wall stepped to the free-throw line late in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game against Memphis, his new career high and the Wizards’ sixth straight home win in hand, faint chants of “M-V-P” arose within the Verizon Center. When asked about it later, the third-year guard shrugged off the praise. “Nah, I’m not no MVP, man,” Wall said with a grin. “I’m just glad to finally be able to play good, be healthy, help change things around. Like I said, if this team’s healthy from start to finish, we’d easily be a playoff team. That’s how we feel.” With the way the Wizards have fallen prey to injuries, especially of late, that’s something fans will never know this season (Five players missed Monday’s game with injury or illness). But with the way Wall has played, especially of late, one can’t help but wonder “what if” about this resilient group. After recording a career-high 47 points in Washington’s 107-94 win against playoff-bound Memphis, Wall is now averaging 25 points and 9.3 assists during his past nine games. The Wizards have gone 6-3 during that stint and are now 21-16 since Wall’s return from a leg injury. … Wall has also shown patience with his jumper, steadily working to eliminate the hitch in his shot and add another dimension to a skill set built on speed and flash. By doing so, he also seems to be indirectly addressing the questions surrounding his value as a franchise and max-contract player.
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: Grizzlies guard Tony Allen exhaled with disappointment several times while standing in front of his station in the visitor’s locker room. For the second straight game, the Grizzlies didn’t look like themselves. Memphis played fast relative to its standard pace over the weekend and won. But the Griz were rendered defenseless Monday night and that led to a bad result in the form of a 107-94 loss to the Washington Wizards before 17,868 in the Verizon Center. “We need to decide what team we want to be,” Allen said, lamenting a belief that the Griz are beginning to play down to the level of their competition — especially on the road. The combination of Allen’s observation and Wizards guard John Wall’s offensive onslaught defined the Grizzlies in a not-so-flattering way. … The Griz, fifth in the Western Conference standings, are a game behind the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets for third and fourth place, respectively. “They deserved to win,” Hollins said. “They were the aggressors from the get go.”
• Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: Speaking from experience, Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin knows how difficult of a position some of his guys are in right now. Eight Jazz players will be free agents this summer — nine if Marvin Williams doesn’t exercise his player option for 2013-14 — and it's only natural to be affected by the unknown. Though he believes his players are usually able to tune out noise about the future, Corbin admitted it's possible that has played a small role in the team's recent struggles. "With this group, I like to say that they've been tremendous all year," Corbin said. "Right from the beginning of training camp, we talked about the number of free agents we had. Everybody keeps mentioning it. We tried to get the guys — as much as they could — to not worry about it as much, but it's been there." Corbin said it's been more evident since nobody was moved on the final day of player transactions Feb. 21. "Once the trade deadline was over and everybody realized we were going to be this way for the rest of the year, I think we relaxed a little bit," Corbin said of his team that was 3-11 since that deadline before Monday's 107-91 win over the 76ers.
• John Mitchell of The Philadelphia Inquirer: The inability to be consistent, something that has haunted the 76ers all season long, reared its ugly head again Monday night. One night after the lowest-scoring team in the NBA played with bounce in its stride, the sluggishness that has been a hallmark all season returned in an ugly 107-91 loss to the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. The Sixers (27-43) shot the ball poorly and never led. They trailed by 19 at the end of the third quarter. Utah, which began the night 11/2 games out of the final Western Conference playoff spot, led by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter. The loss came at the end of a four-game Western Conference road trip for the Sixers. It also came one night after they ended their road losing streak at 15 games.
• Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle: With 0.5 of a second still remaining on the first-half clock Monday night and his team trailing the Warriors by 23 points, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant walked off the court and headed dejectedly for the locker room. The message had been sent. "We've played 72 games, and the survey says that we're the better basketball team," Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said. "That cannot be debated. We were not going to come into this game on our heels. "We respect them. They've got some guys who are going to be in the Hall of Fame. ... But this is a different day, and we're a different basketball team." The Warriors can make those types of claims for the first time in nearly 20 years and now have more proof with Monday's 109-103 victory, during which they generally dominated the Lakers in front of the 25th consecutive sellout crowd at Oracle Arena.
• Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: The Lakers' hope was that Pau Gasol's return from injury would help them develop a consistently solid second unit. The Lakers figured to have enough depth that fill-in starter Earl Clark wouldn't even have regular minutes once Gasol got back to his usual level of conditioning. But the Lakers' depth was woefully lacking Monday night at Golden State with Antawn Jamison struggling to adjust to a sprained right wrist suffered last game and then starting small forward Metta World Peace not playing the second half because of a strained left knee. Welcome back, Earl. Shooting guard Jodie Meeks started the second half in World Peace's place. World Peace did return to the Lakers' bench before the fourth quarter, moving around some on the leg. The Lakers have Tuesday off before a back-to-back set at Minnesota on Wednesday and Milwaukee on Thursday. World Peace has been one of the few Lakers to avoid significant injuries this season, although Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said World Peace wasn't full strength in his lower body earlier this season and struggling to defend small forwards. Aside from the first half Monday night against Golden State exposing Gasol as moving very poorly in his second game back from the torn plantar fascia in his right foot, it showed again that the Lakers' second unit is heavily reliant on 3-point shots.

• Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is well-known for his shocking public statements regarding LeBron James. To that end, Wednesday’s latest bombshell should come as no surprise. Hours before the Heat was to play the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena, Gilbert took to Twitter with a message directed at Cavs fans: “Cleveland Cavaliers young talent makes our future very bright. Clearly, LeBron’s is as well. Time for everyone to focus on the road ahead.” Focus on what road ahead, exactly? The message served two purposes. First, it was a public plea for Cavaliers fans to go easy on James on Wednesday night rather than boo him unmercifully and chant stuff like, “Akron hates you.” Secondly, but more importantly, it was Gilbert’s way of extending an olive branch to James. James can opt out of his current contract in 2014, and it’s never too early to start courting the best player in the league. And, of course, here’s the cynical translation of Gilbert’s tweet: Please, for the love of God and my pocketbook — but mostly my pocketbook — cheer for LeBron tonight.” Don’t forget, that when Gilbert lost James to free agency in 2010, the Cavs’ owner lost bank-vaults worth of revenue potential.
• Bill Livingston of The Plain Dealer: If James does indeed return in 2014, when he can opt out of his Miami contract, it would take on overtones of the biblical story of the prodigal son. To many Cavs fans, it would only be good business to take a shortcut back to contention. To others, because of the way he surrendered on the court before leaving and the ugly tone of the television show in which he announced his defection, it would be the story of another, more sinister family. James would be Fredo, as described, after he betrayed the Corleone family in "The Godfather: Part II" by his brother Michael: "You're nothing to me. You're not a brother. You're not a friend. You broke [our] hearts." To these fans, it will always be personal. Most of all, in the Cleveland way, the way of Red Right 88 and The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, and Jose Mesa, it will always be about the next time. Someday, it will be their time, the time when the last game ends and there is no choice but to shine a light on a city that has waited for its close-up for almost a half-century.
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: This was not accidental death-by-dunk. No, LeBron James confirmed Wednesday that his power slam at the expense of Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry in the second quarter of Monday night's Miami Heat victory at TD Garden was very much with malice intended. Asked after the morning shootaround at Quicken Loans Arena if he had the opportunity to review the dunk, James nodded and said, "Yeah, I have, I have." He wasn't finished. No, not after Terry has taken opportunities while with both the Dallas Mavericks and now Celtics to launch verbal salvos at James' Heat, including when the Mavericks defeated the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. "It was one of my better ones," James said. "And the fact that it happened to J.T. made it even that much sweeter. Because I think we all know what J.T. talks, and he talks too much sometimes and I'm glad it happened to him." Asked for comment at Wednesday's Celtics shootaround in New Orleans, Terry told the media, "I'm not even commenting. No comment. Zero. I have none. A basketball play. My reaction was when the fans were cheering and I went up and knocked down the technical. That's a great reaction. Wasn't the first, won't be the last." James received a technical foul for his stare-down of Terry after the dunk.
• Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News: With Tim Duncan again anchoring the show — to the tune of 25 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four blocks — the Spurs sent the Warriors to their 29th consecutive loss in San Antonio, a string of futility dating to Valentine’s Day 1997. It wasn’t the most talked-about streak around the NBA, but it was one the Spurs (52-16) were satisfied to prolong. Combined with Oklahoma City’s overtime loss at Memphis, it left the Spurs 21/2 games ahead of the Thunder in the Western Conference race. … If there were any doubts whether Duncan could regain the form from before his Feb. 2 knee injury, the past three games have put them to rest. The 36-year-old is averaging 27.7 points, 14.7 rebounds, four assists, and 3.3 blocks over that stretch. “He’s an all-time great for a reason,” Mark Jackson said. After going 11 of 17 for his third straight game shooting above 60 percent, Duncan was asked to assess the state of his revived jump shot. “It doesn’t feel great, but it’s going in a little bit,” Duncan said.
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: It didn’t take long to discern the measure of intensity that would fill FedExForum on Wednesday night. Instead of going around a screen Griz center Marc Gasol set near mid-court, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook charged into Gasol and delivered a deliberate hockey-style check with his right shoulder. Gasol took umbrage and so did referee Michael Smith, who whistled Westbrook for a foul while players from both teams engaged in verbal jousting. And the game was less than two minutes old. The rivalry, however, dates back nearly three years when these teams bumped and grinded through a seven-game Western Conference semifinals series. The Griz actually hit first in this one. Memphis jumped out to an early 10-point lead and then Gasol delivered a knockout punch that allowed Memphis to get a 90-89 overtime victory before sellout crowd of 18,119. Gasol extended the Grizzlies’ home winning streak to nine games when he tipped in a Zach Randolph miss with 0.9 seconds left. Westbrook’s desperation heave was way off as the final buzzer sounded. “I just crashed the boards and got lucky,” Gasol said. “What does Tony (Allen) say: ‘Grit, grind?’ We definitely believe.”
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Jeff Teague made his statement. With so much talk about the Bucks’ guard combination of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, the Hawks guard had something to say about his game Wednesday night. Teague finished with 27 points and 11 assists as the Hawks held off the Bucks 98-90 at Philips Arena in a key Eastern Conference game. It was one point shy of Teague’s season- and career-high point total. The Hawks (38-30) won for the fourth time in five games and kept hold of the fifth spot in the conference playoff race. Teague was challenged by Player Development Instructor Nick Van Exel at halftime to pick up his energy and play. The guard responded with 12 points in a decisive third quarter. “C’mon,” is what Teague said Van Exel simply told him. “Me and him a little way we talk to each other. I knew what he meant.”
• Richard Walker of the Gaston Gazette: When the Charlotte Bobcats acquired Josh McRoberts last month, he was the throw-in on a no-risk trade deadline deal. When they signed Jannero Pargo last week, they were simply looking for a healthy body to back up starting point guard Kemba Walker. On Wednesday night, McRoberts and Pargo were more valuable than perhaps their team could’ve ever imagined in a 107-101 win over the Toronto Raptors that gives Charlotte its first winning streak since Nov. 19 and 21 – or way back when the Bobcats were off a franchise-record 6-4 start. “The journey’s been a long and tough one for our team,” said Charlotte coach Mike Dunlap, whose team has won three of its last five games, including three straight at Time Warner Cable Arena, to improve to 16-52. “But we’re playing hard and we’re playing together.”
• Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: New Orleans Hornets forward Anthony Davis has some Kobe Bryant in him. It is often said that the Lakers' legend plays best when he's not at 100 percent. Davis was far from 100 percent on Wednesday against the Boston Celtics, but told reporters after the game there was no way he was not going to play with what Coach Monty Williams had described as "a stomach issue." Davis said he nursed his energy throughout the day, sitting out the morning shoot-around, but managing to play 28 minutes Wednesday night. Davis' game-winning tip in of an Eric Gordon miss with 0.3 on the clock helped the Hornets snap a four-game losing streak with a win over a quality opponent. Davis had 9 points and 8 rebounds, along with two blocked shots and a steal. He is the unquestioned future of this franchise. … If there's an indispensible player this year, it's Ryan Anderson. Easily, the acquisition of Anderson over the summer in a sign-and-trade with the Orlando Magic was the Hornets best offseason move. Even though Anderson is just in his fifth NBA season, he plays with a veteran savvy that will help solidify the future of the team for the next few years.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: With a day off and orders to clear his mind, Jeremy Lin took the opportunity to head to the gym. He did change things up a bit. With Alicia Keys taking over Toyota Center, Lin found a different court and a few different teammates. But Lin’s idea of a day off included basketball. “It’s therapeutic,” he said. After Sunday’s 30-point loss to Golden State, he and the Rockets needed the therapy, so Lin spent a chunk of Monday launching jumpers and playing HORSE. When the Rockets reconvened at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Lin spent the night as if still goofing with his brother and buddies far from the cameras and lights. He repeatedly pierced the Utah Jazz defense, helping to drive the Rockets to a 26-point lead. And when the Jazz rallied in the fourth quarter, Lin knifed through them again, with one drive to a layup and another and a pass for a Chandler Parsons dunk that finally closed out the Jazz 100-93. Lin made eight of nine shots in the paint as the Rockets went from launching 3-pointers to beating the Jazz at the rim, and from a series of slow starts to a rapid bolt from the opening tip that set the tone for the game.
• Michael Lee of The Washington Post: The visiting locker room at US Airways Center was filled with the usual laughter and playful banter that comes following a victory, but the Washington Wizards’ celebration of a much-needed road win over the Phoenix Suns was tempered some by what was happening behind a glass window leading to the training room. There, rookie Bradley Beal sat with a white towel covering his head, left leg elevated as he received treatment on a troublesome ankle that he aggravated in the fourth quarter of the Wizards’ 88-79 win. “It’s tough for him,” forward Trevor Ariza said, looking back at the beleaguered Beal. “I feel bad for him that he has to go through this.” Beal will likely miss more time after his second gruesome landing this month; the latest coming during a near meltdown in which the Wizards let an 18-point lead get whittled down to just three points with about nine minutes remaining.
• Howard Beck of The New York Times: Iman Shumpert said he felt a pop in the knee while pushing off toward the rim. The medical staff later told him it was probably scar tissue. … Doctors will re-evaluate Shumpert on Thursday, but no tests are planned. The Knicks can hardly afford another serious injury after losing Thomas, Rasheed Wallace and Amar’e Stoudemire in recent weeks. Woodson pushed for a veteran-laden roster over the summer, in the belief that experience wins playoff games. Now it appears that two of those veterans — Thomas and Wallace — will never get the chance to prove the point. Another veteran, Marcus Camby, has hardly played because of foot troubles. And Jason Kidd’s production has declined since the fall. But Woodson remains adamant that the strategy was correct. “Absolutely — I will never back off that,” Woodson said, adding: “We’re still sitting where we need to be, at the top of our division. And we just got to get some key pieces back, like Melo tonight, and get Tyson back in a uniform.” For better or worse, this will be the roster the Knicks take into the playoffs next month. They have no plans to sign a free agent, because it would require cutting a player — likely Wallace or Thomas. That is a trade-off Woodson refuses to make. Instead, he is banking on the possibility, however remote, that Thomas and Wallace could return in the postseason.
• Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News: Before the game, Mark Cuban lectured the Nets about why they shouldn’t have signed Deron Williams to such a big, suffocating contract. Then Williams went out and disputed that claim with a soaring second half, leading the Nets to a 113-96 road victory over the Mavs that P.J. Carlesimo rightfully labeled, “one of our best games all year.” Williams finished with 31 points in this bittersweet homecoming, all but five of them in the second half. He also had six assists, most of them to Brook Lopez, who scored 38 points on 15-of-22 shooting and 11 had 11 rebounds. Reggie Evans contributed his usual manic energy and 22 boards. It was an inspiring, entertaining victory for the visitors, and for Williams in particular. During one stretch of the final quarter, Williams buried every shot he attempted – from step-backs to fadeaways. When he nailed a running, off-balance jumper from the right side to give the Nets a nine-point lead with 6:28 left in the game, even Williams broke out in a broad smile at his own ridiculous display.
• Phil Collin of the Los Angeles Daily News: With another wave of injuries hitting the Clippers, and probably a little stung by losses in three of the previous four games, Coach Vinny Del Negro was a little testy prior to Wednesday's game against Philadelphia. His point? The Clippers can't worry about lineup rotations. They have games to win. "It's funny," Del Negro said, not smiling. "I hear a lot of talk out there about rotations, 'I've got to get a rotation.' One, we can't do it because we've had so many injuries. Two, it's hard for us to do because guys are in and out of the lineup and three, guys have minute restrictions. "So people talk about rotations, of course we'd like to get a rotation but it doesn't work like that. So everybody out there talking about it needs to do a little research and understand it doesn't work like that.” … The Clippers played without Chauncey Billups, Eric Bledsoe and Ronny Turiaf available. Jamal Crawford is still working through his ankle injury. Maalik Wayns, on his second 10-day contract with the Clippers, started the second quarter at point guard.

• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: This was a good win. Good because it keeps the Thunder on the Spurs heels. Good because it was anything but the Thunder’s preferred style and yet OKC found a way to prevail. Good because it was a day filled with adversity, which the Thunder overcame and ultimately overpowered Boston. Serge Ibaka was plagued by foul trouble. Russell Westbrook, still nursing a sore right ankle, labored through an off night. The Thunder got bullied on the boards. And OKC struggled to shoot straight. All of that was negated by a dominant defensive effort that spurred the Thunder to its 28th home win, tying OKC for the most in the league. The Thunder held the Celtics to 10 of 40 shooting in the second half, a 25 percent connection rate. For a small measure of how impressive that is consider that the Celtics nearly had as many turnovers (six) as made field goals. … The player of the game just might have been Kendrick Perkins. His defense was suffocating. On old pal Kevin Garnett mostly but also on Paul Pierce at times and even Jason Terry and Avery Bradley at others. Said Brooks: “His defense on Garnett and their pick-and-roll was outstanding.”
• Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: Dwyane Wade’s wardrobe change at halftime wasn’t about fashion — believe it or not. Wade is one of the most fashion-centric players in the NBA and, yes, he’s trying to sell his new shoes at all times, but Wade said he changed his footwear for the second half of the Heat’s 105-91 victory over the Pacers because he burned through the first pair playing defense. “I went through them in the first half,” Wade said. “I was moving. I wanted some stiff shoes.” Wade finished the game with six steals; Miami had 10 steals as a team. As healthy as he has been all season, Wade said after the game that defensively he’s playing “as good as I have played in a while.” … In somewhat of a surprise strategic move, Wade started the game on defense covering Paul George, the Pacers’ young All-Star. George finished the game with 10 points in 42 minutes. Wade was originally supposed to guard George Hill and said after the game that it was teammateLeBron James’ idea for a defensive switch. James, who would normally guard George, defended Lance Stephenson.
• Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News: For first time in a week, the Lakers hardly offered any late-game theatrics. Kobe Bryant didn't offer any age-defying dunks. The Lakers didn't storm back from a double-digit deficit, either. Instead the Lakers grinded out a 90-81 victory Sunday over the Chicago Bulls Staples Center by simply playing together. The Lakers (33-31) stayed above the .500 mark for two consecutive games for the first time all season. More importantly, they have a half-game lead over the Utah Jazz (32-31) for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Lakers also are only one game behind the Houston Rockets (34-30) for the seventh seed. "Yippee," Bryant said with obvious sarcasm. Still, there were plenty of signs that could make the Lakers feel good about themselves, even if it lacked the late-game euphoria shown in recent games. Dwight Howard's impact went beyond his 16 points and 21 rebounds. He set screens that set up plenty of open looks for him and his teammates. He also sank a series of hook shots in the lane and threw down a few lobs from Bryant.
• Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News: Beginning today, when the Lakers' charter flight lands in Orlando, the city Dwight Howard called home for years after arriving as an 18-year-old from Atlanta, Howard will be confronted by demons, memories and the wrath of a city that once loved him but now despises him. "He's going to get an earful," Lakers point guard Steve Nash said. Three weeks ago, maybe Howard doesn't handle the reunion well. Two months ago, with the Lakers struggling and Howard not quite sure who he could trust and lean on in the Lakers' locker room, the psychological toll of returning to Orlando would have been too much. But with the Lakers winning and his health improving, Howard is as prepared as ever to go back. "It's going to be difficult to see things, but I'm happy that I'm in a better place then I was at the beginning of the season," Howard said. And maybe for the first time all year, his teammates will have his back. That includes Bryant, whom Howard's been reported to be at odds with this year.
• Dan Woike of The Orange County Register: Blake Griffin has Timofey Mozgov, Kendrick Perkins and Pau Gasol. And after Sunday night, DeAndre Jordan has Brandon Knight. "That was the best dunk of the year," Griffin said. "It's the best dunk I've seen in person." Jordan caught a lob from Chris Paul, cocked back and turned Knight into a trending topic on Twitter with a vicious slam during the Clippers' 129-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday at Staples Center. "It was a great pass by Chris, and honestly, I didn't see Brandon until I caught the ball," Jordan said. "After that, was just, yeah...." Paul described what followed the dunk as "the aftermath." The crowd went nuts as the scoreboard replayed the highlight over and over. The bench nearly rushed the floor, and Paul, usually pretty calm, howled as he slapped Jordan on the chest. "It was pretty impressive," Paul said. "I usually try not to react after all those different types of dunks, but that one was pretty good." Jordan and all four other starters finished in double figures, and Matt Barnes scored 16, hitting all five of his 3-point shots.
• Eric Koreen of the National Post: It is hard to hear his recent words, though, and think he is not speaking for that same reason. He is just speaking honestly, but Casey is obviously intensely aware of the criticism that has been hurled at him as this season has descended into irrelevance. … The criticism, now as ever, centres on the Raptors’ rookies. During a typically heartbreaking overtime defeat to the Lakers on Friday, Terrence Ross did not get off the bench at all, with Casey saying he did not want him matching up against Kobe Bryant. More bewilderingly, Jonas Valanciunas sat in the fourth quarter and overtime in deference to Aaron Gray. Casey said the coaching staff unanimously agreed that Gray should match up against Dwight Howard. The easy counter-argument: If the rest of this season is about learning, then why are the players who have to do the most learning not playing against the players who could provide the harshest but most integral lessons? … Casey is the coach, and it is his right to set the ground rules. Casey’s defence of those rules, as this season fades away, is getting tougher and tougher to justify.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: The Bucks have been relatively healthy most of the season, but they were hit with a trio of injuries Sunday. Starters Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders and key reserve Redick had to miss the game. Ilyasova missed his second straight game with a left knee bone bruise, while Sanders suffered a hyperextended left knee in Saturday's game against Golden State. Redick also was hurt against the Warriors when he landed on Jarrett Jack's foot while drilling a key three-pointer in the fourth quarter of a 103-93 victory. Samuel Dalembert and Ekpe Udoh started on the front line, and Boylan said Dalembert was going to start, anyway, to combat the imposing size of Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (6 feet 11 inches, 270 pounds). Dalembert finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes and Udoh had 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Sanders said he landed on his knee awkwardly while trying to block a shot by Warriors forward Harrison Barnes.
• John Reid of The Times-Picayune: Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard still appears to be the frontrunner to the win this season's NBA's Rookie of the Year award. But New Orleans Hornets rookie Anthony Davis got another opportunity to close the gap in Sunday's matchup against Lillard and the Trail Blazers. Coming off a sensational 20-point, 18-rebound performance against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, Davis put forth another solid effort in the Hornets' 98-96 victory against the Trail Blazers. Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his 14th double-double of the season. Lillard, who leads all rookies with a 18.8 scoring average, scored 20 points and had eight assists. ``We're just getting better as a unit,'' Davis said. ``We haven't done a great job of closing out games in the fourth quarter, but we're doing a better job and we have to continue doing so.''
• Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki hopes point guard Dominique Jones won’t be in the unemployment line long. Tired of his inconsistent play and other off-the-court indiscretions, the Mavs waived Jones on Saturday. “I like Dominique, he was my man,” Nowitzki said. “I think he’s got an NBA body, he’s got the NBA strength. “Hopefully he’ll be able to find a job next year and he’ll be able to play.” The Mavs will replace Jones with point guard Chris Wright, who averaged 15.5 points and seven assists in 38 games this season for the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League. Wright, who played in last month’s D-League All-Star game, may be on the roster in time to suit up for Tuesday’s game in Milwaukee. … Besides Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and Rodrigue Beaubois are the only other players with the Mavs who were members of the 2011 NBA championship team.
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: The annual Orlando Pro Summer League will undergo at least one significant change this year, expanding to 10 teams to add the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets. The annual event will remain closed to the public and will continue to take place on Amway Center's practice court, Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan said. But for the first time, there is a possibility the league's structure will resemble a tournament's structure, with pool play and a championship game. In previous years, teams would play one game a day for five consecutive days. But this year, teams might be given one off day. The Magic run the summer league, which, in a sense, competes with the NBA Summer League. The NBA Summer League is held on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas and is open to the public who buy tickets. Last year the NBA Summer League featured 23 teams and a team composed of NBA Development League players. The Magic's league is popular with some teams' executives because it offers fewer distractions than the league in Las Vegas. The Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz participated in last year's league in Orlando and are expected to participate again.

• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: Former Magic PF Ryan Anderson misses Dwight Howard, too, although he's still thriving without him. There's just a greater degree of difficulty. Anderson came into Monday's night's game against his former club averaging 16.8 points per game. His numbers mirror last season in Orlando: 16.1 ppg. Last season's most improved player in the NBA has continued lighting it up from the outside, shooting 39.4 percent from 3-point land. "My shots are a lot more difficult now. I've had to adjust," Anderson said, sitting by his locker room before tip-off. Anderson is getting his shots off screens, double-teams and in transition, largely thanks to Hornets point guard Greivis Vasquez. Anderson played off Howard in Orlando, saying he'd get shots in Orlando off "Dwight double-teams and Dwight kick-outs. "My situation was made easy because of Dwight … Greivis has done a good job. A lot of my open shots come from him." Anderson was delivered to New Orleans in a sign-and-trade last summer, the Magic unwilling to match the Hornets' four-year, $9-million offer, largely because the trade of Howard triggered a rebuild. After what happened to him with the Magic under new management, Anderson said he wasn't surprised the Magic dealt J.J. Redick before the deadline. "It's business. It's a different game now," he said. "I knew that from last year."
• John Reid of The Times-Picayune: Monday night's gut-wrenching defeat spoiled what otherwise was a successful return Anthony Davis, who came back Monday after missing two games with a bone bruise. Davis scored 17 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had four blocks. Although he wore a protective sleeve over his left shoulder, Davis had two of his team’s eight blocks before halftime. “We’re a defensive team and we can’t allow ourselves to fall back like that, especially when we had the game in our hands and momentum going our way,’’ Davis said. ``We have to guard the ball and not over help. We over help a lot.’’
• Candace Buckner of The Columbian: Forget about their ostensibly posh lifestyles for a second, and that their bank account statements read like social security numbers. There's only one true reason why compared to your career, professional athletes have way better jobs. They get to celebrate. They can express their emotions and show unbridled joy during their 9-to-5s. We can't. ... Take for instance Trail Blazer rookie Meyers Leonard. Last week he faced some criticism. His offense? The 7-foot-1 Leonard dunked over Denver's slow-as-maple syrup Andre Miller and acted as if Oprah had just given him a car. Leonard screamed; the excitement coursing through his body like electricity from his tippy toes to his reddened face. He pounded his chest and flexed as the clamor from the crazies in the Rose Garden washed over him. Then, Leonard spread his arms from his sides, held out his palms and stared down Miller, who had engaged him in not-so-pleasant trash talk earlier in the game. But a couple days later Terry Stotts had a message for his rookie center: Chill out, son. … Wesley Matthews salutes his threes. Will Barton and Nolan Smith prance about during pregame introductions. Leonard closes his eyes and shrieks. These guys don't push papers for a living. They work in a highly-emotive environment among the most skilled employees in their profession and passionate reactions happen every time they punch the clock. Leonard, a demonstrative young man anyway, sometimes gets carried away while in the workplace. But fans who spend their hard-earned money and pay the high price of admission for sports entertainment should demand to see revelries, not robots.
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: Charlotte Bobcats power forward Tyrus Thomas was told not to accompany the team on its four-game West Coast trip by team management. Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said Monday that the front office felt Thomas’s time would be better spent in Charlotte, doing some physical rehabilitation and individual on-court work, rather than on the road with his team. Thomas, the Bobcats’ second-highest paid player this season at $8 million, has fallen out of the rotation entirely of late. Monday’s road game in Portland was the 10th straight game that Thomas was designated as inactive and the 12th-straight game in which he did not play. When the Bobcats acquired another power forward, Josh McRoberts, at the trade deadline, McRoberts was activated for his first game before he had participated in a Bobcats practice or shootaround.
• Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post: Back at the Pepsi Center, where the home wins come with the simplicity of a second-grade math equation, the Nuggets were back at it. Running, dunking, blocking shots — and running some more. Their success level depends on pace, and they kept it fast in a 104-88 win over Atlanta on Monday night. To say the Nuggets are dominant at home right now certainly is an understatement. They are a smash success at high altitude, pushing their home record to 26-3 this season. They've won a fraction under 90 percent of their home games, and if that continues to be the case, the Nuggets will finish with 38 wins, not only the best home mark in the George Karl coaching era, but the most home wins in team history.
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Playing short-handed the Hawks fell behind early to the Nuggets and could never fight all the way back. The result was a 104-88 loss Monday night at the Pepsi Center. The Hawks lost for the third straight time to end the season-long trip after starting with three victories. They settled for a .500 road trip that began with so much promise. … The Hawks played with just 10 players as guards Kyle Korver (toe strain) and DeShawn Stevenson (back-to-back games) and center Zaza Pachulia (sore right Achilles) were all out. Rookie Mike Scott was on a D-League assignment. To make matters worse, Jeff Teague (left ankle sprain) and Ivan Johnson (dislocated left middle finger) missed some time in the first-half but returned. … Josh Smith entered the game needing nine points to reach the 10,000-point mark for his career. He surpassed the milestone with a second-quarter layup, on which he was fouled. Smith became the 24th player in NBA history to record 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocks. Smith was given the game ball following the game, a gift he needed to be told of its significance.
• Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle: Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson could feel the urgency building as he sat helplessly on the bench with foul trouble for the final nine minutes of the third quarter and Toronto built a seven-point lead Monday night. When head coach Mark Jackson unleashed Thompson at the start of the fourth quarter, he took out that urgency on the Raptors. Thompson scored eight points during a 10-2 run that turned around the game and might have turned around the Warriors' season as the stretch propelled them to a desperately needed 125-118 victory in front of the 17th consecutive sellout crowd out at Oracle Arena. "I thought there was a sense of desperation," said Warriors power forward David Lee, who had 29 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for his NBA-best 40th double-double. "If we lose this game, it's a big hit to us."
• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star: One of the circumstances to take into account is that the current core group — Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas — are fully expected to be together next year and the future of Andrea Bargnani is clouded at best. That’s one reason why Lowry expects things not to change too much in the final seven weeks of the season. “(It’s) getting the chemistry together, getting JV (Valancuinas) more minutes with me, DeMar and Rudy on the floor at the same time . . . get on the same page to look forward to every game we have left,” he said. … Coach Dwane Casey is in no way giving up on the season (“We’re still mathematically in the hunt and I’m not giving up until the Fat Lady sings and she’s not singing yet,” he said Monday morning) but he’s enough of a realist to know what needs to be done. … But that’s the key. The worst thing Casey can do is let players stay on the court who don’t deserve it, the veterans will notice and it would be easy for them to get more discouraged. And the fact is, whatever the standings say, there’s no way the players give up until the arithmetic says they’re done.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: It was another wild night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, another overtime thriller. And the Milwaukee Bucks won their fourth in a row and second straight overtime game as they outlasted the Utah Jazz, 109-108, behind Monta Ellis' 34 points and Brandon Jennings' 20 points and 17 assists. And how about J.J. Redick? All the shooting guard did was score eight of the Bucks' 10 points in overtime and drill a pair of clutch three-pointers to finally knock out the relentless Jazz. "The guy's a great shooter," Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. "The thing with J.J., when he shoots the ball, you expect it to go in. So when it doesn't go in, it's like, 'Aw, a big letdown.' “
• Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune: Al Jefferson watched happily as the Jazz point guard made his return to full-contact practices on Sunday, one day shy of two months since undergoing surgery to repair torn ligaments in his thumb. Mo Williams said Monday at the Jazz’s shootaround in Milwaukee that he could return to games as early as Wednesday, when the Jazz play at Cleveland, where he played from 2008 to 2011. "We’ll see," Williams said. "We’ll see. That would be great to play in front of those fans." The 30-year-old point guard had two pins removed from his thumb on Feb. 13, and his rehabilitation began in earnest after the All-Star Break, and if Jefferson were the final judge, Williams would be cleared to play. "He said he was a little winded," Jefferson said. "I told him I couldn’t tell." But the Jazz are being cautious with the veteran. … Corbin said he has not yet decided how to integrate Williams back with the Jazz, whether he would start right away or come off the bench to ease back into his leadership role.
• Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Miami Heat guard Ray Allen had simple words to describe the altercation between he and J.J. Barea during Monday night’s game. “It just came out nowhere,” Allen said. That was Allen’s explanation for Barea’s play. It also could be used to describe Allen’s uncharacteristic involvement in a scuffle. Allen and Barea got into a near skirmish in the Heat’s 97-81 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that surprised just about everyone. The mild-mannered Allen has rarely got into any type of altercation throughout his 17-year career. “It’s uncalled for,” Allen said. “I’ve managed to keep a level head throughout my career. You have your moments where things get heated. When you come down from it, you can say, `That was my fault. I was in a bad situation. I was really frustrated.’ But even in that situation, I wasn’t frustrated. It was just bad judgment, I thought from the other side.” Allen and Barea almost cleared the benches when they nearly got into it with 8 minutes, 9 seconds left in the game. Allen said he was responding to Barea tackling him on a drive. Barea claims he was retaliating to an elbow thrown by Allen earlier. “There was a play where he knocked the ball away and I got it back,” Allen said. “Then he just leveled me. I thought it was uncalled for. There is no place for that in the game."
• Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune: The Wolves must decide Nikola Pekovic’s value and whether the bruising center is worth $12 to $14 million annually. They must figure out what to do with former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams. And they likely will own another Top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. Can the team really afford to let David Kahn oversee those decisions? … Kahn’s contract expires after the season, and owner Glen Taylor has offered no public indication of his intentions. Taylor has a track record of showing loyalty to coaches and executives, and he might even sympathize with Kahn being treated as a human punching bag since he’s been in that position, too. But giving Kahn one more chance would be bad business and dangerous to the future of this organization. The Wolves need a smart basketball man sitting in that chair. Someone who brings credibility and likability and an ability to evaluate personnel with a keen eye. Someone everyone believes in — coaches, players, fans and team employees. Basically, they need a front-office version of Adelman. … Taylor picked up Kahn’s contract option last spring because he liked the roster that he assembled and the fact he attracted Adelman to coach it. Injuries stunted this team’s development and ruined another promising season. That’s not Kahn’s fault necessarily, but the focus should be on the future and what’s best for the organization. Big decisions loom this offseason, and the roster could get reshaped again. Kahn had his turn. Now the Wolves must entrust someone else to run the operation.
• Howard Beck of The New York Times: Carmelo Anthony’s right knee buckled early in the second quarter, and he headed to the locker room as the Knicks drew a collective gasp. Anthony did not return, but the Knicks collected themselves, erased a 22-point deficit and rode Amar’e Stoudemire’s hot hand to a face-saving 102-97 victory. It was an impressive win under the circumstances, and it helped ease the sting of Sunday’s loss to Miami and the sight of Anthony limping away. “It’s a big win for sure, without a doubt,” Raymond Felton said. “It just shows what type of team we have.” Stoudemire stepped into the void left by Anthony, scoring 22 points in 32 minutes off the bench. He was joined by three other Knicks in double figures, all off the bench: J. R. Smith (18 points), Steve Novak (15 points) and Jason Kidd (12 points), who continued his resurgence. Now the concern turns to Anthony’s knee. The team offered no specifics about the injury, and no tests were planned as of Monday night. Anthony is scheduled to be re-evaluated on Tuesday in Detroit. The Knicks (36-21) play the Pistons on Wednesday.
• Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal: Kyrie Irving returned Monday after missing three games with a hyperextended right knee, but said if it was the playoffs or important games near the end of the season, he could’ve played through the injury. “I landed awkwardly. It was just a deep bruise,” Irving said. “When I was playing in Orlando and Miami I could feel it, but I was obviously just trying to play through it. It was really limiting my ability to go to the basket and have that confidence in getting there and jumping off my right leg. I just needed a few days of rest.” Irving said he’s not 100 percent, but he’s close. He did not wear a brace or protective sleeve on the knee and no one expected his minutes to be limited, although Scott said he’d be monitoring Irving closely. After working straight through All-Star weekend, the six days off served as much needed rest for his entire body and not just his knee. “I guess it came at the right time,” Irving said. “I didn’t really ask for it. It just happened, but I got a little rest.”

• Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal: Before the Cavaliers tried for the 12th time to beat the Chicago Bulls, coach Byron Scott gathered his players together Tuesday morning and told them it was time to stand up to the bully. With Kyrie Irving sidelined, the Cavs finally threw the last punch – and the wily veteran was the one swinging. Rookie Dion Waiters scored 25 points in Irving’s absence and Luke Walton made a huge steal late to preserve the Cavs’ 101-98 victory over the Bulls on Tuesday, ending an 11-game skid against a team that had won the last six meetings by an average of 27 points. The fact they did it without Irving made it all the more startling. Irving injured the knee in practice on Friday when he banged knees with Omri Casspi, then tried to play through it during the weekend games at the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat.
• Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald: Usually when Taj Gibson describes an injury to reporters, it's a sprained ankle or plantar fasciitis, and he claims to be a quick healer. After suffering a left knee sprain on Sunday in Oklahoma City, Gibson isn't sure what to think. He missed Tuesday's game against Cleveland and could be out for two weeks. "I've never felt any pain like that before," Gibson said. "So I just have to take my time. I was (ticked) because I know that I always want to be the guy that can go 82 games every year. I take good care of my body. It's just one of those things that happens by just stepping on somebody else's foot." Gibson said he went up to block a shot and landed on the foot of Thunder guard Reggie Jackson. The incident occurred early in the fourth quarter of Sunday's blowout loss in Oklahoma. The fourth-year forward had an MRI exam Sunday, but said doctors are continuing to examine the knee. … Gibson has never missed more than three games in a season. With this injury, only Nate Robinson and Jimmy Butler have played in every game for the Bulls this year.
• Bob Kravitz of The Indianapolis Star: Admit it, when you saw Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert swatting away Golden State guard Stephen Curry like baseball’s Pedro Martinez dispatching of Don Zimmer, you thought to yourself: Please, Lord, not another Brawl. Not another Detroit. Not again. In the end, a couple of elbows and angry words were exchanged, Hibbert got tossed, everybody this side of old-timers Freddie Lewis and Rick Barry got technical fouls, but ultimately, the biggest fight of this NBA season turned into much ado about very little. It spilled over into the stands, but in this case, the fans were smart enough — and scared enough — to stay out of the madness. There was no John Green there to throw a cup of liquid on anybody, no Ron Artest to enflame matters. Thank goodness. Because these Pacers have come too far and built way too much goodwill since the events in Auburn Hills, Mich., to throw it away in one flash of anger.
• Marcus Thompson II of The Oakland Tribune: The Warriors had their three-game winning streak snapped, their feelings hurt and their resolve tested by the Indiana Pacers. Golden State's 108-97 loss Tuesday was a rugged, scrappy, intense affair, punctuated by a fourth-quarter scuffle that spilled into the seats. Perhaps most important, it probably was a sign of what's to come. As the season winds to a close, and the importance of the games increase, the Warriors will have to reach a higher level. "Teams are gearing up for playoff basketball, ramping up the intensity a little bit," point guard Stephen Curry said. "It's going to happen. It's healthy just to not back down, be physical. You'd like to not see that tussle happen. But for the most part, it was just a good, clean physical game that we have to expect for the rest of the year." The Pacers' size and athleticism, their hands-on style of play, disturbed the Warriors' fluidity. The Warriors committed 20 turnovers, leading to 29 points for Indiana. On top of that, Curry seemed to be the only reliable offense.
• Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: Overshadowed during the Heat’s recent run of brilliance has been the steady play of point guardMario Chalmers. The fifth-year guard entered Tuesday’s game against the Kings shooting 57.6 percent (19 of 33) in his past four games. From three-point range, he was shooting 50 percent (8 of 16) over that stretch. Chalmers had six points and four assists in 32 minutes in the Heat’s 141-129 double-overtime victory against Sacramento. “I wish I necessarily had an answer for it,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. For Spoelstra, it has always been a challenge to explain Chalmers’ streaky play but, for once, the coach was quick to praise his starting point guard for prolonged and consistent success. He even defended Chalmers against the normal criticisms of his enigmatic game, saying he has been “encouraged” with Chalmers over the past six weeks. “And the reason I say six weeks is because people only notice if the ball is going in or not, but there are a lot of other things he is responsible for, and he has been the head of our defense, pick-and-roll defense and setting the tone,” Spoelstra said.
• Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee: Was it a moral victory? That wasn't how the Kings described their latest loss. But they certainly left American Airlines Arena with their heads held high. In a game most expected them to lose, the Kings had a chance to beat the defending champion Miami Heat. So even though their losing streak is now at a season-worst six games, the Kings weren't down on themselves Tuesday night after their 141-129 double-overtime loss. The Kings (19-39) had good vibes because they worked together in a way not seen for long stretches this season. They also displayed an energy and focus that often has been lacking. It was almost enough to end the Heat's winning streak. But thanks to their superstars, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Miami (41-14) won its 12th game in a row. "It's tough, but this is a loss we consider a good loss," DeMarcus Cousins said.
• Marc Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer: When Andrew Bynum talks it makes news and when he doesn’t speak, it also finds its way into the headlines. Bynum was supposed to give a progress report to reporters before Tuesday’s game with the Orlando Magic at the Wells Fargo Center. With the usual large weekly crowd waiting by his locker, Bynum never appeared. The Sixers said he would likely speak after Friday's practice. There is no practice tomorrow. Bynum has been giving these weekly updates for nearly two months on a Monday or Tuesday. Here is the gist of the news “the left knee hurts, the right knee feels fine and there is progress.” … Bynum is an unrestricted free agent after the season. If the Sixers don’t re-sign him, they would have given up four valuable pieces, including the draft choice, for extra cap space and Richardson. What free agent difference maker would sign with the Sixers? No, the Sixers have to be all-in with Bynum. That is why the charade of these weekly updates will have to keep going on. We’ll all be waiting on Friday.
• Tim Bontemps of the New York Post: Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said following Monday’s practice that his habit of benching Brook Lopez in the fourth quarter — something he had done three out of the four games since the All-Star break — would come to an end. Sure enough, Carlesimo sent his center back into the game with 5:09 remaining Tuesday night, and Lopez made sure he looked good for doing it. Lopez proceeded to score the next six points for the Nets, helping them to secure their 101-97 victory over the Hornets. “I’ve kept my confidence through this entire week,” Lopez said after finishing with 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four blocks. “It’s definitely good to get a win like this, but I try not to put too much stock into one game. ... It is a marathon and not a sprint.” That may be the case, but heading into the game Lopez had been out of sorts ever since returning from his first All-Star Game last weekend in Houston.
• Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: Anybody out there see a closer? New Orleans is still searching. The Hornets have struggled all season to find ways in the fourth quarter to close out games. Tuesday was a bit of a different story since New Orleans was playing from behind all night, scratching to find a way to battle back from double-digit deficits. But aside from Vasquez and Anderson, who stepped up in the fourth quarter, the Hornets got 0 points from Eric Gordon, who missed the only two shots he attempted in the final period. In the nine games that Gordon played last season, he showed he could be counted on in crunch time to step up. And when he returned in late December from the knee injury that limited him to just those nine games last year, Gordon again displayed the ability to be a fourth-quarter scorer. He played only about half the final period against the Nets, finishing with 10 points.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: Bucks reserve center Samuel Dalembert was suspended for Tuesday's game against Dallas after he arrived late for the team shootaround earlier in the day. Bucks general manager John Hammond announced Dalembert was suspended for one game without pay due to a violation of team policy. Bucks coach Jim Boylan said the suspension was due to a pattern of behavior rather than one specific incident. "Everybody on the team, players, coaches, staff, they have certain responsibilities to the team," Boylan said in his pre-game remarks. "When those responsibilities aren't met, there are consequences. So Sam has not met some of those and the consequence is he is suspended for tonight's game." Dalembert has been serving as the primary backup to starting center Larry Sanders.
• Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News: Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, tongue planted firmly in cheek, did his best to keep a straight face this evening when asked about Derek Fisher’s signing Monday with Oklahoma City. Fisher, as Mavericks fans know, was with the Mavericks from Nov. 29 to Dec. 22. After he suffered a strained knee, he asked the Mavericks to release him from his contract, saying that family matters necessitated his return to Los Angeles. So what’s changed, two months later? “Look, I understand completely,” Cuban said. “From the time Derek was here to his signing with OKC, his kids are older, they can deal with things better. So I understand him having more comfort in being away from them.” Obviously, Cuban was using sarcasm to make his point, which didn’t prevent reporters from pressing Cuban further. He wouldn’t budge from his somewhat humorous company line. … Is Cuban mad at Fisher? Again, the Mavericks owner stifled a smirk. “No, I understand completely,” he said. “Kids get older. They understand the dad’s job a little better. You just never know when it’s going to click.”
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: I’m not going to punish rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for being 19 years old with a flawed skill set. If any team in the NBA should have a long view on talent development, it must be the Bobcats. … Three educated guesses what’s going on: 1. His inability to make jump shots is widely known, so teams guard him exclusively for the drive. 2. He’s now played virtually the equivalent of two college seasons and he looks exhausted. 3. I don’t know if he has a great coping mechanism when things go south. When you play in high school with Kyrie Irving, then play on a Kentucky team that overwhelmed everyone, you’re used to things going well. … I respect that coach Mike Dunlap’s only power is playing time. But some of his decisions feel a little mean. Tyrus Thomas hasn’t gotten a uniform in a half-dozen games. Ben Gordon didn’t play, by coach’s decision, in two of the last three games. I get that both of these guys are culpable; Thomas doesn’t contribute much, particularly relative to his contract, and Gordon has been insubordinate at times. I also get that when in doubt, play the young guys. But humiliating these veterans – very expensive veterans, by the way – is beginning to have a sense of overkill.
• Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic: Rock bottom is a sporting cliché. In Phoenix, it’s a reality. The Suns are the worst team in the Western Conference. The vacant look in Michael Beasley’s eyes reflects the apathy we all feel for this basketball team. And with 24 games left in the regular season, there is only one thing left for this organization to accomplish. Memo to Robert Sarver: It rhymes with banking. The business of tanking games is a delicate matter. No one wants to get caught losing on purpose. It sends the wrong message to fans and hurts the league’s image. But feigning competitiveness can be a necessary evil and a fine art in the NBA, and for the Suns, that time has arrived. … The Suns are now in that shallow pool, along with five other teams competing for the most ping-pong balls. They are Charlotte, Orlando, Cleveland, Washington and Sacramento. Some of those franchises have already been through this process once, and are looking to acquire that second foundational player. The Suns are rookies in this sordid game. But their new reality couldn’t be more clear, a world where every victory is a loss, and every loss a victory.
• Jarry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: Former Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley sold his stuff before he left Minnesota last summer, but he apparently still brought some of his baggage with him when he moved to Phoenix by signing a three-year, $18 million free-agent contract with the Suns. Beasley entered Tuesday's game against the Timberwolves down the Suns' bench beside former Wolves teammate Wes Johnsonbecause of the same issues that caused his former team not to re-sign the 2008 draft's No. 2 overall pick: too many defensive lapses and a short attention span. … Beasley sold some of his belongings last summer in an estate sale at the Orono home he rented during his two seasons in Minnesota. It made news nationally for its eclectic mix of items, ranging from giant glass grapes to a floral headboard to bunny-shaped salt-and-pepper shakers. "A lot of that stuff wasn't mine, like purses and earrings and stuff," he said, referring to a company he hired for the sale that brought other items into the house. "That kind of messed up my street cred. I'm a gangster on the street. I had some stuff that wouldn't fit into my house here, so we just sold it. A lot of the furniture was mine. The dresses and purses? Not mine."

• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: There were questions when the Grizzlies’ revolving door stopped spinning — doubts about how quickly and how soon a collection of new players would mesh. A bit of suspicion even crept in as the Griz began to build a winning streak that is now close to their season-best mark established in November. After all, Memphis’ previous five opponents before Sunday own a combined winning percentage of .354. However, the Grizzlies’ 76-72 victory over the Brooklyn Nets before 17,098 in the Barclays Center provided more evidence that there still is one constant amid change, quality of opposition and venue. Like a picture in a frame, the Grizzlies’ defense remains the same. The Griz dominated without the ball when it mattered most as their winning streak swelled to seven games.
• Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: Kobe Bryant won the game — and social media. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban floated the idea on the radio about the Lakers using their amnesty, cost-cutting provision to cut Kobe Bryant this summer. Purely hypothetical, and actually a logical example of the sort of business decision there is to be made in the new NBA economic climate, but the Lakers sure aren't doing it — and Bryant sure didn't appreciate it. "Amnesty THAT," Bryant offered via his @kobebryant Twitter account after delivering 38 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in the Lakers' 103-99 victory over the Mavericks on Sunday. Bryant also made a mention of it in his postgame interviews in the locker room, expressing respect for longtime Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki (and his 30-point game Sunday) and calling him "one of my all-time favorites." "I'm sure if he wants to amnesty Dirk, that's something that we'll entertain," Bryant said. Cuban's response from his @mcuban Twitter account, which he used to show all sorts of venomous comments directed his way from Lakers fans, was two-fold: 1. "Nice to know there is a least one team and their players, outside of the Mavs, that listen to everything I say." 2. "But I do have to give props to @kobebryant for a great tweet. #Welldone."
• Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: Since the team’s move to the AT&T Center for the 2002-03 season begat the long rodeo road trip, the Spurs have found various ways to bond. The latest experience was a repeat of something they did three years ago: A mid-afternoon stop for In-N-Out burgers near the Oakland Airport. “It was one of those carpe diem moments,” forward Matt Bonner said. “You know you shouldn’t be eating a grease-laced double burger with fried onions, fries and a milk shake, but once in a while, you’ve got to go for it. It was one of those things where no one will claim responsibility, but everybody enjoyed it.” Even Parker, a native of Paris who considers himself a sophisticated diner, partook of the fast-food fare. “That was awesome,” Parker said. “We did the same thing about three years ago, too, and that was awesome, too. Even though I’m a gourmet guy, it doesn’t hurt to eat a double-burger sometimes. I had two double-doubles and a milkshake. I was hungry.” Not all the Spurs were thrilled about the experience. Guard Manu Ginobili was sated from lunch at one of his favorite Italian restaurants near San Francisco’s Union Square when the bus pulled into the In-N-Out parking lot. … Stephen Jackson was ambivalent about the experience. “It was good, but I don’t like In-N-Out like that,” he said. “Fatburger, Sonic, Five Guys, but not In-N-Out. But I ate one.”
• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post: After the game, LeBron James was asked his feelings about rumors that he would return to Cleveland to play with Irving for the 2014-15 season. Even coaches such as Denver’s George Karl have joined the speculation. “My only focus right now is winning another championship,” James said. “I can’t worry about speculation or rumors. What we’re doing on the floor right now is what it’s all about.”
• Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle: Jarrett Jack will be praised for giving the Warriors their first fourth-quarter lead with a three-pointer in the final two minutes Sunday and for setting up the bucket 40 seconds later that resulted in a lead they would not relinquish. Jack actually started leading the Warriors to their 100-99 matinee victory over Minnesota an hour before the game tipped off at the Target Center. When two of the team's rookies wanted barbecue sandwiches and fries in the pregame locker room, Jack reminded the first-year players that the game started in an hour. They quietly switched their orders to chicken sandwiches with no fries. "That's who he is for us," Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said. "He's been a leader, and he's been a no-nonsense guy with a tremendous voice." And Jack has been pretty stinking good on the court, too. Jack had team highs with 23 points and eight assists, provided the Warriors with their only energy in the first half, and then made all of the clutch plays down the stretch.
• Barbara Barker of Newsday: Injury-prone, overpaid and unmovable. Two months ago, that's how many Knicks fans viewed Amar'e Stoudemire. He is a big man who plays an athletic, punishing style of basketball, and many thought it was starting to catch up with him. (Or already had caught up with him.) While he sat out the first two months of the season recovering from knee surgery, many wondered if he ever would be a big-time player again. Their fears seemed to be confirmed when he returned from injury and coach Mike Woodson decided that the best thing to do with him -- the best thing to do with the fourth-highest-paid player in the NBA -- was to bring him off the bench. Suddenly, however, it appears to have been a wee bit early to throw Stoudemire into the has-been heap. Since returning from the knee injury on New Year's Day, he has been getting stronger and stronger. Sunday night's 99-93 win over the Philadelphia 76ers was his best game yet. Despite playing only 21 minutes, 40 seconds, Stoudemire scored a season-high 22 points, grabbed five rebounds and shot 9-for-10.
• John Rohde of The Oklahoman: Sunday night's 102-72 shellacking of the Chicago Bulls at Chesapeake Energy Arena improved the Thunder's season record to 13-7 (.650) against Eastern Conference teams. That record pales in comparison to OKC's stellar 28-8 (.778) mark against Western Conference teams. The Thunder is 18-1 at home against West, but just 7-3 against the East at The Peake. Why has the Thunder (41-15) struggled against the inferior East? “I do not know,” said three-time scoring champ Kevin Durant, shaking his head in disgust. OKC coach Scott Brooks wasn't much help, either. “I haven't looked at it that closely,” Brooks said. “I know the last couple of years we've been good against the East (57-21 the previous three seasons). They definitely are physical teams. I don't know if that's the reason. We just haven't played as well against the East as we have against the West. … I don't know the answer to that.”
• Candace Buckner of The Columbian: When staring down an aggressive opponent in a must-win game, it’s never a good sign when the toughest guy in the room hobbles off the court for timeout huddles and limps through offensive sets. Wesley Matthews would not list himself anywhere close to being healthy but he returned to the floor again on Sunday because the Trail Blazers needed a victory. And needed him. Through Matthews, maybe the Blazers got inspired and grew a backbone against the old men Celtics. The last time these young guys squared off against a veteran team, they got flustered with the calls in Los Angeles on Friday — as a developing team would — and let their emotions carry them to a seven-game losing streak. However on Sunday night, the Blazers fought through pain and physical play to take the 92-86 win over Boston. Matthews, still recovering from a sprain in his left leg, scored a game-high 24 points and sank the 3-pointer that should have been the good night and drive home safely signal to the sold-out Rose Garden Arena. Matthews’ step-back triple from the top of the key — his fifth 3-pointer of the night — pulled the Blazers ahead by six with only 53.9 seconds remaining. It sure didn’t look like he felt the throb from his leg as he bounced back down court, screaming. Then again, winning heals all wounds.
• Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe: The Celtics’ 92-86 loss Sunday to the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden offered every reason why they won’t have lasting power when it comes to the postseason. They had every chance to win, every opportunity for a run, and simply blew it. And to exemplify the frustration, Kevin Garnett took a major tumble on the game’s pivotal play, when the Celtics had to score in the final 1:14 behind 3 points. With Garnett on the floor, the play was blown and Paul Pierce resorted to a long 3-pointer that missed. … The long post-All-Star journey ends Monday night in Utah and the Celtics can get some rest after a tumultuous past month. But there has to be more nights where the complements produce, where Avery Bradley, Lee, Terry, or Green overcome their shortcomings and decided to put their full imprint on the game — consistently. Sunday was one of those nights where their presence was needed and they failed to deliver. The Celtics’ playoff seed is precarious, their confidence unstable, so they can’t withstand too many nights like this and continue to believe they’ll prosper in April. Garnett and Pierce hope their pleas are heard loudly. They need help. They need relief.
• John Reid of The Times-Picayune: On Sunday afternoon against the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Hornets rookie forward Anthony Davis showed no lingering effects from a minor knee sprain suffered this past Friday against the Dallas Mavericks. Davis had little difficulty beating the Sacramento Kings forwards in transition or catching lob passes that led to forceful dunks. Despite spraining his knee early in the third quarter and not returning against the Mavericks, Davis practiced Saturday and returned to his usual starting spot against the Kings. He made his presence felt, scoring a team-high 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the Hornets’ 110-95 victory against the Kings in front of 12,788 at the New Orleans Arena. It snapped a three-game losing streak.
• Greg Bishop of The New York Times: Hurdles remain, including lawsuits, a potential counteroffer from Sacramento, the necessary approval from the N.B.A.’s board of governors and potential backlash from those still angry with the way the Sonics left. For some of those fans, the bitterness gave way to guilt as they put themselves in Kings fans’ shoes — all that hope for a last-ditch resolution under the Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, a retired N.B.A. guard. Seattle fans prefer expansion, something the N.B.A. has consistently opposed. … Calabro, the sportscaster, said: “I believe in karma. And I believe in Chris Hansen. And I believe in the strength of the market here. That said, I’ve seen K. J. pull too many last-minute games out of a hat.” Thus Seattle basketball enthusiasts move forward, cautiously optimistic, still a little bruised. At the site earmarked for the new arena, a sign hung on the street. It read, “Notice of Proposed Land Use Action.” At 95 Slide, a Sonics pennant flapped in the breeze. Kemp pushed open the door at Oskar’s and walked through the streets of the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, toward KeyArena, the Sonics’ temporary home should they return next season. Kemp talked about how he once battled Karl Malone inside that building, how it hurt just to get out of bed the next day, how that gave way to concerts at the Key and mixed martial arts events and Seattle University basketball games. A man placed an arm on Kemp’s shoulder. “Big Shawn, they going to get that team back or what?” the man asked. “Fingers crossed,” Kemp said.

• 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.

• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: When the final horn sounded, Rudy Gay dripped with emotion, stood on the Grizzlies’ side of half-court and smiled all the way through an impromptu receiving line. The Grizzlies’ 88-82 victory over Gay and the Toronto Raptors was filled with intensity, suspense and passion Wednesday night in Air Canada Centre. Memphis (35-18) extended its winning streak to five games by making clutch plays on both ends in the waning minutes of an ugly yet playoff-intense contest. The Griz also reaffirmed their admiration for a former teammate when just about every player and coach hugged Gay before exiting through their respective tunnels. “It was funny to see my teammates — I mean ex teammates — on the other side,” said Gay, who was dealt to Toronto in a three-team deal last month. “It was weird playing against those colors. It was kind of emotional. Those are relationships that a trade can’t change.”
• Curt Cavin of The Indianapolis Star: Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel spoke of overhauling the team’s roster before today’s 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline. He couldn’t keep a straight face. Not only are the Pacers not trading for a host of draft picks as Vogel joked about, they don’t expect to trade anyone for anything at any time Thursday. The organization’s brass like what they have, particularly with former All-Star forward Danny Granger returning from a knee injury that has sidelined him since the first week of November. Granger could be activated for either of this weekend’s games against Detroit. He’s gone full speed in two practices this week. Granger not only will give the Pacers more offense and greater flexibility on defense, but the extra body will strengthen the bench. “We feel really good about the team that we have going forward,” he said.
• Jonathtan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: After two seasons collecting power forwards, the Rockets finally got the one they wanted. They also picked up something less tangible that they hope will prove to be even more valuable. In a dramatic and sudden overhaul of the roster, the Rockets agreed to a pair of deals that will bring them Thomas Robinson, the fifth pick of the 2012 draft, and will open about $1.5 million more of cap space next summer. The Rockets will send starting power forward Patrick Patterson, backup point guard Toney Douglas and backup center Cole Aldrich to the Sacramento Kings to get Robinson. They will also get guard Francisco Garcia and forward Tyler Honeycutt in the deal. Both have expiring contracts. In a separate deal, the Rockets agreed to send second-year forward Marcus Morris, Patterson’s backup and Robinson’s former Kansas teammate, to the Phoenix Suns for a second-round pick. “For us, it was obviously for Thomas Robinson,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said.
• Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee: The Kings made the only kind of trade a team expected to be sold could make – cost-saving. The Kings on Wednesday traded 2012 first-round draft pick Thomas Robinson, veteran swingman Francisco Garcia, forward Tyler Honeycutt and a second-round draft pick to the Houston Rockets for forward Patrick Patterson, center Cole Aldrich and guard Toney Douglas. The Kings also will receive $1 million from the Rockets. Of the three players acquired, only Patterson is under contract beyond this season. … With the looming sale of the Kings to a Seattle-based group or one that would keep the team in Sacramento, the team wasn't expected to make any deals that would add future salary, and this deal fits that criteria. The three players traded by the Kings will make a combined $10.3 million this season, while the players acquired will be paid $6.6 million. Next season, Robinson is owed $3.5 million and Patterson $3.1 million.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: Kendrick Perkins was seen sitting on the sideline at Wednesday morning's shootaround receiving treatment from the team's medical staff. When he rose to gather his belongings before exiting the Toyota Center, Perkins moved slowly and walked with a pronounced limp. “We'll see how he feels (Thursday) when we go back to OKC,” said Thunder coachScott Brooks. “We'll evaluate it (then).” News of the injury arrived on the same morning that a report in The Arizona Republic said the Thunder and Suns were engaged in trade discussions for Perkins over the All-Star break. The report said the Thunder would receive Suns centerMarcin Gortat and forward P.J. Tucker in exchange for Perkins, rookieJeremy Lamb and a first-round pick. A team official said Perkins' injury is legitimate and essentially dismissed the notion that it had anything to do with Wednesday morning's report. The report was later refuted by a subsequent report, and the original reporter later explained that his report was more of a league rumor rather than an actual deal being discussed by the two teams.
• Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: If it was indeed Josh Smith’s last night as an Atlanta Hawk, it was a night like many others. His team did a lot of good things against a quality opponent only to see it unravel at the end. Smith himself made the world’s best player work to score 24 points but did just enough wrong to be culpable in the failure. On the one hand, Smith defended LeBron James about as well as anybody defends LeBron James. (The great man had managed 30 or more in his previous seven games.) On the other hand, Smith took too many jump shots – stop me if you've heard this one before – and made three of his five turnovers in the regrettable fourth quarter, and he spent the final 1:49 sitting and watching the Hawks’ better shooters try to override a double-figure deficit. … Asked what he thought will happen, Smith said: “I don’t know. We’ll see Thursday at 3 p.m.” … If it was indeed his last night as a Hawk, it was neither a smash nor an out-and-out stinker. It was, for both better and worse, vintage Josh Smith.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: Time is ticking toward the 2 p.m. Thursday NBA trading deadline. Will the Milwaukee Bucks make a deal? The Bucks have been one of the most prominently mentioned teams in the Josh Smith sweepstakes, with the Atlanta Hawks forward expected to be moved before the deadline. The Hawks are thought to be seeking young players, expiring contracts and possible draft picks in return for the 27-year-old Smith, who has been with Atlanta all of his pro career since being drafted out of high school in 2004. … The Bucks face a dilemma with the contracts of guards Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, although they could choose to stick with both for the rest of the season. Ellis has an $11 million player option for next season and can leave as an unrestricted free agent. Jennings will be a restricted free agent this summer and the Bucks will have the right to match any offer he receives from another team.
• Tim Bontemps of the New York Post: In a sitdown with reporters at the team’s practice facility Tuesday, Nets general manager Billy King said there was a “10 percent” chance he would be making a deal by today’s deadline. If anything does happen by the deadline, it likely will be to fill the team’s hole at power forward, where Reggie Evans — an offensively limited rebounding machine who is better suited to being a sparkplug off the bench — has been starting with Humphries backing him up. The pair of them are combining to score fewer than 10 points per game, and allowing opposing defenses to often leave them alone and focus their attention on Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez instead. But it remains unlikely that a package of Humphries, second-year guard MarShon Brooks and a first-round pick would be enough to land a player of the caliber of Smith or Pierce because of the extra year on Humphries’ contract, especially in the current economic climate in the NBA where teams are concerned about the much more restrictive financial rules in the new collective bargaining agreement.
• Michael Lee of The Washington Post: The Wizards had been rumored as a possible destination for Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, but three league sources all denied that the team was a serious contender for his services. … If the Wizards make a trade before the deadline, reserve shooting guard Jordan Crawford is the most likely candidate to be dealt but they might not get much in return. When asked what the Wizards could possibly get for Crawford, one rival Eastern Conference executive replied, “very little.” According to the league source with knowledge of the team’s plans, the Wizards have been making and fielding calls to possibly deal Crawford, who has fallen out of Coach Randy Wittman’s rotation and doesn’t appear to be a part of the franchise’s future plans.
• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post: There will be trades Thursday around the NBA, perhaps one that involves a long-time member of the Atlanta Hawks’ core. None, however, are likely to add or subtract to Miami’s roster, and none are likely to include quite the star power as the one on Feb. 20, 2003, exactly a decade prior to the contest in which Ray Allen participated Wednesday night. Before Miami earned its eighth straight win with a 103-90 victory over Atlanta, Allen was reminded of that anniversary. Ten years ago, he was swapped from Milwaukee to Seattle for Gary Payton. “Time certainly does fly,” Allen said. “But you know, you look up and it’s over with. You look at the young people that come into the game, and you look at your kids, and it’s a different life. I’m in awe that I’m still hanging around. And it feels like I should be here. Like I don’t feel like I’m out of place, and that’s a beautiful thing.”
• Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: Cleveland - As rumors swirled all day Wednesday regarding possible trade destinations for New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon, it seemed unlikely he would be moved by Thursday's trading deadline because of the size of his contract and his continued absence from the court in the second of back-to-back games. The fact that Gordon did not play in Wednesday night's 105-100 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers would likely tend to scare off any potential interest from other NBA teams who might have concerns about his current and long-term health. And Gordon's four-year, $58 million contract could also dissuade suitors because of the more penal luxury tax in place in the new collective bargaining agreement. One league source Wednesday night said of Gordon, "nobody wants him." … A source close to the Hornets said Wednesday night there were no active trade discussions at this time.
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: With 15 hours remaining before the NBA trade deadline at 3 p.m. Thursday, J.J. Redick said he still has no idea whether or not the Orlando Magic will send him to another team. And it also sounds like he wouldn’t be heartbroken if the Magic send him to a title contender. Asked specifically if he wants to remain with the team through the end of the season, he sighed and said, “There’s just too many variables to say that. There’s just too many variables. The shortest way to answer that is I wouldn’t be disappointed if I end up going to a team that is playing for a championship if that were to happen. Look, if any player is in this situation and they’re on a team that’s one of the five or six teams in the league that have one of the worst records and they go to a contender, it’s not a bad thing. “If I were to stay here, though, it’d be great.” Would he consider re-signing long-term with the Magic, who are clearly in a rebuilding period and have now lost 26 of their last 29 games? “I haven’t thought about the long-term, to be honest with you,” he said.
• Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press: Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman appears to have reached the conclusion that guard Brandon Roy, out since Nov. 9 with a knee injury, might not play the rest of the season. Adelman said Roy "hasn't worked out with us" and doesn't know "where he stands." "If he does play, it will be a pleasant surprise," Adelman said before the Wolves' game Wednesday night, Feb. 20, against Philadelphia at Target Center. "I don't expect him at this point." … The Wolves reportedly are pursuing a settlement with Roy if they are unable to trade him by Thursday's 2 p.m. trade deadline. The second year of Roy's $10.4 million contract, worth $5.3 million, is not guaranteed.
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: The last time the Pistons were in the news on a daily basis at trade deadline time was two seasons ago, when they had public discussions with the Nets and the Bulls about former Piston Rip Hamilton. That won't keep Pistons fans from crossing their fingers that some savior will come through that door to rescue the franchise. But there are a few things to remember. The Pistons have already pulled off a significant trade when they sent Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye to Memphis in a deal that brought Jose Calderon. With a payroll at $68 million, they are well above the salary cap and just under the $70 million luxury tax. They aren't in position to take on extra salary.
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: So the Mavericks, who returned from the All-Star break with a 111-96 victory over Orlando, weighed their options Wednesday as trade winds blew through portions of the NBA but stayed dead calm in Dallas. What Cuban and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson saw happening as the phone lines blew up was interesting. Even when it came to trying to accumulate future draft picks, other teams weren’t buying what the Mavericks were selling. “I think the value of draft picks has gone up, so people don’t want to give them up,” Cuban said. “In the past, you might say: ‘Sure, here’s a pick to take with that.’” That’s not happening now. Like the Mavericks, teams around the league are figuring out that draft picks are the only sure-fire way to improve a team since free-agency is becoming a bigger crapshoot every summer. As a result, it is tougher to pull off high-impact deals. … The Mavericks remain unlikely to do anything before the 2 p.m. Thursday deadline, although there’s always the chance something pops up at the 11th hour. Cuban said he has fought the urge to do something just to do something, which no doubt would appease some fans.
• Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle: Early in the second half, helping on interior defense, Bogut hammered the hulking Gortat to the floor, not something you're used to seeing from a Warriors center. When Bogut was cleared to play after missing 38 games with a slowly-mending ankle, the buzz question became, "Is this guy permanently damaged goods?" That buzz is quieter. Jackson might be right, that it's a matter of scraping off the rust, but the playoff clock is ticking. "Just confidence," Bogut said when I asked him where he most needs to see improvement. "It's funny, you (lose) rhythm and a feel for the game. And conditioning obviously is still a bit of an issue." But widespread panic has been averted. For now.
• T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times: Let's take this a step further. The two basketball experts in town, Magic and Plaschke, have declared Jeanie Buss should be in charge of the Lakers. This has to be a blow to Jimmy Buss, who probably understands he also won't be Phil Jackson's choice as best man. But if Jeanie Jackson is running the Lakers, whom do you think she would like to hire as team president? She's already interviewed him repeatedly, they have experience carpooling to work and I can't imagine she'd be crazy about the idea of getting married and leaving Phil at home alone in the hot tub. Or worse, as The Times' Mike Bresnahan has reported, there's the possibility Phil might take a similar position in Seattle if the Kings move there. Now let's see, would Phil be more interested in living in an apartment in Seattle working for the Kings or staying with his wife and overseeing the Lakers?
• Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: Sometimes a foreign experience helps a player see the light, and Terrence Williams wholeheartedly embraces that theory. The swingman signed a 10-day contract yesterday with the Celtics, marking his fourth NBA team. He got his release from the Guangdong Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association Tuesday night, and responded like a man released from captivity. Though talented, Williams’ early NBA tenure has been marked by immaturity and an inability to grasp the ramifications of being on a team. But he hopes he has been reborn with this move. “How to be professional,” Williams said last night of his greatest lesson learned. “My downfall in my second year (in New Jersey), what made everything go downhill was not being professional. Young, 20-whatever, money and not really caring. I cared about playing basketball, but not putting the work into basketball. If you go to China for even a day, you learn how to be professional, because you want to come back so fast. That’s what I learned with these last two years.” It’s sounds as though Williams’ Chinese experience was, shall we say, extreme. “Extreme is a small word for that,” he said. “It was definitely extreme. I wouldn’t recommend it for you guys to be reporters over there.”

• John Reid of The Times-Picayune: ESPN's Chris Broussard tweeted Tuesday night that the Hornets have made Eric Gordon available for a trade, but that it’s not likely to happen because teams are concerned about his health going forward. Hornets officials had no comment regarding trade rumors Tuesday night, but Gordon said for the second consecutive day that he’s not concerned about the trade deadline. However, he acknowledged that anything is possible. "I don’t really get caught up to it,’’ Gordon said Tuesday night. "But you just never know your situation. That’s part of the process but at the end of the day, you can’t worry about that as a player. If it happens, it happens. I’m definitely not worried about it.’’ Sources confirm the Hornets would be interested in any trade deal with the Golden State Warriors that would include second-year shooting guard Klay Thompson. But sources indicate the Warriors are reluctant to part ways with Thompson, whom they feel is a young emerging star.
• Bob Finnnan of The News-Herald: The burning question is whether Cavaliers center Marreese Speights will still be with the team. The 6-foot-10, 255-pound Speights came to the Cavs on Jan. 22 along with guards Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby and a first-round pick in exchange for forward Jon Leuer. Speights has fit in well with the Cavs (16-37) as their backup center. He has a player's option on his 2013-14 contract and is expected to become a free agent. That's why the Cavs might entertain thoughts of trading him. … "It's out of my control," Speights said. "It's up to the front office. Whatever they do on Thursday, we'll see what happens." The 25-year-old Speights said he wouldn't mind staying with the Cavs. … Speights is earning $4.2 million this season. If he decides to stay with the Cavs, he'll be owed $4.5 million next season. He might seek a multiyear deal. "We will evaluate our option at the end of the season," agent Andy Miller said on Tuesday.
• Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: If Ferry trades Smith – and the odds appear tilted in that direction – it’s because he is still dealing with the damage done to this organization by previous regimes, which led to extended mediocrity. The Hawks are 29-22. They have a legitimate chance to finish among the top four in the deteriorating Eastern Conference. But this is how a new general manager must view things: What are the chances this team wins more than one playoff round? What are the chances it upsets Miami? If the answers to those questions are near zero, the focus needs to be on the future. Ferry wouldn’t come out and say that Tuesday. This close to the trade deadline, a general manager isn't going to reveal much. But when I asked where he believed the Hawks are at the deadline, he responded, "We’re in a unique situation with the current roster being competitive, but also having good cap flexibility going forward. Like most teams, we’re evaluating ourselves and looking at the opportunities that come to us, especially this time of year. If there’s an opportunity that makes sense for us and for the long-term interest of the Hawks, we’ll look at it closely.” Confused? Focus on this string of words: “… the long-term interest of the Hawks.”
• Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: Spurs forward DeJuan Blair has seen his name in nearly every speculative trade story that has hit the Internet since All-Star weekend, but his approach to Thursday’s trade deadline is educated indifference. “I’m not really worried about any of that,” said the four-year forward from Pittsburgh. “I’m just worried about right now and today. All the rest of that is BS.” Blair’s name has been linked to numerous trades in the last few weeks, and he understands comments he made last summer about expecting to be traded before training camp are partially to blame. Blair’s trade value likely is diminished by the fact he will be a free agent this summer, when teams interested in him could get him without giving up a player.
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: Donnie Nelson has burned up enough cellphone minutes to char-fry anybody’s monthly bill. The Mavericks’ president is as plugged in as anybody regarding what’s going on and who is likely to be involved in deal-making before the deadline. “There’s certainly chatter,” Nelson said Tuesday. “And there will be some things that get done. But there are a lot of teams that are hesitant to do anything that they feel is nothing more than a marginal upgrade.” Lump the Mavericks into that grouping, by the way. They can make plenty of deals. The offers are there. But they have to take back salary for next season to make any of them happen. And that’s where most of their conversations end. … The bottom line is that it would be foolish for the Mavericks to make any deal that cements their mediocrity. Deals that add money to their 2013-14 payroll are enough to paralyze their options for the summer. So for now, they stand pat. At least until the next time the phone rings.
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: Much of the Suns’ trade talk seems to have simmered down as the Thursday 1 p.m. deadline nears, but there is one more possibility. ESPN.com reported New York’s interest in Jermaine O’Neal and Toronto’s interest in Sebastian Telfair while another source said there was All-Star break talk of Oklahoma City exploring Marcin Gortat and P.J. Tucker for Kendrick Perkins, Jeremy Lamb and a first-round pick. Perkins is the type of center to fit the new defensively geared culture, although he is limited offensively for a team wanting to post up its big men. Lamb probably would have been the Suns’ draft pick in June had Houston not made a trade to move up two spots and take him in front of Phoenix. The Suns do have $6.4 million of cap room to take on salary in a deal, but it is more likely that the Suns stand pat to protect their two first-round draft picks and salary-cap space, which leaves room to sign a maximum-level free agent.
• Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News: Paul Millsap’s name has come up in trade rumors for years, and the Jazz forward says he’s used to it by now, saying he takes it as a compliment that he’s a wanted player. One of the latest rumors has him going to the L.A. Clippers for point guard Eric Bledsoe and others. That trade would potentially affect Mo Williams, the team’s current starting point guard, who has been sitting out with an injured thumb for more than a month. “I’m a free agent after this year, so obviously they’ve got some options,’’ Williams said. “Hopefully they understand my value and hopefully this is a place they want me to be for years to come. I know I do. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.’’
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: As Danny Ainge downplayed the possibility the Celtics will be involved in a transaction before tomorrow’s NBA trade deadline, general managers and personnel people around the league are saying quite the opposite. They’ll be stunned if the Celts don’t make a deal of some sort. “They’re too active,” said one. “They’ve been putting a lot of different things out there, and you’d have to think at least one of them is going to come through.” If the Celtics do pull off a trade, it’s likely something beyond what’s already in the public domain, and many of those talks were dead on arrival. … Overall, Ainge added that his trade options are narrowing. “It’s probably cooling down,” he said. “I’ve got answers from a lot of people that things aren’t going to happen, unless somebody springs something on you at the last minute. But that doesn’t happen a lot.”
• Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News: General manager Tony DiLeo has said numerous times that he is not willing to mortgage the future of the organization to get a player who will have only a short stay here. The problem is that besides Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young, both signed to long-term contracts, who else is in the future plans? A report by ESPN's Chris Broussard said that swingman Evan Turner, who is averaging career highs in points (13.8), rebounds (6.6), assists (4.4) and minutes (36.2), is on the trading block, though an NBA source told the Daily News nothing is going on with Turner. Turner is in his third year after being taken with the second overall pick in June 2010.
• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star: Most of the attention concerning the Raptors and trade possibilities surrounds Andrea Bargnani after Colangelo hinted on the night of the Gay transaction that he would be open to moving the enigmatic big man, who has been back for less than two weeks after suffering an elbow ligament tear. While league sources insist there is nothing serious going on with Bargnani, things can come up quickly and Casey knows the deadline can weigh on a player’s mind. “I’m kind of going slow about that,” he said of discussing the issue with the team. “I said it a few weeks ago: ‘You guys don’t pay any attention to it. You just go play basketball.’ The best players in the game have been traded . . . Oscar (Robertson), Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). If somebody’s putting your name out there, it’s a compliment.”
• Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News: The Warriors are already above the luxury-tax line by a few hundred thousand dollars, which squeezes the options. Though Lacob suggests they could go higher over the line for the right deal, it's likelier that the Warriors would try to go under the tax line by Thursday by trading Jeremy Tyler or Charles Jenkins for a future second-round pick. But Lacob made it clear that giving away useful players to drop under the line is not mandatory. "Sure, in a perfect world we would like to be under the tax now," Lacob said. "But it is not an imperative ... "We have a nice mix of younger veterans and youth. We now have size and great shooting and depth. We have an excellent coaching staff and a very good locker room with guys that care, want to win and genuinely like each other ... "Bottom line: this is not about money or tax limits or whatever; this is about the ONLY thing that matters to our fans, our players and to our ownership group ... WINNING."
• Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times: Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak reiterated Tuesday that he will not trade Dwight Howard. The NBA trade deadline is Thursday. Given the Lakers' struggles this season (25-29), Howard's name is popular on the rumor mill. "It's unlikely that there will be an upgrade in the talent of this team. I just don't see how that's realistic," Kupchak said. "We'll continue to be on the phones and make calls, take calls and listen, but don't anticipate anything dramatic taking place in the next two days." So is he still not trading Howard? "That would be correct," said Kupchak.
• Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Last year Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had no problem discussing what he termed the team's "maintenance program." This year, it's a bit different. Spoelstra said he had no plans to rest players the second half of the season because it's too early to even think about it. The decision to sit players at various times last year was an effort to give them breaks during the lockout-shortened season. "I'm not even going to get into that," Spoelstra said after Tuesday's practice. "That bugs the heck out of me. We're not going to start talking about maintenance right now. That's a this-generation-of-media obsession of when do you start sitting guys. We have 32 games left. That's absurd." The Heat last year rested guard Dwyane Wade on several occasions to preserve his health for the playoffs. Spoelstra said the chances of it happening again are highly unlikely, and certainly not at this point in the season.
• Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: They questioned it. Folks in the front office. Folks across the Front Range. Should Denver trade Danilo Gallinari? It was in late November, and the sharpshooter wasn't even shooting 40 percent. The Nuggets received calls about the 24-year-old forward, but the front office decided to wait. Let Gallo grow. Let Gallo find gall. Well, the trade deadline is Thursday, and Gallinari is likely to stay. He spearheaded Denver's 97-90 home win Tuesday against Boston, scoring 26 points while making 4-of-9 3-point attempts. In efforts to make up for teammate Andre Iguodala, who scored one point, Gallinari stuffed the stat sheet with a Dre-like night, tallying five rebounds and five assists, along with a plus-20, best of the night.
• Sarah Kogod of The Washington Post: During the second quarter of last night’s Wizards game at Verizon Center, the word on Twitter was that Raptors broadcaster Matt Devlin was taking some shots at Wale, after he witnessed some chatter between the Raptors’ Rudy Gay and a courtside Wale during the game. “So, Wale is inspiring, and I’m sure somebody on Twitter can tell me exactly if they’ve ever heard of Wale,” Devlin said on the Toronto broadcast. “He’s not Drake, that’s for sure.” Burn. The Drake dis made its way to Wale at the speed of light, and the D.C.-based rapper responded on Twitter. … I caught up with Devlin after the game, and he said any “yelling” was a product of the loud arena, and that any beef was Twitter’s fault. “You know what, we were making fun of ourselves. Making fun, because we’re not hip,” he told me. “Obviously people on Twitter and social media, it kind of took on a life of its own. So he came up, we started talking and there was nothing to it.” As for any beef between Wale and Gay, Wale insists there isn’t any. … So there you have it. No one is admitting to any beef, and Wale’s cool with not being Drake. I didn’t reach out to Drake for comment, because I’ve already written 400 words on this nonsense and I don’t care what Drake has to say anyway.

• Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: Jerry Buss wanted the Lakers to stay in the family, so he long ago turned over business operations to daughter Jeanie, 51, and in recent years had son Jim, 53, making the decisions on the basketball side. Buss arranged to pass his 66 percent controlling ownership in the Lakers to his six children in one entity via his trust. "There is huge willingness to continue this in the Buss family," said Bob Steiner, family spokesman, on Monday. With both Jeanie and Jim groomed to handle their roles, the immediate future should feel the same as they did when Jerry was still around to make final decisions – although there is valid reason to wonder how – or for how long – Jim and Jeanie, who have not gotten along recently, will settle for sharing control. Either sibling could establish an ownership group – requiring an especially wealthy financier – that takes over in the event the six children agree to cash out with a majority vote among them to sell. Steiner reiterated Monday: "The entity can't be split. The heirs do not own the team individually. It has to be collective." The rest of the Lakers' ownership breakdown is: Ed Roski Jr. (3 percent), Patrick Soon-Shiong (4 percent) and Philip Anschutz (27 percent). Anschutz has included his personal Lakers stake in his epic sale of the AEG empire being conducted now; it is not known if his right of first refusal to purchase Buss' share can be transferred via sale.
• Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times: If the Buss family goes against its stated desire to keep the team, there is a possibility that the Guggenheim group could eventually buy the Lakers and install Johnson as team president. But Magic Johnson said he sincerely hopes the team stays in the Buss family, and he has already cast his vote for the next chief executive. "I hope Jeanie Buss takes over the team," Johnson said. "She was Dr. Buss' right-hand person. The two people always running with Dr. Buss were Jeanie and myself. She knows this team better than anyone. She should have all the power, she should take over the empire." Johnson said he knows the love and respect upon which his mentor built this empire, and he hopes the children can agree that it is worth saving. "I know what the man wanted, and I'm hoping the kids can make that happen," he said. For now, Johnson is focused not on the uncertain future, but on his winding past, and the teacher who accompanied him on every crazy step. "We created this incredible magic that lasted for all these years. … My heart is broken," Johnson said softly, haltingly, the magic momentarily gone.
• Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: In 31 years of covering professional sports in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta, I’ve known both good team owners and bad, some who celebrated with fans and players, some who existed only as a name on corporate letterhead, some who hid like cowards when their team was sold and moved away (hypothetically speaking). But the best owner I’ve ever known just passed away. Jerry Buss died of cancer Monday. He was 80. Because I’m from Los Angeles, I had a chance to know the man a little. I covered two teams that he owned, first the NHL’s Kings and then the NBA Lakers. There are several stories I could tell from the early 1980s that would illustrate how emotionally invested Buss was in his teams, how he was driven to succeed in sports as much as he had in real estate, where he amassed his fortune. (True story: Buss once told me he could be broke one day and immediately go out and make a million dollars. When I asked him how, he responded, “I could tell you but you would never do it.”) But when I heard the news of Buss’s death, my first memory wasn’t of him a sports owner but as being almost one of the guys.
• Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News: Buss was more hands-on than many know, and he was this season even when ill. He wanted Mike D’Antoni, in part, because he hoped for a final glimpse of Showtime. An aging team could never give him that. And as the Lakers go forward with a broken roster, there’s a fear in Los Angeles that nothing will be the same in a post-Buss world. The Lakers are out of the playoffs today yet have the league’s largest payroll. Buss survived by creating revenue streams in his market — such as broadcasting — where others couldn’t. But he also believed in a system that allowed everyone to compete, and McCombs says it always wasn’t this way. The previous Lakers owner, Jack Kent Cooke, didn’t want to play a small-market team such as the Spurs, much less lose to them. Buss, instead, embraced the idea that the league should be fair. So as McCombs glowingly spoke of Buss on Monday — calling him “brilliant, humble and gracious” — something else McCombs said should resonate. “He never said, ‘I’m a big guy, you are a little guy.’” That’s why Los Angeles will miss him. As should San Antonio.
• Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal: Byron Scott called late Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss a close friend and one of the greatest owners in the NBA. Buss died Monday morning. “He was not your typical owner,” Scott said. “Dr. Buss was a friend. He was one of the first persons that called me after I was fired in New Orleans and I hung out with him a few times, which was hard because every time we hung out, everyone took it as me trying to get the Laker job or us talking about the Laker job. They didn’t understand it was a genuine friendship between us. I love him to death because of all the things he brought to Los Angeles and the Lakers and what he meant to that city. Obviously it’s a very sad day in Los Angeles.”
• Howard Beck of The New York Times: The competitor in Buss always valued skills over spending power. When the luxury tax was introduced, Buss vowed never to cross the tax threshold. Not because he wanted to save money, but because he wanted to beat everyone on a level playing field. “What they’re trying to do is say, ‘Let’s all have the same number of chips and we’ll see who can build a team the best,’ ” Buss said in 2000. Eventually, other teams sprinted past the threshold, forcing Buss to do the same, but he was always the poker player at heart, angling to beat you with his intellect and his foresight and his bravado. “I like the concept of having the same number of weapons and just see who can run the ship the best,” Buss said. “That’s competition.” For the last 34 years, Buss was simply better at it than everyone else.
• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post: So what did Dwyane Wade think of Kobe Bryant successfully defending LeBron James down the stretch of the 2013 All-Star Game? “Nothin’,” Wade said. Which is about what Sunday’s entire exhibition exercise meant. Sure, the Heat’s three All-Stars fell short, with the East falling 143-138, James struggling with his shot for the first time in forever, Chris Bosh finding himself featured on blooper reels and Wade’s scoreless fourth quarter costing him an opportunity for his second All-Star MVP. Yet, Tuesday, regular-season reality returns, and should prove refreshing. Erik Spoelstra, who showed his relaxed side while coaching the East, will lead his first full-scale practice in a full three weeks. He will do so with his team in exactly the same strong position that it held after last Thursday’s win at Oklahoma City – first in the Eastern Conference, four games clear of New York. He will do so with the Heat healthy, riding a seven-game winning streak, and yet without any creeping contentment.
• Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon said Monday night he understands his name likely will surface in rampant trade scenarios before Thursday afternoon's trading deadline, but concedes it's the nature of the business and he's comfortable in New Orleans. "I'm not really worried about it," Gordon said. "I've just got to go out and play my game and look forward to this week. Whatever happens, happens. It's happened to be before where I was traded. Business is business. I really don't worry about that. I'm just focused on this team. For any player that goes from team to team, whatever the situation is, it's all about playing basketball. And it's good to represent whatever organization you're in. I'm here. And I look forward to being here. That's that. Our team is building as one. And we'll see what goes on from here."
• Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee: DeMarcus Cousins meets up with Tim Duncan again Tuesday night. Cousins has a great amount of respect for Duncan, but after the last meeting with the Spurs, Cousins kept his comments short about Duncan. "He's a good NBA player ... I'm not going to even get into that," Cousins said. "Tim Duncan is a good player." There was on sense of anger when discussing Duncan, but the last time Cousins played Duncan Nov. 9 in Sacramento, he engaged in some trash talk that led to Spurs television analyst (and Duncan's former teammate) Sean Elliott to call out Cousins on the air, citing his need to respect Duncan. This led to Cousins leaving the locker room to confront Elliott after the game upon being told via messages on his phone. The league deemed Cousins' confrontation hostile and threatening enough to suspend Cousins for two games.
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: During All-Star Weekend, Michael Jordan gave an interview in advance of his 50th birthday and said only four players from this era could have been superstars in his era – Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. Nowitzki was properly humbled. “Obviously, I was a Bulls’ fan, and Jordan was my hero,” Nowitzki said. “For him to even know my name is crazy, to be honest. Everybody knows he’s the greatest of all time. For him to even say my name is weird.”
• Christopher Dempsey ofThe Denver Post: The best part of the NBA's All-Star Weekend for Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried wasn't so much the chance to put himself in the spotlight, but, for a few days, to feel a bit like a kid again. The players he idolized growing up were everywhere. "Meeting Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) for once in my life, meeting Charles Barkley, meeting Karl Malone, those types of guys that I model my game after," Faried said. "Dominique Wilkins gave me a pep talk before the dunk contest. That was an honor." Wilkins' advice? "First he told me to pull out my best stuff early," Faried said. "I kind of didn't do one of my best dunks, the first one. But the second one, I said, 'If I'm going to be out, let me get out with a bang.' "
• Jason Quick of The Oregonian: In a perfect world, Channing Frye would be at the Rose Garden on Tuesday night, in the starting lineup for the Phoenix Suns, playing in the city where he makes his summer home. But life isn't perfect. And neither is Frye's heart. In September, during a routine preseason physical for the Suns, an echocardiogram revealed that the 29-year-old forward has an enlarged heart. His season, doctors said definitively, was over. His career path -- which included two years in Portland -- is a little more uncertain. He is under doctor's orders not to run. Or work out. Or do anything that escalates his heart rate. The extent of his activity these days is yoga and golf. "Just give me 20 minutes to run," Frye says, sitting against the wall in his yoga room. "I mean, when's the last time I've been able to run? It's been six months." He is a little down today -- Monday -- but it's only perceptible because he says so. Five days ago, during a checkup, doctors felt the need to prescribe beta blockers to help restrict his heart rate. Frye is careful not to call it a setback, but the development weighs on him. He is a strict believer in practicing naturopathic treatment, and the directive for traditional medicine ends the chance of him beating this obstacle on his terms.