- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: "The Magic meet the Lakers at Staples Center for the first time since L.A. beat them in the NBA Finals. The Lakers won it 4 games to 1 -- and it looks as if they've put even more distance between themselves and the Magic. And everyone else. L.A. is a league-best 31-9, Bryant is the MVP front-runner and newly acquired Ron Artest has not become a distraction, except to opposing players. Meanwhile, going in the opposite direction lately, are the Magic. Orlando is (26-14) has lost six of its last eight games and is 9-10 since a 17-4 start. Not exactly the way to head into a Finals rematch and show the Lakers a thing or three, curled into the fetal position. Injuries and inconsistency have hampered a team that retooled its bench and acquired Vince Carter, who has struggled. The Magic haven't been able to build on last season's momentum and experience. 'We're not taking the next step from there,' coach Stan Van Gundy said. 'We need to be concerned about taking the next step from where we are now.' While this match-up intrigues fans and TNT, here's where the Magic are now: Van Gundy said that the game is 'absolutely' more about fixing the team's current problems than extracting belated revenge. He said he won't delve into game-planning for the Lakers until today's shootaround."
- Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News: "Kobe Bryant needs to score 30 points tonight in order to reach the 25,000-point milestone for his career. Only 14 players in league history have scored that many points, none have done it at Bryant's age (31 years, 148 days). What's more, Bryant is closing in on Jerry West's franchise record of 25,192 points. Barring an injury or illness, he could reach it while the Lakers are on their upcoming eight-game trip, which begins Thursday at Cleveland. 'Scoring? That's what I do best,' Bryant said. 'Steve Nash is a great passer. I'm a scorer. That's what I do. That's what came easiest to me. At an early age, when I was 5 or 6, I could put (the ball) in my left hand or my right hand. -- It's all led to now.' "
- Sam Amick of The Sacramento Bee: "In the days leading up to Kevin Martin's return from injury, Kings coach Paul Westphal conveyed a simple message to his
players about the changes to come: Be ready for anything. Yet just two games into what basketball president Geoff Petrie dubbed 'Phase Two' of their season, it is quite clear that nobody was ready for this. It's the stagnant offense, the absence of rhythm, the disappearance of the chemistry and style that had re-engaged Kings fans and garnered respect around the league. And though Martin has played in only two of the 10 losses in the Kings' last 12 games, his presence hasn't provided the offensive upgrade for which they had hoped. If anything, it has only complicated matters. While Martin and Tyreke Evans have meshed just fine in the backcourt, nearly everyone else on the roster is struggling to understand their role." - Dave Krieger of The Denver Post: "For most of their three decades competing across the Continental Divide, the natural geographic rivalry between the Nuggets and Utah Jazz hasn't been much of one. This is unfortunate, because the Mountain time zone doesn't have that many pro sports rivalries to choose from. If you disqualify Phoenix as a part-time resident, the next best might be Calgary-Edmonton in the NHL, which, let's face it, is not exactly a ratings bonanza in the Lower 48. The Jazz leads the all-time series with the Nuggets 94-65. Since Jerry Sloan took over from Frank Layden as the Utah coach during the 1988-89 season, the Jazz leads 64-32. In fact, in 30 seasons of competition, the Nuggets have never swept a season series from the Jazz. So it is another indication of their ascendancy that they have a chance to do it this season for the first time. Their 119-112 victory Sunday night gave them a 3-0 mark this season with one game still to play. When I asked George Karl if he'd like to be the first Nuggets coach to sweep a season series from the Jazz, he grimaced and said he didn't want to talk about it until Sloan was out of town."
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic "The Suns have enough problems without TNT showing up to broadcast their game. The Suns have lost 17 consecutive games that have been broadcast by the network. The peculiar streak will continue or end today when they face the Grizzlies, who have won eight consecutive home games. The Suns have not won on TNT since March 13, 2008, including two playoff losses and two preseason losses. ... Suns coach Alvin Gentry is considering starting Robin Lopez at center for the first time this season in place of Channing Frye."
- Ross Siler of The Salt Lake Tribune: "At least in terms of his personal story of making it to the NBA after going undrafted out of college at Marquette, Wesley Matthews stands alone among first-year players who could be selected to the Rookie Challenge. Whether Matthews, though, will make the trip to Dallas, taking his place among the top picks from the 2009 draft class and helping represent the Jazz at next month's All-Star weekend remains to be seen. 'It would mean the world to me,' Matthews said. 'I don't even know what I would have to say. I'd just be so excited, just the path that I've had to go through. And to be selected as one of the best rookies halfway through the season, to be a part of the All-Star Game when you've grown up watching it as a kid, that would mean more than anything in the world.' Matthews has enjoyed a storybook season after winning a spot on the Jazz's roster. He went into Sunday ranked 10th among all rookies in scoring, averaging 8.2 points in 22.8 minutes while starting 19 games."
- Ken Sugiura of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Among the most noteworthy elements of Jamal Crawford's game-winner and the Hawks' string of recent wins is how they have highlighted the dilemma Hawks opponents face by having two established finishers on the floor. Oklahoma City, which plays the first-place Hawks Monday, deals with this next. 'They have Joe Johnson and now they have Crawford as well, so they have two closers,' Boston coach Doc Rivers told reporters last Monday, when the two combined for 37 points in the second half of the Hawks' come-from-behind road win. 'That makes it really tough, especially when we get in a one-point game with them. It's very difficult to get stops against guys that don't need a play to score.' ... Employing two closers whose primary method is jump shots opens the risk of both going cold, as the Hawks have experienced. But having two such players is certainly better than one. 'It feels great to have another guy there to make the defense play honest and who can really score the basketball,' Johnson said. 'It does. It takes a lot of pressure off me.' "
- Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com: "The Sixers forward is playing well during the team's 6-3 stretch. After injuries limited him to 37 games during the previous two seasons, Elton Brand is finally starting to feel more like the Elton Brand who averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in his first 10 NBA seasons. And it's showing on the court. In the Sixers' last nine games, he's shooting 58-for-108 (53.7 percent) from the field. The Sixers are 6-3 during that span, with Brand averaging 18.7 points and shooting 59.2 percent in the victories. Brand had 25 points on 11-for-16 shooting in a Dec. 28 victory over the Trail Blazers, another 25 in a Jan. 9 drubbing of the Pistons and 18 in Monday's 96-92 win over the Hornets. 'You definitely miss a lot (sitting out so many games),' Brand said. 'Timing-wise, conditioning-wise and confidence-wise, it's definitely coming back for me. Getting the victories is the best part.' "
- Israel Gutierrez of The Miami Herald: "It's a disconcerting trend that continues, but one that no one seems to be able to fix. Michael Beasley has three terrific quarters, then he doesn't close the game out with nearly the same effectiveness. Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Beasley once again looked like he was on the verge of a career game, scoring 26 points through three quarters. In the fourth, in a relative blowout where he played every minute, the forward scored just two points on 1-of-5 shooting. It's no secret these weak finishes have been a problem for Beasley. The mystery is why it's happening. Beasley tends to dismiss the trend, saying the fourth quarters are usually reserved for Dwyane Wade to do his damage. 'It just depends on the situation,' Beasley said. 'If we're in the game, we've got No. 3. He makes all the plays, and he makes great plays. So there's really no complaining there.' No, but there would be no qualms at all if Beasley created a dual threat late in games the way he often does in the first three quarters."
- Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: "It may have been nothing more than a momentary stinger, but Paul Pierce headed to the trainer’s room near the end of yesterday’s practice after colliding with Shelden Williams and taking a knee to his own right knee -- the same one that had to be drained last month. Pierce briefly re-emerged with a heavy ice pack on the knee before heading back to the locker room once practice ended. 'He got kneed in the exact same spot -- it’s just amazing, the luck right now with little things like that,' said coach Doc Rivers. 'That’s why he was so upset. He was like, it was starting to feel good. So we hope that he’s fine.' "
- Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times: "The Clippers don't seem to have much trouble rising to the occasion when the lights on the marquee are a bit brighter and the very best arrive in town. (Well, there was that 40-point loss to the Lakers on Friday.) Still, often rising to the occasion against the better teams has its flip side. Cue up some ominous music for today's opponent. Bring on the New Jersey Nets, armed with the baggage of 36 losses. The Clippers, coming off a one-point loss to Cleveland on Saturday, watched film and had a brief walk-through Sunday, a good move considering their banged-up physical state. And then there were some words of caution from Coach Mike Dunleavy: 'I said to our guys, 'Hey, most times, I feel more confident playing against the really good teams because you guys stay focused longer. And when you stay focused longer, we're better.' ' That was a way of getting around to the three-win Nets. 'Well, that's what I was presenting. That's the point I was making,' Dunleavy said. 'You can't look at records. If you go over individual personnel, you say, 'That guy is good. I like that guy. He's talented. You've got to make sure you have that focus.' "
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "For the first time in the regular season since he joined the Rockets, David Andersen will go against Bucks center and fellow Australian Andrew Bogut, 7-0. But they did play against each other in the preseason, with Andersen making his first five shots and scoring 17 points. 'It's always good fun banging up against another Aussie,' the 6-11 Andersen said. 'We have good times, good battles. We said hello. We went out for dinner before. We'll catch up before the game. We keep in touch.' "
- Howard Beck of The New York Times: "In 1972-73, Fred Carter was the leading scorer for the fantastically awful Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 20 points, his best season to that point. The 76ers went 9-73, which stands as the worst record in N.B.A. history. The mark is in mortal danger. The Nets -- a hapless team trapped between eras, abandoned by fans and its own management -- have won just three times in 39 games, for a sickly winning percentage of .077. They are on pace for six victories. They are threatening to steal Carter’s perverse sense of pride. 'It’s our record,' Carter insisted in a recent telephone interview. 'And we earned it, one way or the other.' The record has survived two serious assaults. The Dallas Mavericks went 9-71 before winning their final two games in 1993. The 1997-98 Denver Nuggets got their 10th win in their 77th game and also finished 11-71. The Nets present an unlikely threat to the record books. They have an All-Star point guard, Devin Harris, and a rising star at center, Brook Lopez. Their shooting guard, Courtney Lee, started in the finals last year for the Orlando Magic. No one around the N.B.A. thinks they should be this feeble."
- Scott Cacciola of The Commercial-Appeal: "Oscar Robertson, one of the finest basketball players in the history of the game, will be honored along with Alonzo Mourning this afternoon as recipients of the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award when the Grizzlies play the Phoenix Suns at FedExForum. Robertson and Mourning, a seven-time NBA All-Star, also will participate in a pregame symposium as part of the 8th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Game and Celebration. He was one of the most complete players of his or any other generation, a 6-5 guard who was a triple-double threat every single time he stepped on the court. He scored 26,710 points in 14 seasons with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks, and he averaged more than 30 points per game in six seasons. And each time he did that, he also led the league in assists. 'What people don't realize about him is that he was one of the toughest, nastiest players to ever play,' Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said, the word 'nastiest' in this case being a supreme compliment. 'He was unbelievable. He was hard on opponents, he was hard on officials, he was hard on teammates.' "
- Geoffrey C. Arnold of The Oregonian: "MLK Day has become a busy day in the NBA, with an almost full schedule of games and related events that give teams and their fans the opportunity to honor the civil rights icon. 'He's one of the most prominent human beings of the last century. The league honors him and rightfully so,' Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said. 'I've always been kind of proud at the way the NBA handles that.' The Trail Blazers play Washington at 10 a.m. today in one of two early games that tip off a 12-game schedule. The Grizzlies-Suns game will be the first of a TNT tripleheader, which will conclude with last year's NBA Finals participants, Orlando and the Los Angeles Lakers, playing at 7:30 p.m. at the Staples Center. 'It's a very significant day. He did a lot, especially for the African American community,' Portland guard Jerryd Bayless said. 'He opened up a lot of doors for African Americans and other minorities. Being able to play (today) and kind of represent him is something special.' "
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "Fifty years ago, Harold Gifford copiloted an ancient chartered aircraft carrying home the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team in a storm from a game in St. Louis. Until that night, that Lakers team considered itself anything but a winner. Six seasons after legendary big man George Mikan led the franchise to the last of four NBA titles, these Lakers were on their way to a 25-50 regular season. They also were on their way out of town, bound with young star Elgin Baylor for a franchise move to lovely Los Angeles that very next summer. That day began like so many others -- with a loss, to the St. Louis Hawks -- and ended with a night unlike any other for 22 people aboard. Blinded by an electrical failure and a raging blizzard, their chartered plane flew high, frozen and by the stars and the moon for nearly five hours before it made a forced, off-course, fabulous landing into an Iowa cornfield. Cornfields were apparently very dangerous places back then. Eleven months earlier, musician Buddy Holly had died when his small plane crashed into a cornfield 100 miles to the northeast. The Lakers walked away from their plane unscratched on a night when their unexpected arrival was met by hatchet-carrying firemen and the town's mortician."
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