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LOS ANGELES -- Give the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets their due, the two teams played a frenetic, de facto playoff game. The Rockets ran the floor with abandon, fanning out in transition like birds in flight, and injecting the game with even more chaos than normal. The Lakers played a gutty game despite shooting the ball terribly. Whatever the Lakers lacked in proficiency, Pau Gasol made up for in moxie -- 17 points, 20 rebounds, 11 dimes. Dwight Howard’s presence underneath neutered the Rockets’ drive-and-kick game, as the Lakers prevailed 99-95 in overtime.

All 30 NBA teams were in action on Wednesday night, but “in action” is a term of art in April. The roster of notables who sat out the final night of the regular season: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, David West, Paul George, Kevin Garnett, J.R. Smith, Roy Hibbert, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, Al Horford, Tyson Chandler, Josh Smith, Nicolas Batum, Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Wesley Matthews and Goran Dragic. That doesn't include players such as Kobe Bryant, Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari, each of whom suffered late-season injuries, nor Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, who left a very tight game in the third quarter, never to return.

Apart from the Lakers-Rockets buzzfest, the Utah Jazz played a sudden-death game at Memphis, while the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings clashed in a competitive game at Sleep Train Arena. Beyond that, it was formalities.

A few of these absences have been chalked up to injuries of unknown severity, but most of the names on the list are game-ready. Wednesday night was the most egregious example of NBA truancy, but this isn’t a recent development. For the better part of the past few weeks, teams comfortable with their playoff seedings as well as many of those who can improve draft position by tanking have been holding key players out of games.

NBA coaches and organizations aren’t the culprits here. They’ve been charged with very clear objectives -- win meaningful games, mitigate risk in meaningless ones and build the franchise with young talent. In turn, they make the personnel decisions that help achieve these goals. Injuries are a too-common occurrence in the NBA. There’s also plenty of evidence to suggest that players who log heavy minutes are less likely to win in June. For teams outside the playoff race, a dreadful April can catapult them up the draft board.

All that being the case, what possible motivation does an NBA team have for exposing their best players to exhaustion or injury? For a team locked into a playoff position, the best strategy is to hermetically seal stars in bubble wrap until the games matter again.

We can’t incentivize certain behavior, then be irritated when people act on those motivations. So how do we deter the rash of DNPs we see every April, when the NBA schedule is three parts filler to one part substance?

There's simply no fool-proof way to wipe out ShamBall entirely from the latter portions of the NBA schedule, but there are some smart measures to consider:

• Shorten the season: Two points here: (1) Each game shaved off the schedule increases the probability that the race for seeding will be more competitive. As a rule, a greater number of games means greater distance between teams in the standings. Most years, a 44-, 58- or 72-game season would likely create a jumble, and jumbles are good for competition. While there would certainly be seasons when a top seed (or any other seed) could be locked up early, it's simply tougher to do with fewer games. (2) There's a reason these guys are resting, they're exhausted and banged up. Fewer games mean fewer minutes, which would diminish the need for rest or healing.
• Stop giving teams a reason to tank: The current lottery system rewards failure, plain and simple. So long as that's the case, the bottom-feeders -- many of whom are no joy to watch even when they're trying -- are thinking about probabilities that improve with each loss. There are several ways to go here, ranging from the elimination of the lottery (or the draft, but I'm dreaming) to a lottery that includes all 30 teams. It could be unweighted, or even calibrated to reward success after a team has been mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture.
• Give the Bill Simmons Plan a go: "[S]tage a weeklong, single-elimination, 16-team tournament between the nonplayoff teams for the 8-seeds. (No conferences, just No. 15 through No. 30 seeded in order.) The higher seeds would host the first two rounds (eight games in all) from Sunday through Wednesday; the last two rounds (The Final FourGotten) would rotate every year in New York or Los Angeles on Friday night and Sunday afternoon, becoming something of a Fun Sports Weekend along the lines of All-Star Weekend. Friday night's winners would clinch playoff berths. Sunday's winner gets two carrots: the chance to pick their playoff conference (you can go East or West), as well as the No. 10 pick in the upcoming draft (that's a supplemental pick; they'd get their own first-rounder as well)."

April should be the climax of the NBA's regular season, a time when the game's most outstanding players are showcasing their skills as an appetizer for the postseason. That's hard to do when stars are in suits.

Michael Jordan was one of the first NBA players ever to have his own trainer, and Tim Grover was his guy.

Grover's access to Jordan has long been as good as anybody's, and now the trainer to Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and others has just released a book called "Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable" about building NBA greatness.

Grover sat down with us on Tuesday for a series of interviews. This first one is about Michael Jordan, and includes a shocking bit of Jordan insight from Grover.

You know Jordan's famous "Flu Game," when Jordan famously fought illness to succeed in Game 5 of the 1997 Finals in Utah.

Grover says Jordan didn't have the flu at all. Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose have recently debated whether or not Jordan was in fact hung over for that game, a suggestion that Grover scoffs at.

The real truth, Grover says, is that Jordan was poisoned.

"100 percent," Grover says on TrueHoop TV. "He was poisoned for the 'flu game.' Everyone called it a flu game, but we sat there. We were in the room." Grover explains:

We were in Park City, Utah, up in a hotel. Room service stopped at like nine o'clock. He got hungry and we really couldn't find any other place to eat. So we said eh, the only thing I can find is a pizza place. So we says all right, order pizza.

We had been there for a while. Everybody knew what hotel. Park City was not many hotels back then. So everyone kind of knew where we were staying.

So we order pizza.

Five guys came to deliver this pizza.

I take the pizza and I tell them: "I've got a bad feeling about this. ... I've just got a bad feeling about this."

Out of everybody in the room, [MJ] was the only one who ate. Nobody else had it.

And then 2 o'clock in the morning I get a call to my room. Come to the room. He's curled up in the fetal position. We're looking at him, finding the team physician at that time.

Immediately I told him it's food poisoning.

Not the flu.

 

Wednesday is the final day of the NBA regular season, and there’s no shortage of reasons to tune in. There are still playoff spots to be clinched, seeds to be determined and individual honors to be claimed.

Wild West Playoff Picture
Here’s how much we know for sure in the Western Conference entering Wednesday. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the 1 seed, and the San Antonio Spurs are No. 2. That’s it.

The Denver Nuggets have the inside track for the 3 seed. They’ll lock it down with a home win over the Phoenix Suns, or if the Los Angeles Clippers lose what could be the Kings’ final game in Sacramento. If Denver loses and the Clippers win, the Clippers take the third slot.

The worst the Nuggets or Clippers could do is the 4 seed and a First Round matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, but who hosts the first game of that series is still to be decided.

If Memphis, currently with the same record as the Clippers, ends with a better record, it will have home-court advantage of the series, despite being seeded lower.

From six on down, it gets even more convoluted. If the Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 ET, ESPN) and the Golden State Warriors lose to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Rockets knock the Warriors out of the 6 seed.

The Warriors can’t fall any lower than seventh, but Houston could potentially fall as low as eighth. If the Lakers beat the Rockets, the Lakers take the 7 seed, knocking Houston to eighth.

If the Lakers lose to the Rockets, it opens the window for the Utah Jazz to get the final playoff spot with a win over the Grizzlies (8 ET, ESPN).


East is Much Simpler
If the Western Conference scenarios were too confusing, you might like the Eastern Conference much better.

Six of the eight playoff seeds are already locked in. The Chicago Bulls hold the 5 seed, and will hold onto it with either a home win over the Washington Wizards, or an Atlanta Hawks road loss to the New York Knicks.

Of course, with the 5 seed comes a potential Conference Semifinals matchup with the Miami Heat.

Individual Honors on the Line
The biggest head-to-head battle Wednesday night seemed to be Kevin Durant chasing Carmelo Anthony for the scoring title, but news that Durant will not play means that Anthony becomes the second Knicks player to win a scoring title, joining Bernard King.

But there is still history to be made. Golden State’s Stephen Curry enters Wednesday one 3-pointer behind Ray Allen’s NBA record of 269 in a single season, set in 2005-06.

Curry is averaging 3.5 3-pointers this season, meaning the odds are in his favor to break the record.

With Durant not playing, it also means Trail Blazers rookie Damian Lillard will likely lead the NBA in total minutes. He’d be just the third rookie in NBA history to lead the league in minutes played. The other two are Wilt Chamberlain (in 1959-60) and Elvin Hayes (1968-69).

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

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

• Tom Moore of phillyBurbs.com: In the wake of a published report saying the organization privately hopes Doug Collins doesn’t return next season as 76ers coach, his agent claims it will be Collins’ call. “The relationship with Doug, me and Sixers management has been terrific,” said John Langel during a Thursday afternoon telephone conversation. “What they told me beyond this season and as recently as today and yesterday is how long Doug stays here is Doug’s decision.” Langel denied rumblings that the story, which cited multiple unnamed NBA sources, in Thursday’s Philadelphia Inquirer originated from Collins’ camp. Sixers spokesman Mike Preston said, “We are aware of the report and will not comment on a column loaded with innuendo and speculation.”
• Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News: An NBA source reached Thursday said the decision of staying or going is up to Collins, that Harris and Co. are on board with him being the coach of the team "for as long as he wants." That stance hasn't seemed to change since the beginning of the season. But through all this, one thing seems to be clear - Collins most likely won't be coming back as head coach next season. This type of talk usually doesn't arise unless a change is going to happen. Should Collins quit, he would leave the last year of his salary, reportedly at $4.5 million, on the table. No one wants to leave that kind of money out there. But coming back at age 62 and overseeing yet another rebuilding year certainly can't be enticing to Collins, though, again, management would welcome him back with open arms.
• Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: In the history of its franchise, the Heat has won less than a handful of games in San Antonio. Up the road a ways from the Alamo is Oklahoma City, where the most hostile home crowd in the NBA cheers for the Thunder. Consider these two cities Exhibit A and Exhibit B for why locking up the best record in the NBA was important for the Heat. In clinching the league’s best record Wednesday, Miami earned itself home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and that includes a Game 7 scenario at AmericanAirlines Arena in the Finals. In other words, the Heat bought itself an insurance policy. “We’re not going to use that as a crutch, but it’s a nice break-in-case-of-emergency box that we have installed in the ‘Triple A,’ ” Battier said. Since the beginning of the LeBron James Era, the Heat has only played one Game 7. It was the final game of last season’s Eastern Conference finals, and the Heat defeated the Celtics 101-88 at AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat did not begin the 2012 Finals with home-court advantage but turned that series in its favor with a win in Oklahoma City in Game 2. Miami then won three consecutive games at home to prevent the series from going back to Oklahoma.
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: Danny Ainge doesn’t drink alcohol, but he’s having a shot of reality with his beverages these days. He has a genuine good feeling about his Celtics as they lug duffel bags filled with question marks through the last four regular-season games and into the playoffs. But the president of basketball operations is well aware the odds are not smiling kindly on his lads as they take the court against the Heat in Miami tonight — and beyond. Even with both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett traveling to Florida, the two stars are battling ankle issues and will not play tonight, according to the team. (Dwyane Wade, who has missed six straight games with right knee soreness, expects to play for the Heat.) In terms of psychological edge, the best thing the Celts may have going for them in a week is they may catch an opponent looking beyond their blip on the screen. “I don’t know,” said Ainge, pondering the point, then reaching for real. “Usually when you’re under the radar and you have low expectations, it’s because you’re not as talented as the teams you’re playing. So I don’t know if that’s good or bad. “We’ve been the favorites in a lot of series over the last years, and our guys have responded to that. This will be a chance to see what our guys are made of being the underdogs.” Ainge then commenced with what would be considered stock talk from a guy at the top of an organization. But even in this case, he didn’t dodge the harsher facts. “I love our team going into the playoffs,” Ainge said. “I think our team has good chemistry, we have a lot of resolve and I think they’re fun to be with.”
• Joe Freeman of The Oregonian: Knock on wood. The most important piece of theTrail Blazers’ future is about to be jinxed. For all the accolades Damian Lillard has received, for all the history-making statistics he has accumulated, for all the hypehe has generated, perhaps his proudest achievement during this runaway Rookie of the Year season has gone unrecognized. Lillard is one of just 39 players in the NBA — and the lone person on his own team — to play in every game this season. His basketball ability is so dynamic and so polished, its easy to forget that Lillard also is quickly proving to be one of the toughest and most durable players in the NBA. “He’s the closest thing I’ve seen to Andre Miller since Andre Miller,” Blazers trainer Jay Jensen said, referring to the former Blazers point guard and one-time NBA Iron Man who played in 632 consecutive games before a suspension ended the streak. “Damian is one of the toughest I’ve seen.” No NBA franchise has had its foundation and future rocked by injuries more than the Blazers in recent seasons, as one-time franchise cornerstones Greg Oden andBrandon Roy had promising careers sabotaged and a host of other players endured various ailments. But Lillard is breaking the Blazers’ bad mojo. Not only has he started all 78 Blazers games, Lillard also has played extensive minutes. Lillard ranks second in the NBA in minutes played (3,012) and third in average per game (38.6).
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins doesn’t think his future in Memphis is tied to how far the team advances in the playoffs. His players certainly don’t believe a contract extension for Hollins should come down to the postseason. … Hollins is in the third and final year of his contract. There is nothing in place beyond this season and the Grizzlies have not discussed an extension with him yet. Griz management has not laid out criteria for Hollins, either. Majority owner Robert Pera and CEO Jason Levien have tinkered with the roster while continuing to afford Hollins coaching autonomy. But there is a growing perception that the organization could be waiting to see whether the team advances past the first round after losing an opening-round Game 7 at home to the Los Angeles Clippers last year. Hollins doesn’t believe that is the case.
• Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: The Cavaliers will be facing the hottest team in the NBA when the Knicks visit Quicken Loans Arena on Friday. Now is not the time for Kyrie Irving to wear down before our eyes. In the five games since his return from a sprained left shoulder, Irving is shooting 33.7 percent from the field (29 of 86) and 29.2 percent from behind the arc (7 of 24). He admitted after the Cavs' 111-104 loss to Detroit on Wednesday, he's a bit worn down. "Going into the fourth quarter, I was obviously a little fatigued like everyone else on the court, but that's no excuse for not executing on both ends of the floor," Irving said. Irving has committed an uncharacteristically high 13 turnovers in his last two games. During that span, he's dished out 15 assists. He has averaged 28 points in those two games. The 6-foot-3, 191-pounder has been very good vs. the Knicks this season and has averaged 31.5 points. Included in that total was a career-high 41 points against the Knicks on Dec. 15. "I think he looked more tired in the first half," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "In the second half, he picked it up."
• Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: Depending on how things play out — in both the impending postseason and the upcoming offseason — tonight could be the last time Paul Millsap ever wears a Utah Jazz uniform at EnergySolutions Arena. Utah finishes its regular season in Minnesota and Memphis, so Friday's game against the Timberwolves could possibly be the free-agent-to-be's home finale after a seven-year stint in Salt Lake City. The longest-tenured Jazz player clearly didn't want to think about that fact, somewhat brushing off a question about whether he'd have extra emotions going into what could be his last home hurrah in a No. 24 Jazz jersey. "I don't approach it differently than any other game, especially in these past few weeks," Millsap said. "The main focus, the main goal, is to win." Millsap smiled when asked to talk about the growth he's experienced since coming to Utah out of Louisiana Tech in 2006.
• Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis and Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee: In another day of chaos and confusion over the Sacramento Kings, a respected sports publication said Thursday that the NBA is asking Sacramento's bidders to compensate Seattle investors if the team stays put. Sports Business Daily, quoting an unnamed source, said the NBA wants Sacramento's investment group to compensate Seattle investor Chris Hansen for the $30 million nonrefundable deposit he already paid to the Maloof family. The report came one day after a source told The Bee that the Maloofs have demanded a written purchase offer from the Sacramento investors as a backup to the purchase agreement they signed in January with Hansen. The two developments, coming less than a week before the NBA is expected to decide the Kings' fate, underscore the fluid nature of a process that league Commissioner David Stern has called unprecedented. Michael McCann, a legal expert at NBA TV, said the league may have asked Sacramento's investors to compensate Hansen out of fear he might sue the league for damages. "If the NBA is going to, in effect, pick Sacramento over Seattle, it wants to do so in a way that eliminates any legal exposure," McCann said.
• Jeff Faraudo of The Oakland Tribune: The playoffs are secure, a No. 6 seed is not quite so certain. And suddenly neither is the status of center Andrew Bogut, who aggravated a sprained left ankle in the first quarter Thursday night and did not return in the Warriors' 116-97 loss to Oklahoma City. Golden State hung with the Thunder for a half before the NBA's Western Conference leader pulled away. With three games left in the regular season, the Warriors have just a half-game lead over the Houston Rockets in the race for the No. 6 spot in the West. A seventh-place finish would mean a daunting first-round playoff assignment against either the San Antonio Spurs or the Thunder. Bogut, who had microfracture surgery on the same ankle late last April, suffered the sprain in Tuesday's playoff-clinching victory over Minnesota, according to a team spokesperson. He aggravated it Thursday and exited the game with 2:55 left in the first quarter. He went to the locker room for the remainder of the night. It was not immediately clear whether his removal from the game was precautionary or indicative of something more serious.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: In a must-win of sorts, a game the Thunder needed to stay in control of its own destiny, OKC came out and absolutely demolished the Warriors, a team that historically puts pressure on the Thunder inside Oracle Arena. “We emphasized before the game 48 minutes of just toughness and (being) locked in,” said Kevin Durant. They’re going to score, but we stayed locked in and poised. And I think we did that throughout the whole night.” In the race for the West’s top seed, the Thunder is now a half game ahead of San Antonio with three games remaining. In many ways, the final three games will be as challenging as the past five. Unlike the past five, the next three will come against sub-.500 teams, only one of which (Milwaukee) will make the postseason. It’ll be more of a mental challenge to take care of business in these final three than it was to get up for the previous five. Those were about executing and the Thunder playing up to its potential. These final three will be about showing up.
• Frank Isola of the New York Daily News: The next time you hear a team owner, executive or player say “We’re a family,” just remember the unfortunate ending to Kurt Thomas’ career. Family doesn’t treat family that way — unless, I suppose, you are a Soprano or a Manson. Thomas will lose the title of the NBA’s oldest player Friday once the Knicks, desperate to add a healthy body for their depleted front line, release the 40-year-old forward and sign journeyman James Singleton. The expected move — Singleton was in town Thursday but unable to play because the deal was not finalized — comes eight days before the playoffs begin and 23 days since Thomas saved the Knicks’ hide on the West Coast by playing the game of his life. The Knicks’ winning streak, which was snapped at 13 games here Thursday night, began in Utah with Thomas’ selfless and courageous performance. Thomas played with a broken foot, knowing that he could possibly damage it further by playing. Next week, Thomas will have pins inserted in his right foot. “For him to go out there and be playing on a fractured foot and do the things he did for that game, (he) helped us right the ship,” Carmelo Anthony said. “I don’t think he gets enough credit for that.” Instead, Thomas is essentially being fired. This is a necessary evil of the business, of course. The Knicks need frontcourt insurance and Thomas wouldn’t be available even if the Knicks reach the NBA Finals. With Thomas gone, 39-year-old Marcus Camby is now the second- oldest player on the roster behind Jason Kidd and the only active player from the Knicks team that reached the 1999 NBA Finals.
• K.C.Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: The only timeline the Bulls have given regarding Derrick Rose's return is eight to 12 months. That means, given the surgery took place May 12, missing the 2012-13 season always was a possibility. Now that Rose sitting out all season is all but a certainty, the Bulls and Rose have drawn some criticism. Asked in light of that whether the Bulls should have just declared Rose out for the season last fall, coach Tom Thibodeau shrugged. "They were just being forthright," Thibodeau said of management and team physician Brian Cole. "That's what everyone thought. We didn't know, and we still don't know. We were just being honest.” … Rose was cleared for full scrimmaging on Feb. 18. He has practiced well but has given no signs of playing in games. … Thibodeau reiterated there is no drop-dead date for Rose to return, leaving the possibility open he could play in the playoffs after missing the regular season. Nobody expects that scenario to transpire, however, which means Rose likely would return next training camp.

We have had Marc Stein on the show. We have done rapid fire on the show.

But somehow this is the first time we have done rapid fire with Marc Stein. He got himself on rapid fire probation with one incredibly un-rapid answer, but all in all, of course he shone. Week 23 power rankings, Sacramento vs. Seattle, L.A.'s team, Knicks or Celtics, Derrick Rose, the Bobcats' rebuild ... thanks to all that speed, that's about a third of what we covered.

• 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.”

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

• Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: The streak hasn’t been without some lucky breaks. In five of the Heat’s past six games, opponents have been without key contributors. On Wednesday at United Center, the Bulls were without starting center Joakim Noah, starting two-guard Richard Hamilton, reserve Marco Belinelli and, of course, Derrick Rose. Before the game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstraacknowledged “luck” as a contributing factor to the streak. The Heat defeated the Cavaliers after trailing by 27 points. Would that comeback have been possible if Cleveland was playing with Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving? And what about that two-point victory in Boston when the Celtics were without Kevin Garnett andRajon Rondo? The Pistons played in Miami without Brandon Knight and Andre Drummond last week. The Magic went up against the Heat’s winning streak without center Nikola Vucevic and Arron Afflalo.
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: We now resume the dog days of the season already in progress. So who starts alongside Juwan Howard in New Orleans? And what exactly are NBA TV and ESPN going to do with those extra upcoming Heat games they added? It had to end sometime. And it became clear the Heat were running on fumes. There was an undeniable mental aspect of the streak. History would have been nice. A second consecutive championship would be nicer. LeBron James simply has to get some time off now. He pushed as hard as anyone during the streak. And Dwyane Wade would be wise to going back to resting that knee. So it still will take one more Heat victory or one more Knicks loss for the Heat to wrap up No. 1 in the East. That will happen. But it will be interesting to see how hard, if at all, Erik Spoelstra pushes for the top overall playoff seed. We may get that read on Sunday in San Antonio. It could be argued that the Spurs game is the only game that matters on the Heat's remaining schedule.
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: Wednesday morning, hours before the Bulls applied the brakes to the Heat's run at history, Tom Thibodeau was asked if he had mentioned their 27-game winning streak. "What streak?" Thibodeau said. Indeed, on a night when the only Derrick Rose appearance came via a bobblehead doll and Joakim Noah, Richard Hamilton and Marco Belinelli also sat with injuries, the Bulls made history disappear. The second-longest winning streak in North American major professional sports league history is over thanks to a 101-97 victory that, out of nowhere, rekindled talk of a substantive Bulls' postseason run. The Bulls clinched their fifth straight playoff berth, handing the Heat their first loss since Feb. 1. "We've been saying it all year: When we're at our best, we can beat anybody," Luol Deng said. … And just like that, chants of "End the streak!" and "Beat the Heat!" from the United Center faithful rang out. "I mean, everyone is aware," Thibodeau said of the Heat's chasing the 1971-72 Lakers 33-game streak. "But we're more concerned about them being the defending champion. Everyone is chasing them, regardless of whether there is a streak or no streak." Emphasis on no streak.
• Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: The 1971-72 Lakers can exhale. Their 33-game winning streak is still the NBA's longest. The current crop of Lakers took some pride in its preservation after the Miami Heat's streak ended at 27 with a 101-97 loss Wednesday to the Chicago Bulls. Some players were even happy. "In a big way, I am," said Pau Gasol, who in his six seasons with the Lakers has become friends with the coach of that '71-72 team, Bill Sharman. "I'm glad that we kept the streak. It was about time that Miami lost." … "I guess now that it's over, it's kind of nice that the Lakers still have it," Steve Blake said. Kobe Bryant, in his 17th season with the Lakers, was diplomatic. "I think as a student of the game, as a fan of the game, you appreciate those kind of streaks," he said. "You realize how difficult it is to put together that big of a streak. Obviously, the Lakers winning 33 in a row was phenomenal. The Heat's run was just as impressive." The present-day Lakers weren't lighting up cigars to commemorate the continued life of the 41-year old record. It didn't even matter that they also beat Minnesota on Wednesday, 120-117.
• John Rohde of The Oklahoman: Washington Wizards point guard John Wall didn't hesitate when he was asked if the Thunder's Russell Westbrook is the NBA's fastest player. “No, I'm going to say myself,” Wall said after shooting just 3 for 18 from the field in the Wizards' 103-80 loss to OKC before a sellout crowd of 18,203 at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Wall wouldn't even say for certain that Westbrook was the league's second-fastest player. “It's tough man,” said Wall, who was coming off a career-high 47 points Monday against Memphis and finished with 18 points and 12 assists against the Thunder. “There's a couple fast guys in this league. He (Westbrook) is up there, Derrick(Rose) is up there, when he's healthy. Mike Conley's pretty quick. There's a couple guys. Ty Lawson's quick. So there's a lot of guys, but I put myself first.” Wall was still complimentary of Westbrook, admitting he is at a place in his career where Wall hopes to some day find himself.
• Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe: His mechanics looked sound, as they often do for a player whose shooting stroke is simply textbook, and Bradley buried jumpers from all over the hardwood. But Bradley had a rough shooting performance in the Celtics’ 93-92 win over the Cavaliers, hitting just 1 of 7 shots, scoring just 3 points. And in the last 12 games, Bradley is shooting 32.2 percent (39 for 121) and several misses have been layups or other shots right around the rim. “I’ve just got to stay confident,” Bradley said before the game. “Sometimes I forget that I had surgery [on both shoulders]. “And I always think that everything will be perfect all the time. Obviously I’m going through a slump right now. I’ve just got to stick with it.” Bradley struggled against the Knicks in the Celtics’ 100-85 loss Tuesday night, missing 8 of his 11 shots. After that game, coach Doc Rivers said that Bradley was “clearly going through something” and that “I’m probably going to have to do something to get him going more, not less.” Rivers did acknowledge that Bradley’s offensive role has shifted with point guardRajon Rondo out.
• Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets, one of the NBA’s hottest teams, was slipping from the Spurs before Danny Green went on one of the season’s hottest long-range shooting streaks during the last four minutes of the second quarter. In just 93 seconds, Green made four 3-pointers to help trim a 14-point deficit to three by halftime. The Spurs went on to win 100-99. “Only reason why we stayed in the game,” said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, whose 3-pointer with 1:25 left to play proved to be the game-winner. “He made some tough threes when we were really struggling. They were feeling good, and he made four in the quarter. That kept us alive, and it was huge to keep the game close.” The four rapid-fire 3-pointers gave Green six for the half, a franchise record for 3-pointers in one half. “They found me in pretty good scenarios,” Green said. “I was pretty much open every time Tony (Parker) drove. He drew the defense and kicked it and found me — what he does best. I’m happy he’s back. I got some open threes and luckily, some of them dropped.” Parker was happy Green’s shot was back after a Sunday game in which he only made two.
• John Jeansonne of Newsday: Just because he can doesn't mean he should. Knicks shooter J.R. Smith is just that, a shooter, who can nail jump shots from binocular range. But what coach Mike Woodson has liked about Smith's contribution to this Knicks season, and particularly to the team's six-game winning streak down the stretch, is that "he's starting to figure out some things. He's not just taking jump shots. He's taking it to the rim, getting to the free-throw line. He's rebounding, he's playing defense." In Wednesday night's uneven 108-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies -- the Knicks were like an orchestra on offense in the first half, harmonizing movement, passing and spot-on shooting, and mostly off-key in the second half -- Smith again was the leading scorer. He had 35 points, the night after scoring 32 against Boston. In a reserve role, as usual, he made 10 of 18 field goals -- 3 of 7 three-pointers -- and, as Woodson said, earning free throws. He made 12 of 13 and shared team-high rebounding honors with Carmelo Anthony (7 apiece).
• Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News: Gerald Wallace has reasons to be celebrated in Portland, and it’s mostly because he was the means to Dame Lillard in a trade that has been universally evaluated as a steal for the Trailblazers. Nets GM Billy King – who also dealt for Deron Williams and Joe Johnson -- has been most scrutinized for his one trade at the 2012 deadline, when he gave up a first-round pick for Wallace on an expiring contract. But it’s more complicated for the Nets. For starters, Brooklyn wouldn’t have drafted Lillard had they kept the pick that became sixth overall. The top candidate for Rookie of the Year has surpassed all expectations, plus the Nets had their own point guard they were trying to re-sign. Tyler Zeller was a name the Nets considered as reported by ESPN, but more likely they would’ve traded the pick in a draft their scouts distrusted, according to a source. To me, the only question of the trade was whether that pick would’ve been enough convince Orlando to trade Dwight Howard within in the Eastern Conference? Otherwise, the logic for acquiring Wallace is easy to follow. It also shaped two franchises and their futures. “Obviously it changed the course of the franchise,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said Wednesday.
• Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times: Chauncey Billups started for the first time in three games for the Clippers and was playing well until he aggravated his strained right groin early in the third quarter. Billups left the game with 10 minutes 40 seconds left in the third and was replaced by Willie Green. Billups didn't return and has been listed as day to day by the Clippers. "Yeah, it's frustrating," Billups said. "It's always frustrating to be banged up and in and out a little bit. I just mark it down as part of the process. I'm not going to be depressed or nothing like that. I'll get back right." Billups had missed just one of his five first-half shots and he had made all three of his three-point shots. His final shot was when Billups banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer ending the first half, giving the Clippers a 56-48 lead. Billups said he felt the injury late in the second quarter but kept playing through the pain. He had it wrapped up at halftime and came back out to play.
• Richard Walker of the Gaston Gazette: Like most rookies, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has shown signs of wearing down late in the season, even as Dunlap has played him 30 or more minutes only three times in the last month. “For all rookies, there’s the emotional ups and downs,” Dunlap said of Gilchrist, whose scoring has dropped to 8.9 after hitting a season-high of 12.7 six games into the season. “And there’s also endurance. He’s had some tough times but he’s also gotten some good lessons.”… Wednesday’s win continued a strange trend for the Bobcats as it relates to attendance. In the 16 home games this season in which Charlotte has played in front of 16,000 or more fans, the Bobcats are 1-15 while they are 10-10 in games with less than 16,000 fans; The attendance Wednesday was 11,839.
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: I’m sure most of you would like for the Pacers to have the No. 2 seed in the East already locked up so that they could rest some players and also use the time to give Danny Granger plenty of minutes to work his way back into shape. I personally like what’s going on with the Pacers, Knicks and Nets. Every game means something. The Pacers, Knicks and the Nets can’t take any nights off because each team has little room for error in the standings. The only team that doesn’t have anything to play for are the Heat, who had their 27-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday in Chicago. The goal is to avoid the fourth seed because that likely sets you up for a second round match up against LeBron and his crew. The Pacers don’t want the three seed because that likely means opening the second round in Madison Square Garden in a city that’s passionate about its team and the fans can blow the roof off the Garden with their excitement.
• Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune: Al Jefferson has been the focal point of the Jazz offense since his arrival in 2010. There is no surprise when the Jazz pound the ball to the center on the left block. That part of the court is his workshop, where he toils and tinkers, finding new ways to frustrate competent, professional big men into looking foolish. Jefferson took 23 shots on Wednesday. His role in the Jazz offense is not diminished. But is it changing? That was the sense given by both Mo Williams and Paul Millsap following the Jazz's 103-88 win over the Phoenix Suns. Jefferson finished with 25 points on 12-of-23 shooting, and he scored six of the team's first 10 points to start the game. However, both Williams and Millsap said the Jazz have changed the offensive philosophy at beginnings of games, which could explain the fast starts in Monday's win over Philadelphia and Wednesday. Both nights, the Jazz made their first six shots. "I think we got a little carried away with just coming down, starting the game, just throwing it down to Al, letting him work." Millsap said. "It made it too tough on him, made it too tough on everybody else. It's basically just getting everybody moving, moving the basketball around." Millsap said the Jazz's focus needs to be "getting different options."
• Mike Kern of the Philadelphia Daily News: In 1973-74, the Milwaukee Bucks were three seasons removed from their lone NBA title and they still had a center by the name of Jabbar. That was also the last time they swept the season series with the Sixers. It still is. Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center, the Sixers beat the Bucks for the first time in four tries, 100-92. They have 11 games left, only three more at home, in what has been a season gone horribly wrong. They're ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, 7 1/2 games out of the last playoff spot that currently belongs to Milwaukee. So … "Until the math says [we're eliminated], we're going to keep playing like we're fighting for it," said center Spencer Hawes, who finished with 15 points, his seventh straight double-digit effort, and a career-high 17 rebounds. Fair enough. On Fan Appreciation Night, the Sixers opened up an 18-point lead midway through the second quarter.
• Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee: The basketball war between Sacramento and Seattle ratcheted up Wednesday as both cities made moves to strengthen their claim to the Sacramento Kings. The day after his City Council approved a $448 million downtown arena plan, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson released a list of 24 businesses that have pledged $50 million in team corporate sponsorships for the next five years. He also said he plans to gather 10,000 season ticket purchase pledges to take with him to New York when he makes his case next week to keep the team in town. As of 9:35 p.m. Wednesday, the www.herewebuy.org website, which has been up since late January, had 7,369 pledges. But Seattle scored a big headline of its own Wednesday. According to court documents, the Seattle group seeking to buy the Kings has signed a tentative $15.1 million deal in bankruptcy court to take control of the 7 percent of the team owned by Sacramento businessman Bob Cook, who is in bankruptcy. The group, led by San Francisco investment fund manager Chris Hansen, already has a deal in hand to buy a 65 percent share from the Maloof family, the team's current majority owners, and minority owner Bob Hernreich. Their plan calls for a $490 million arena south of Seattle's downtown. … Hansen's 7 percent purchase in bankruptcy court is not final, either, court officials said. Any of the team's other four minority owners has the right to match that bid in the next 15 days. If one matches the bid, he has priority to buy the shares.

• 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.

The NBA began the season with a new rule against flopping, and the early indications were it made a difference.

Since 2013 began, however, the NBA has cited a mere four flops, out of close to 25,000 minutes of live ball play. Here they are, with video:

• Corey Brewer (March 9)
• C.J. Watson (Januar 25)
• Kevin Martin (January 23)
• J.J. Barea (January 22)

Considering that the league issued a total of 12 warnings and fines in the first two months of the season, that could be a sign the rule is doing its job, and players are flopping less.

But on the other hand, it's not that hard to find examples of flops that are going unpunished. A sampling:

• Chris Paul (March 19)
• Kyle Lowry (January 16)
• Blake Griffin (January 19)
• Chris Bosh (January 30)
• Gordon Hayward (March 13)
• Lance Stephenson (March 15)

Subjective observations suggests that the league, as a whole, on the season, has less flopping. But there's also evidence that the NBA is becoming increasingly lax in its policing.

The playoffs, when flopping rates are usually at their season-high, are just around the corner. Teams value every possession more in the playoffs, and therefore the incentive to flop will be high. And the league's flopping policy has always had the flaw that fines and sanctions are only handed down after the game, so a key flop still might win some team or another a playoff game.

Now seems like the right time to make clear the best game plans should not involve flops.

Also, the way the league has punished flopping has not helped to combat the perception that superstars are largely immune. The biggest name on the list of floppers this season is Tony Parker. Meanwhile the player with one of the greatest flopping reputations, Paul, has gotten off entirely, despite video evidence that he hasn't changed his style much. The league has an excellent opportunity right now to prove stars like Paul can get in flop trouble, too.

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