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Celtics vs. Lakers 

• Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe: "Kevin Garnett is the player who changed everything for the Celtics this season. He is the difference between 24 wins and 66 wins. He finished third in the MVP voting. He is making $23.8 million this season. He is 32 years old, and this might be his one and only shot at an NBA championship. He is the reason the Celtics have a shot at their first banner in 22 years. So, where is the Big Ticket now that he's finally on the Big Stage? Garnett is averaging 18 points and 13 rebounds per game in the Finals. He's still playing Rodney Harrison defense. But the stats lie. We want more. His own coach said, 'We've got to get Kevin going. Clearly.'"
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: "Since the Cleveland series, which sure feels like a long time ago right about now, Eddie House had played 16:59. The guy who averaged 19 minutes a game in the regular season had been a DNP five times in the playoffs. And he needed Tuesday's 19:48 stint against the Lakers just to get him up to a 6.2-minute average for the 18 postseason games he has gotten in. Now, with Rajon Rondo's left ankle and Sam Cassell's game both in question, the Celtics may be forced to turn back and look House-ward again. He has certainly handled the situation well, but the inconsistent opportunities aren't easy to deal with. 'No, you're never used to that,' House said before yesterday's practice at Staples Center. 'But at the same time you have to be a professional and take a professional approach to it and always be ready just in case your number does get called.'"
• Broderick Turner of The Press-Enterprise: "The trend for Lakers center Pau Gasol in the NBA Finals has been to start strong and finish weak. The Lakers need Gasol to be a force all game. He is averaging 13.7 points per game in the first three games and 10 rebounds. 'I just try to adjust to what the team needs,' Gasol said. 'Most of the time we need somebody that rebounds, plays defense now and hustles and bangs up. Even though my body is not fit for that most of the time, I still try to have a lot of hard work and I'm a competitor. I'm going to go out there and do what it takes.'"
• Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: "The Lakers need three more victories to finish this right, and it's highly unlikely Bryant can bang his head against that wall as hard and as often in Game 4 Thursday night. He also played energetic defense Tuesday on all of Boston's best perimeter players and logged 45-plus minutes -- half a quarter more than Pau Gasol, who played the next-most Lakers minutes. All told, Bryant might have expended more energy Tuesday night than he did 2 ½ years ago during his 81-point explosion. And that's why he was chilling in the Lakers' locker room Wednesday afternoon while all his teammates were on the court, working on jump-shooting drills."

Leaguewide

• Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times: "This is John Paxson's last hurrah. His last bullet. His last draw. He admits it. After the news conference Wednesday afternoon introducing new Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro at the United Center's Stadium Club, Paxson surveyed the empty room, which opens onto the empty hallways, which, in turn, open onto the vast, empty basketball arena below. 'Yes, it is,' the general manager said when asked if this off-the-wall hiring would be his signature move, the success or failure of which likely would define -- and revive or end -- his managerial career. ... 'And I'm fine with that. And I'm fine with myself.'"
• Rick Morrissey of The Chicago Tribune: "These introductory news conferences are interesting because they shed light on what a franchise thinks was lacking in the previous coach. When Paxson talked Wednesday about the importance of communication skills, you had the distinct impression that former coach Scott Skiles couldn't have carried on a conversation with one of his players if they were stuck on an elevator together."
• Martin McNeal of the Sacramento Bee: "Vlade Divac said by phone Wednesday from Madrid, Spain, he still hopes Donaghy's accusations are untrue. 'I knew something was wrong then, and I still know something was wrong,' said Divac, who fouled out of Game 6, as did fellow Kings center Scot Pollard. 'My first reaction to hearing this is that I hope it's not true. There was definitely something going on, but in my imagination, I never could have taken it so far to think that the league was behind it.'"
• Marcos Bretón of the Sacramento Bee: "Here in Sacramento, it's not funny. Revelations that a disgraced NBA referee is alleging that other refs conspired to rob the Kings of a championship berth is like a nightmare come true. People here never have gotten over 2002 and the Kings' epic Western Conference finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sacramento felt ripped off then and now. So when news exploded Tuesday that disgraced ref Tim Donaghy cited Game 6 of the Kings-Lakers series as proof of game fixing by other refs, it was worse than picking at an old scab. It was taking a switchblade to an old scab"
• Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News: "Greg Magarity, the former federal prosecutor who represented the NBA referees during their interviews concerning alleged gambling improprieties, told the Daily News yesterday that the referees 'feel like victims.' But because the officials, by league rule, cannot speak publicly about their situation, Magarity felt compelled to speak on their behalf. He made that decision after the latest series of allegations from convicted former referee Tim Donaghy made headlines Tuesday night, just before Game 3 of the Finals."
• Simone Weichselbaum, Kerry Burke and Dave Goldiner of the New York Daily News: "More than 91% of Daily News readers who responded to an online poll said they believed Donaghy's claims about game fixing."
• Michael Grange of The Globe and Mail: "The decision to offer Jorge Garbajosa a buyout as part of an overall settlement reflected a couple of realities. The first is Garbajosa wouldn't be likely to pass an NBA physical in his current condition, meaning playing for the Raptors or elsewhere in the NBA wasn't an option. The second is Spain wants Garbajosa to play at the Beijing Olympics in August -- as does Garbajosa -- and Colangelo said after the NBA season had ended that the Raptors wouldn't grant him permission as long as he was under contract with the clu
  b, holding on to one additional bargaining chip."
• Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: "Spencer Haywood, 59, is an outspoken basketball mind, blogging often about his own life in the game, as well as the current state of the NBA. Q: As a rookie for the Rockets, you led the league in scoring (30 points per game) and rebounding (19.5). What are your thoughts on current Denver scoring star, Carmelo Anthony? A: I think Carmelo Anthony has to decide who he wants to be. He came into the league with a lot of fanfare, has the skills to do things, but isn't following through on the other aspects of his game. You look at the guys he came in with. Dwyane Wade has become a strong defensive player, serious team player. And the 'King' is the king. LeBron James is about winning, defense, whatever it takes. I don't see that with Melo. He seems to want to get his 30 points but not do the dirty work that's necessary. Now, I like his outside shot, but he needs to get his body in there and do the dirty work inside. And -- get the braids out. The style is dead."
• Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun: "The Raptors reiterated last week that though offers are constantly being made for point guard Jose Calderon, the odds of him moving are nil since the club can match any offer. Now comes word that Calderon recently fired his American agent, while maintaining his European representation. Connecting the dots, it appears Calderon, a restricted free agent, likely realized he would be returning to the Raptors, so paying considerable cash to a North American agent to promote him around the league made little sense."
• Chris Murray of the Reno Gazette-Journal: "On Wednesday, Kirk Snyder allowed himself a glimpse into the past, saying that if he had a second chance he would have returned to Nevada for his senior season. 'I would have stayed in college,' Snyder said. 'Just to enjoy one more year and then nothing could have stopped me when I came out. I would have been more mentally prepared for it. I was thinking of the wrong things at the time, and I got knocked on my butt a couple of times and fell right on my face. And some guys don't pick it up. I was just fortunate to have a good circle around me that said, 'You can do it.'"
• Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee: "That guy in the No. 6 jersey is Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin, who played in the Sacramento Professional Developmental League game at Capital Christian on Wednesday night and didn't disappoint. That guy in the stands, meanwhile, was one of 30 or so fans on hand who watched the fun affair. And therein lies the problem. In the same vein of Ron Artest doing late-night radio stints for free, big-time NBA players just don't do this sort of thing. Yet despite the word of Martin's appearance being confirmed more than a day in advance, the crowd was pathetically sparse. As a reminder, this is $7 ticket fun (free for kids 12 and under) with plenty of talent on hand and at least six rim-shaking dunks in the first game I'd seen this summer."
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: "Brandon Bass spent part of Wednesday at Dallas Christian School talking and playing with kids at a Mavericks' youth camp. It was one of those things that put a smile on his face. 'I just wanted to be involved with some of the kids because, when I was coming up at this age, I would have loved for a pro to come to the gym and do a drill with me or play with me or just say something to me,' Bass said. 'That would have inspired me a lot. I never had it. That's why it's important for me to come out here. I know what it would have meant to me.'"

• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Stu Jackson said No. 2 should not be viewed as a pitiable position. 'I think everybody has a certain control in that top half of the lottery, because there are always players up there that teams covet,' he said. 'If you've got two or three really good players at the top of the draft, the choices become more tempting.' The Heat appears to be selling that notion, with rather public overtures to Southern Cal guard O.J. Mayo and little attempt to hide meetings with Stanford center Brook Lopez and UCLA forward Kevin Love. Bickerstaff said that approach is wise, allowing others to get the scent that a top pick could be had, that those who can't make it work at No. 1 just might find a suitor at No. 2. 'You've got to leave all the doors open,' Bickerstaff said. Most of all, Bickerstaff said you remain patient, even if it means having to wait until the 11th hour."
• Marc Berman of the New York Post: "O.J. Mayo, who was considered the third best talent in the NBA Draft, will work out for the New York Knicks today at their Westchester campus. It is unsure if Mayo, a freshman at Southern Cal, will slide as far as six but he agreed to work out for the Knicks."
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "The Pacers replaced Chris Douglas-Roberts with Virginia's Sean Singletary. Singletary, who played well at the Orlando predraft camp, was joined by Cal State Fullerton's Frank Robinson, Minnesota State-Mankato's Atila Santos and Florida's Marreese Speights on Wednesday. Thursday's workouts should definitely be more interesting because Georgetown's Roy Hibbert, Texas A&M's DeAndre Jordan and Nevada's JaVale McGee are expected to be at the Fieldhouse."
• Tim Buckley of the Deseret News: "Sasha Kaun worked out Wednesday for the Jazz in advance of the June 26 NBA Draft, along with fellow bigs DeVon Hardin of Cal, Aussie Nathan Jawai and Brian Butch of Wisconsin, and point guards Tyrone Brazelton of Western Kentucky and Mike Green of Butler. What helps to separate him, Kaun hopes, will be winning ways honed with the 2008 NCAA-champion Jayhawks. 'Winning a national championship is a big thing,' said Kaun, who averaged 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds as a senior. '(Pro) teams like that ... the attitude, and that you've been in a positive, winning program.'"