The Boston Celtics pile misery on Nets

The Boston Celtics rebounded in the fourth quarter to beat the New Jersey Nets 96-87 on Friday and hand the NBA’s worst team their 13th consecutive road loss.The Nets held a one-point advantage going into the fourth quarter but the Celtics’ Eddie House scored all 10 of his points in the final session as Boston ran out winners.

“That’s our mentality. Feed the pig, whoever has it going,” said Rajon Rondo, who had 17 points and 11 assists.
Coach Doc Rivers had put House, Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace on the floor with Rondo and high scorer Ray Allen to ignite the Celtics. And it worked.

The unit went on a 14-4 run and had the game under control before starters Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins and Tony Allen returned.

House had Boston’s first five points of the quarter to put the hosts up by two and they never trailed again. The reserve guard made it 84-77 with his second three-pointer and 10th point in six minutes.
Ray Allen scored a team-high 26 points as the Celtics recorded their third win in a row.

“We thought that we could just outscore them,” Celtics coach Rivers said.
“I didn’t say much at halftime. I basically said, ‘I don’t think I need to talk. We’re a defensive team and tonight we want to outscore them.’ And I said, ‘Good luck.’”
Still, the Boston defense remained lacklustre until the fourth, according to Rasheed Wallace.
“We didn’t pick it up probably until about the six or seven mark in the fourth,” he said.
New Jersey’s fifth consecutive loss meant they dropped to 4-45 for the season.
Brian Lopez had 19 points and Devin Harris 17 for the visitors, who could wind up with the NBA’s worst record in a season. Philadelphia holds the record at 9-73 for the 1972-73 season.
“I expect a lot more out of myself,” Lopez said. “It’s tough going against them because they’re so physical and talented.”

LeBron leads Cavs past Raptors

LeBron James sparked the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 108-100 home victory over the Toronto Raptors.James narrowly missed a triple double with 28 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, while Mo Williams added 22 points and 10 assists as the Eastern Conference’s top team won for the fourth time in five games.
Cleveland (32-11) held a 95-94 edge late in the fourth quarter before breaking away thanks to Williams’ three-pointer and capped by a James dunk.
James, the league’s reigning MVP, made four successive free throws in the final minute to clinch the win.
“They gave us a little trouble in the first half but we were able to slow that down (in the second half). We were a bit more physical on the defensive end,” James said after finishing with three steals and three blocks.
Chris Bosh paced the Raptors with 21 points and 10 boards while Andrea Bargnani added 19 as the visitors fell to 21-21 on the season.
Toronto opened the season with a win over Cleveland that dropped the Cavs to 0-2. Since then, Cleveland have hit their stride and taken over the East, while the Raptors are battling for a play-off position.
Cleveland’s Shaquille O’Neal had 16 points and surpassed the 28,000-points mark for his career, the fifth player to do so.
“The only fallback for me is that I missed like 5,000 free throws,” O’Neal said. “If I would have at least hit half of those, then I would be at 30,000 right now.”

Gasol helps Spain to Euro title

Pau Gasol starred again as world champions Spain added the Eurobasket title to their collection, defeating Serbia 85-63 in Katowice.After helping the LA Lakers to the NBA crown Gasol produced a succession of stunning performances in Poland, despite a slow start to the tournament.
Final rivals Serbia were simply no match as Spain – who won the Olympic silver medal in Beijing last year – dominated from the first quarter.
Star centre Gasol was unstoppable, banking 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
In the first quarter he alone out-rebounded Serbia and it was no surprise when he was mobbed by his team-mates on the final whistle.
“I’m so proud of my team-mates and grateful to all the coaching staff that got us to this point,” said Gasol, whose team were almost dumped out in the group stages by Great Britain.
“I’m so happy to help Spain win this title for the first time. We started the tournament slowly and we were not playing collectively.
“But the last five and a half games we have played amazingly well. We came together when it mattered at the end of the championships.”
Greece – winners four years ago – claimed bronze with a 57-56 victory over Slovenia.
Sofoklis Schortsanitis produced a stand-out hardworking performance, banking a 23-point haul.
“I’m very proud of my players,” said Greece coach Jonas Kazlauskas.
“In this short time we did a great job with a new team that had only three players with experience at such a level.”

Round-up: Greece set up Spain semi

Greece set up a EuroBasket semi-final with world champions Spain after a dramatic 76-74 overtime victory over Turkey in Katowice.Jonas Kazlauskas’s team looked to be through in regulation until a lay-up by Turkey’s Ender Arslan in the dying seconds forced added time.
Arsian then had a chance to win it but missed a three-pointer with the last throw of the game.
Greece’s win also secures them a place at next year’s World Championship, which Turkey will host.
“We never stopped believing that we could win this game,” said Vasileios Spanoulis, who banked 23 points and drained six three-pointers.
“This is a new team, with a new coach, new players and new ideas but we still made it to the top four at the EuroBasket and that’s a big thing for us.”
Slovenia will play Serbia in the other semi-final following their 67-65 quarter-final win over Croatia.
In-form Erazem Lorbek, who played all but 40 seconds of the match, top-scored with 27 points and eight rebounds.
Croatia will need to pick themselves up for Saturday’s play-off with reigning champions Russia, with the winner booking their place at next year’s Worlds.

Nuggets see no reason to fear Lakers

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl believes he owns a recipe the rest of the NBA wishes it had: The Nuggets, Karl thinks, have all the ingredients necessary to beat the Los Angeles Lakers.

Karl won’t reveal too many specifics about what it takes to conquer Kobe Bryant and the defending champs. But it’s clear the Nuggets aren’t lacking for confidence as the Western Conference’s top two teams prepare to square off for the second time this season on Friday. Not only do the Nuggets think they know how to win against the Lakers, they believe they can beat them regularly.

“We kind of know how to beat them, what we have to do,” Karl said. “We’re learning that better, and I think that’s a positive.”

For years, the Lakers routinely had their way with the Nuggets. That changed in last season’s West finals. After losing the opener by two points, the Nuggets won two of the next three games to even the series. The Lakers won the final two games, but the Nuggets believe they learned a lot from the series. Namely, that they don’t have too much to fear from the champs.

It might simply be brash talk, but the Nuggets don’t seem worried in the least about the mighty Lakers. Even if Friday’s meeting has lost some of its luster with Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant both questionable to play because of sprained ankles.

“Why should we be? [The championship] was last year,” Anthony said. “They are the same to me. They are the Lakers, I guess.”

Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups says the Lakers might have actually digressed from last season.

“I don’t know if they’re better,” Billups said. “But they won it all. They don’t have to be better. Nobody was as good as them.

“That’s yet to be seen. I really, really thought Trevor Ariza was good for that team. I think they miss him.”

Adding to the Nuggets’ confidence was their 105-79 beat-down of the Lakers on Nov. 13 in Denver – a game, albeit, that Los Angeles played without the services of All-Star forward Pau Gasol. The Lakers scored a mere eight points in the third quarter while Bryant was held scoreless in the second half. After the game, Bryant said the Nuggets “beat the hell out of us,” and mentioned that Gasol might not have made a difference.

While the loss was just a blip on the Lakers’ schedule, it was a major confidence boost for Denver.

“It mattered to us,” Karl said. “I don’t think it has a high difference to them as [Lakers coach] Phil [Jackson] would always tell you.”

So what exactly is the recipe to beating the Lakers? Having a quick guard like rookie Ty Lawson, Karl said, helps. So does Kenyon Martin’s ability to knock down open jump shots from the elbow of the lane.

“I know what we have to do,” Karl said. “I’m not going to totally divulge, but I think we know we can play this type of game and beat them.

“We have a couple ingredients: Kenyon shooting and scoring from the high post. They left him a little free last year. It’s a little different this year, a lot better this year.

“The little point guard, they have a history with. I’m not saying they don’t cover little point guards well. They just don’t like to cover that little point guard from Aaron Brooks last year to [Tony] Parker in [previous] years. They’ve had struggles. The little point guard is going through their defense. They can’t do much about it.

“It’s all bothersome.”

While the Nuggets don’t give the Lakers much praise, they do admire the champs’ focus – a trait, Chauncey Billups said, that Denver still lacks on some nights.

Denver has played well against many elite opponents this season with wins over the Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers. But the Nuggets have also lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings.

“When you talk about the Lakers, you have to play with a serious mindset,” Nuggets center Nene said. “You have to play focused. If you don’t come prepared, they are going to embarrass you. Their team is good. They have a lot of veterans, a lot of good players. They explore all the parts of the court. They go to the bigs. They go to the smalls. They go to Kobe. When they don’t go to Kobe, they have other players that can finish the game who can be the difference in the game.”

Just like in the teams’ first meeting when Gasol didn’t play, the Nuggets and Lakers could have a hard time using Friday as a true measuring stick of where they stand. Anthony expects to miss his seventh straight game and Billups is playing on a sore ankle. Bryant’s own ankle problems might even cause the Lakers to hold him out.

The teams will meet twice more this season: Feb. 28 in Los Angeles and April 8 in Denver. Between now and then, the Nuggets don’t plan to lose their swagger. They think they’re capable of winning a playoff series against the Lakers unless someone convinces them otherwise.

“I’ll take our chances against anybody,” Anthony said.

Iguodala on the move?

The Philadelphia 76ers are still evaluating their trade options with swingman Andre Iguodala. One source says the Cleveland Cavaliers remain interested in Iguodala, but might need a third team to get a deal done since the 76ers don’t seem to want center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. While Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady’s expiring contract continues to draw interest, his hefty $23 million salary would make him hard to deal for players like Iguodala ($12.2 million this season) and Ilgauskas ($11.5 million) in a three-way deal.

Carrying the torch

Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash isn’t expected to arrive in Dallas for the All-Star weekend until late Friday, causing him to miss the afternoon media availability session. He does, however, have a good excuse: Nash, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, will be in his hometown to carry the Olympic torch to help start the 2010 Winter Games.

Nash will fly to Vancouver after the Suns play the Portland Trail Blazers in Phoenix on Wednesday. While players have received fines for missing previous media sessions, Nash is confident the NBA will excuse him.

“It’s going to be an incredible experience for me,” Nash said. “Obviously, for us to host the Olympics, to host the world, it’s something very special. And for me to be asked to run with the torch is a big honor.”

Tip-ins

…An NBA source said the Sacramento Kings are open to moving guard Kevin Martin and swingman Francisco Garcia prior to the trade deadline while the Chicago Bulls are still exploring options to trade forward Tyrus Thomas. The Bulls, however, have no interest in adding any player that could negatively affect their salary-cap space for free agency this summer. …One NBA executive said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Washington Wizards don’t make a major move before the trade deadline because of the uncertainty about their ownership situation and Gilbert Arenas’ future. Still, that hasn’t stopped the other Wizards’ players from fretting about their own futures. The players think only one of them is safe from a trade: Mike Miller. …Phoenix Suns forward Amar’e Stoudemire said he expects the team to make him another contract offer soon, but rival team executives insist that hasn’t kept the Suns from trying to move him. “I know they’re fielding offers and I would be surprised if he isn’t dealt before the deadline,” one executive said. …While the Nuggets are still looking at ways to add another veteran reserve big man, it seems less and less likely they will get something done before the trade deadline because of financial concerns. Nuggets coach George Karl and his players seem OK with standing pat. “I’m not pushing any pressure or stress that we have to get a player. But I think if we’re smart and we keep the phones open, if it’s a player that I will play, then I will be positive,” Karl said. Said Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin: “I’ll rock out with it. I’m fine with what we got.”

CAA stands at head of 2010 free-agent class

For 35 years, Creative Artists Agency has represented many of Hollywood’s top power brokers. Steven Spielberg. Tom Cruise. George Clooney. Will Smith. Tom Hanks. Brad Pitt. Julia Roberts. Nicole Kidman. Bruce Springsteen. The list goes on and on.

Less than five years ago, CAA decided to expand its reach into the sports world. Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts signed on. The agency landed global soccer star David Beckham, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, giving it access to some of sports’ most marketable personalities. CAA’s basketball portfolio also has steadily grown after noted NBA agent Leon Rose joined in 2007 and Henry Thomas followed. The agency now counts Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and Tony Parker among its clients – not to mention LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

James, Wade and Bosh, of course, are the names on the tongues of every NBA executive these days. All three will be free agents this summer, the headliners of what promises to be the deepest and most heralded free-agent class in league history. That all three are represented by the same agency only adds to the drama and intrigue. It stands to reason that CAA – an agency which wasn’t doing much sports business as recently as five years ago – will now have some influence on how the NBA’s power structure shifts for the future.

“When you have those type of players,” New Jersey Nets president Rod Thorn said, “that’s power in itself.”

Thorn’s Nets are among the teams hoping to lure at least one of the three stars this summer. The New York Knicks and Miami Heat – Wade’s current team – also figure to be among the top bidders. In addition, the Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and perhaps even the Dallas Mavericks will have (or potentially have) significant salary-cap room to spend on a free-agent pool that could also include Amar’e Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Rudy Gay, Shaquille O’Neal and David Lee.

James, Wade and Bosh obviously figure to be the biggest movers and shakers, provided any of the three move at all. The trio’s current teams still hold strong hopes of re-signing them. For all of LeBron’s flirtations with New York, the Cleveland Cavaliers have given him a roster that now owns the NBA’s best record. The Heat have been a disappointment, but they also will have enough money to pair Wade with another top-level player should he decide to stay. And though Bosh has been pegged as the one most likely to leave, the Toronto Raptors’ recent success has at least quieted speculation they will look to deal their franchise star before the Feb. 18 trade deadline.

“I want to be in Miami,” Wade said. “I’ve said it from day one. I’m sure my team will do everything in their power to make sure we’re a winning team. But at the end of the day, we have to do it. People have to want to come and be in Miami.”

Translation: The Heat better get Wade some help if they want him to stay. Could that help become Bosh? Or, in a significantly less likely scenario, even James? That the three are friends and now represented by the same agency has contributed to speculation that two of them may try to play together. All three also have relationships with Nike, whose influence shouldn’t be discounted. And should any of the three players be willing to take less than the maximum salary, their options will only increase.

“Anything is possible,” said Thomas, who came to CAA as the agent for Wade and Bosh. “Let’s put it that way.”

“Anything is possible because it’s the correct answer,” said Rose, who is James’ agent.

There is precedent for one agent or agency representing more than one of a particular class’ top free agents. Lon Babby of the prestigious Williams & Connolly law firm in Washington, D.C., represented Tim Duncan and Grant Hill when both were free agents in the summer of 2000. The Orlando Magic had the money to sign both and tried to do so by having Babby bring them to Florida together.

Duncan and Hill visited Disney World, took a city tour and went to the owner’s home together, but meetings with Magic coaches and executives were done separately. Babby said he was careful to respect the different goals and priorities of each player. While Duncan was seeking only a three-year deal and considering Orlando and San Antonio, Hill wanted a long-term contract and debated signing with about a half-dozen teams.

Hill made up his mind first, deciding to leave the Detroit Pistons and sign with the Magic. Duncan, at times over the three days, seemed to be leaning toward joining Hill. But after returning to San Antonio and meeting with coach Gregg Popovich and teammate David Robinson, he ultimately opted to re-sign with the Spurs. The Magic responded by signing Tracy McGrady – that year’s third-biggest free agent – to play with Hill.

“Obviously, it worked out the best for me to stay where I was,” said Duncan, who has since won three more championships with the Spurs. “[Being a free agent with Hill] definitely comes into play, but I don’t think it’s a deciding factor for anyone.”

Babby said he was careful to make sure both players made individual decisions, even if it appeared, at times, like they were packaged together.

“It lived up to the hype in a sense that they drove the market,” Babby said. “There were decisions that both of them made that garnered a lot of exposure and attention. I felt like I was just hanging onto a tiger and riding it out.

“The pros were getting the best information and dictating the market. You weren’t waiting for people to do things. You knew exactly what was going to happen, and when you did things you had the best information at the time. That was helpful.”

As a result of that summer, the NBA placed limits on what teams can do to woo free agents during the July recruiting process. In the years since, big-name players have seemed less interested in making visits to prospective teams, though Thomas would not rule out James, Wade or Bosh taking trips, perhaps even together.

“Needless to say, conversations will be had coming up to it,” Thomas said.

This much is clear: As with Duncan and Hill a decade earlier, whatever decisions James, Wade and Bosh make – and likely in that order – will impact the remainder of the free agents.

“If one company has influence on so many good players at one time, that makes it really difficult for negotiations for everybody in the league,” one Western Conference executive said.

Rival agents have expressed concern that teams will hold their money while waiting for this summer’s Big Three to make up their minds, delaying signings for less-heralded free agents.

Babby also represents Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen, who will be a free agent this summer. He admits that unless Allen reaches a quick agreement to re-sign with the Celtics, he’ll likely have to wait until James, Wade and Bosh decide their futures before fielding outside offers. The Memphis Grizzlies’ Gay will be one of the top players in the second tier of free agents, and his agent, Jeff Austin, is optimistic the Big Three won’t cause a long delay.

“The top guys will be done quick,” Austin said. “There is too much money at stake, too much money that will be held. If you hold a player for too long, it could be a big risk.”

What CAA can provide its clients this summer is a synergy that perhaps other agencies can’t. Rose works with James, and Thomas helps guide Wade and Bosh, but they also will exchange information with each other about prospective suitors, as well as their own clients’ wishes.

“Being together, we can share that information and discuss all the various scenarios that are available,” Rose said. “It’s just going to be a benefit to all of our players. Ultimately, it’s going to be their decision. There won’t be any information that is left out or won’t be a part of the process.”

Said Thomas: “The most important thing to any negotiation process is having good information. Because we are together, our information will be as good as anyone out there representing free agents.”

Rival agents naturally see another side to the story: By spending so much time with James, Wade and Bosh, CAA will have a harder time handling the needs of its other free agents. “It just brings us back to the information flow,” Thomas said. “The access to information we have not only with ‘The Big Three,’ but all of our clients that we have in play this summer.”

There’s no denying that CAA has become a growing power within the NBA. The agency’s long reach in the entertainment world appeals to many of its clients, especially the bigger stars who hope to expand their portfolios outside basketball. “Not too shabby to be in the family,” Wade said.

CAA has a team of agents who offer clients opportunities in licensing, video games, music, motion pictures and television. Wade, Bosh and New Jersey’s Devin Harris visited CAA’s Los Angeles offices prior to this season to meet the different agents. Through CAA, Wade renewed a deal with T-Mobile and signed one with Flip Video. Bosh has a deal with the Ford Motor Company of Canada, Rogers Communication and Panini Trading Cards.

“They have many things they can do and have a lot of outreaches in different areas in marketing, movies, acting, sports, all these different things,” Bosh said. “I have a wide array of things that I want to do. I’m not a one-perspective basketball player.

“I’m not just thinking about classic general marketing for a normal basketball player. I want to think outside the box and maybe do something in a unique way.”

With the Denver Nuggets’ Anthony also relying on CAA to boost his marketing opportunities, the agency has a hand in the careers of four of the top five picks of the 2003 draft – all of whom currently rank among the NBA’s biggest stars.

“You see how once you get older how things don’t matter as much as when you first came in the league with myself, Carmelo, LeBron,” Wade said. “We all separated everything.

“Now, you see more things coming together, guys being a part of a certain team. In our day, we can all get what we want and it might be more powerful to be together sometimes with certain things.”

James still does the majority of his deals through his own company, LRMR Innovative Marketing and Branding, which he co-founded with childhood friend, Maverick Carter. Carter oversees James’ relationships with Nike, Upper Deck and Coca-Cola and negotiated deals with McDonald’s, Cub Cadet, State Farm and Microsoft. As a result, most league observers say it’s Carter who continues to have the greatest influence on James – not CAA.

“In the end, [James, Wade and Bosh] are going to go where they want to go,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “They’re all getting the max. There is nothing CAA needs to do other than set it up wherever they want to go.”

And where will they go? For now, James, Wade and Bosh are content to focus on their respective seasons. The Big Three share the same agency, but they also value each other’s independence.

“All of us realize the responsibility of who we are,” James said. “And the responsibility to make the right decisions to do what’s in our favor.”

Stoudemire says he might play out contract

DENVER – Amar’e Stoudemire(notes)  has a few words for anyone who thinks it’s a given that he’ll hit the free-agent market this summer.

Not … so … fast.

Stoudemire said Wednesday he is seriously considering postponing his free agency to take the $17.7 million player option on his contract for next season.

“There’s definitely a chance,” Stoudemire told Yahoo! Sports following the Phoenix Suns’ shootaround on Wednesday morning. “Options are a beautiful thing.”

The Suns are also assessing their options with their All-Star forward. NBA sources say the team is expected to make another contract extension offer to Stoudemire before the All-Star break, though it remains to be seen whether the Suns’ offer will approach the three-year, $57 million extension Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol(notes)  received earlier this season.

Already, the Suns have begun fielding trade offers for Stoudemire, who said Wednesday he thinks there’s a “50-50” chance he’ll be playing for a different team after the Feb. 18 trade deadline. If Stoudemire doesn’t agree to an extension soon, the Suns could intensify their efforts to move him.

One NBA source said the Suns, so far, have received only “trash” offers for Stoudemire, though there are several teams who have expressed interest in him. The Miami Heat recently scouted two of the Suns’ games, even though the teams won’t play each other again this season.

Stoudemire has reasons to stay in Phoenix; he has close family and business interests there. But he also said it “won’t be tough” for him to adjust to a new team if he’s traded.

“I want to win,” Stoudemire said. “Winning is my ultimate goal. That’s my preference. I think the situation here, we’ve been doing a good job the past few games of winning. We just need to keep it going.”

If Stoudemire opts out of his contract, he will join a crowded free-agent class that includes LeBron James(notes), Dwyane Wade(notes) and Chris Bosh(notes). If he elects to play the final season of his contract – and passes on an extension – he’ll become a free agent the summer of 2011 and could have a better idea about the Suns’ future plans.

“We’re just going with the flow and seeing what the Suns decide to do,” said Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters. “Whatever happens, I think Amar’e will be good with the outcome. … Opting in – that’s a lot of money to walk away from.”

The current collective bargaining agreement is set to end after the 2010-11 season, but Stoudemire doesn’t seem concerned about a possible lockout or how the new CBA might impact his future earnings.

“I’m not sure how the CBA’s going to turn out,” Stoudemire said. “But I got confidence in the Players Association. They are going to make sure they handle that.”

This much is clear: Stoudemire figures to be swept up by speculation as the trade deadline approaches. He recently averaged 14.3 points over a three-game stretch, and was benched by Suns coach Alvin Gentry during the fourth quarter of a victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Gentry thought the trade talk was beginning to affect Stoudemire, who has since bounced back by averaging 27 points over the Suns’ past three games. He scored 20 and grabbed 17 rebounds in a victory Wednesday against the Nuggets.

“I just told him there is not anything that he could control and I can control,” Gentry said. “The only thing we can control is to get him playing at the high level he was. Eventually, whatever happens is going to happen. To spend time worrying about it and put him in a position where he’s not performing is not good for him anyway. He has to put that behind him, which is not easy to do when his name is out there all the time. But it’s something he has to do.”

Stoudemire admits this isn’t new for him. Despite being a five-time All-Star, he has been repeatedly mentioned in trade rumors over the past few seasons. One rival general manager said the Suns’ willingness to include Stoudemire in such talks should make teams all the more wary about trading for him. Stoudemire also has had major eye and knee surgeries in past seasons.

Asked why he is constantly mentioned in trade speculation, Stoudemire said: “I don’t know. You have to ask the Phoenix Suns organization. You have to ask [Suns GM] Steve Kerr or [owner] Robert Sarver that question. … I’m not sure.”

Suicide lines: Marbury makes debut in China; Pierce to get X-rays

Marc Berman, New York Post: “On the other side of the globe from Coney Island, former Knicks star Stephon Marbury made his debut in China yesterday and told The Post he was suffering from major jet lag. Marbury scored 15 points and had eight assists as his new team, Shanxi lost 102-101 to Dongguan Marco Polo. He had four steals and four rebounds, but shot 0 for 6 from 3-point range, according to China Daily. ‘The time difference is a big problem,’ Marbury told The Post via Skype yesterday. ‘I wake up early, in the middle of the night, and stay up most of the day. It stinks. I have not played since the last game against the Magic [in the second round of the playoffs last May]. So I was tired. I played 28 minutes, all of the fourth quarter. Talk about being tired. Wow. It was fun being out there though.’”

ESPN: “The struggling Boston Celtics just got Kevin Garnett back from injury. They’ll hope he doesn’t trade places with Paul Pierce. Pierce injured his left foot in the first quarter of Boston’s 99-88 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday. He sat out part of that quarter and all of the fourth even though the win was not certain. The Celtics outscored the Wizards 25-10 without their captain to beat the Wizards. ‘I’ll get some X-rays tomorrow, but I think it’s not going to be too bad,’ Pierce told reporters after the game, adding that he thought it was a sprain. ‘I would have known by now [if it was broken]. I think I’ll be all right.’ Celtics coach Doc Rivers said the injury was nothing serious, but he didn’t want to risk aggravating it by pushing Pierce. ‘I just didn’t want to take a chance,’ Rivers said on why Pierce sat out the final quarter. ‘I shouldn’t have played him in the second half. I think I messed that up. He wanted to go out and he wasn’t playing bad, but I just didn’t think he was moving well enough. Why take a chance?’”

Geoff Calkins, The Commercial-Appeal: “The idea was to get the ball out of Kobe Bryant’s hands. But, then, when isn’t the idea to get the ball out of Kobe Bryant’s hands? Especially when the clock is running down at the end of the game. Especially when you lead the Los Angeles Lakers by two points. So Marc Gasol went sprinting toward Bryant, joining O.J. Mayo, who was already on the scene. Bryant — and it’s hard to believe it, even as I type this — passed the ball to Ron Artest. Artest rose and fired. ‘Everything stopped for a second,’ said Marc Gasol, as the ball spun through the air. It missed. Bounced harmlessly off the rim. And then everything started once again. The noise, the jubilation, the streamers. The Grizzlies celebrated a 95-93 win. ‘It kind of shows what kind of team we are,’ said Rudy Gay. A good team. A resilient team. A team that can lose a crusher to New Orleans Saturday and then come back and and beat the world champion Lakers two days later. And, yes, I know, no game in an NBA season is more important than any other game. Head coach Lionel Hollins says it all the time. But this one sure felt more important, didn’t it? More vital to the Grizzlies’ season and cause?”

John Reid, The Times-Picayune: “Jeff Bower said they are in the process of gathering further evalations to determine if knee surgery is the best course of action for injured All-Star point guard Chris Paul. Bower said an MRI test was performed Sunday and those results will be reviewed by several top orthropedist specialists from around the country before a decision is made, but Paul is sidelined indefinitely. ‘It’s likely there is going to be a surgical procedure,’ Bower said. ‘But as I said, we’re in the fact-finding stages right now, gathering as much information as possible for decisions to be made for the next steps.’ Paul will miss the Feb. 14 All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, because he could be sidelined for up to a month. It is speculated that Paul has a possible cartilage tear in his left knee, but Bower would only say the injury is more serious than a bruised knee, which was the initial diagnosis announced by the team. Bower said a determination whether Paul will require surgery will be determined in the next day or so.”

Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer: “The suitcases have been put away, the fridges have finally been fully stocked and the Cavaliers’ various road jerseys have been stuck in the back of the equipment room. The Cavs are at the start of the mother of all homestands, their longest in 15 years and, in terms of days, the longest in team history. Tuesday the Cavs play the second game, against the Memphis Grizzlies, of a seven-game homestand. Because of a number of off days and the All-Star break, the Cavs will go a record 20 days between road games. ‘When the schedule came out I did wish that things were a little more balanced,’ coach Mike Brown said. ‘But after everything we’ve been through, now I’m glad to be home for three weeks.’ This stretch, especially in the number of days, once was rare. But it seems to be part of a unannounced league-wide trend this season.”

Paul Coro, Arizona Republic: “For Robin Lopez, scoring can be as easy as rolling off his screen, catching Steve Nash’s pinpoint feeds and slamming, as he did for Phoenix’s first two baskets Monday night. Lopez can be more industrious and slam back teammates’ misses as he did on consecutive trips in Monday’s first quarter. But the Suns also are looking to Lopez more in the post, where he is spending extra practice time developing moves. Lopez has not held down the starting center spot because of his offense but his improved ability to finish near the rim is a nice bonus to his 7-foot presence on defense and the boards. ‘We’ve got to try to start attacking some with post-ups with (Lopez) and Amar’e (Stoudemire) both, so that when they switch and we’ve got a smaller guy on him, we can throw the ball right in the post,’ said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. Lopez said he is refining moves but also concentrating on post position, making sure he is on a line between the passer and the hoop so he can move either way with the ball. ‘Coaches and my teammates have done a very good job of making me feel acclimated,’ Lopez said. ‘It’s always good to have a go-to move and then the counter. When the defense figures that out, you’ve got to get better at that and start adding to your arsenal.’”

Mike Monroe, S.A. Express-News: “Tim Duncan has been a part of seven previous rodeo road trips, the extended journey that makes tourists of the Spurs while the AT&T Center is filled with the twang of country music and the tang of equine excrement. Not once has the Spurs captain felt a more compelling need for the team to use the trip to turn around its season. And with good reason: Never have the Spurs arrived at embarkation day with a worse record. Aware that no rodeo road trip has produced a losing record and each has been an attendant jump-start to the season-ending push, Duncan agreed that this year’s seven-game trip — which begins Wednesday in Sacramento after a six-game homestand produced only two victories — is the most important yet. ‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘and we hope the results of the past are what we get now. We need it. We need to turn that corner.’ Game 1 of this season’s trip will begin with the Spurs at 27-19 (58.7 percent). No previous rodeo trip began with such a poor winning percentage. The previous low came in 2004, when they headed to Salt Lake City for Game 1 of a seven-game, 20-day trip at 31-18 (63.2 percent).”

Mike Wells, Indy Star: “The Pacers have work to do if they expect to be able to trade forward Troy Murphy before the Feb. 18 deadline. The Pacers have already tried to send him to Cleveland, but those talks didn’t last long because they were asking for too much, according to a source. The Pacers wanted the Cavaliers to give up forward J.J. Hickson, center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and multiple draft picks for Murphy, the source said.”

Steve Luhm, The Salt Lake Tribune: “Paul Millsap continues to do a masterful Carlos Boozer impression. In his second start for the injured Boozer, Millsap finished with 25 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots in the Jazz’s 104-92 win over Dallas on Monday night at EnergySolutions Arena. Millsap dueled the Mavericks’ perennial All-Star and MVP candidate, Dirk Nowitzki, to a near standoff. Nowitzki finished with 28 points and eight rebounds — not nearly enough to prevent Millsap & Co. from posting an energy-filled win. ‘It’s fun to watch guys play hard,’ said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. In the first quarter, Millsap scored 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting. His teammates were a combined 5-for-14, so Millsap’s quick start prevented Dallas for taking early control of the game. ‘He was really alive,’ Sloan said. Significantly, Millsap’s four field goals in the first quarter came on a layup, an 8-footer and a pair of 18-foot jumpers — the kind of shot he might not have made earlier in his career. ‘I’ve put in extra time, working on it,’ Millsap said.”

Eddie Sefko, The Dallas Morning News: “Remember those Mavericks who were so good at executing and keeping their poise in tight situations earlier this season? If you know where they are, tell them Rick Carlisle and Mark Cuban are looking for them. Right now, that team is gone. Monday night’s fourth quarter was proof as the Utah Jazz dismantled the Mavericks down the stretch for a 104-92 runaway win at Energy Solutions Arena. It was a tight game early in the fourth, but the Jazz went on a 12-2 binge to go ahead, 98-84, and close out the Mavericks, who lost their third game in a row. It’s the first time all season they have dropped three consecutive. ‘You got to be worried,’ said Dirk Nowitzki, who had 28 points, but who didn’t get a shot in the fourth period. ‘We haven’t really played well for a month, and lost some games we should have won. But you can’t hang your head. You got to keep working and stay positive and stay together. We are a veteran team and we need to respond.’”

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: ” In a season that has been about buying time until 2010 free agency, time might be running out. Falling for the second consecutive game to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami Heat returned to .500 for the third time this season with Monday’s 97-81 loss. The previous two times the Heat fell to .500, it was able to right itself. This time, at 24-24, the task might prove overwhelming for a team teetering on the brink of falling out of a playoff seed. ‘Needless to say,’ coach Erik Spoelstra said, ‘that was a very tough evening for us. We’re going through a little bit of a funk as a team. It is a trying time for us.’ Not only are eight of the Heat’s next nine on the road, but its next two games are a back-to-back road set against the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.”

Julian Garcia and Mitch Lawrence, New York Daily News: “The Nets will have the cash and the assets to rebuild their team. Now all they need is a new place to play, and it appears they are close to getting it. While they are still on schedule to move to Brooklyn at some point in 2012, the Nets likely will be playing in Newark the next two seasons after reaching a preliminary lease agreement with the Devils to play their home games at the Prudential Center, according to a source familiar with the team’s situation. According to the source, the Nets and Devils reached a new agreement last week and are expected to sign it this week. It should reach Gov. Chris Christie’s desk soon after and it is expected to be approved. ‘It’s going to happen,’ said a source familiar with the negotiations.”

Justin Rogers, MLive.com: “In case you haven’t been paying attention, New York Knicks forward David Lee is tearing it up this season. He’s averaging nearly 20 points, shooting well over 50 percent from the floor and is fifth in the league in rebounding, pulling down an impressive 11.5 boards per game. Lee is set to be an unrestricted free agent this season and seems likely to field offers between $12-14 million per season. Those numbers are obviously well beyond what limited funds the Detroit Pistons will have to spend. Had the Pistons been interested, the time to strike would have been this past offseason. Lee was a restricted free agent, meaning that the New York Knicks could match any contract offer. But with New York spending the last few years positioning itself to be a player in the 2010 free agent market, it’s highly plausible they wouldn’t have matched a lucrative, multi-year deal for Lee. Let’s be honest. If the Knicks were that intent on keeping Lee in New York long-term, they probably would have signed him to more than a one-year contract. By allowing him to test the market as an unrestricted free agent this summer, Lee seems likely to sign with another team by the time the New York is making their desperate pitch to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the other marquee names on the market.”

Age, injuries muting K.G.’s fury

BOSTON – Kevin Garnett still barks and bellows on the court, clasps his hands and yet the roar now rings hollow. Down the floor and back again, the Boston Celtics star drags his battered knee. He has dragged it from one season into the next, and now comes a growing sector within the organization that wonders whether Garnett should be further resting the surgically repaired knee.

What no one here wants is the season ending the way it did a year ago, with a broken-down Garnett unfit or unavailable for the playoffs. What no one here wants is this Hall of Fame core never getting a true chance to raise that 18th championship banner.
The doctors have cleared Garnett, and he plays on, but multiple sources say there’s a sentiment that maybe his hyperextended right knee would be best suited to sit out longer.

Nevertheless, it’s never easy telling Garnett “no,” telling him to back off, because he’s so relentless and resolved to push past the pain, push to a final, gasping championship chase.

Most of all, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers must reach clarity on several issues between now and the trade deadline on Feb. 18:

Do the Celtics keep Garnett on the floor?

Do they keep Ray Allen at all?

Almost two seasons ago, Allen destroyed the Los Angeles Lakers with his shooting, and Garnett was downright dominant as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. The Celtics had that modern-day Big Three, a rapidly developing Rajon Rondo and a belief they could recast the franchise as a dynasty. Looking back, they must be grateful for banking that one title. Most of all that softens the basketball angst of what might have been, of a franchise revival that never rose to a dynasty.

Allen missed a long 3-pointer to end a 90-89 loss to the Lakers on Sunday, and, together, he, Garnett and Paul Pierce trudged through the groans and into the Garden tunnel. There’s a chance there are no more big games for the Big Three. All together, this run could be over. Ainge has such immense decisions to make, and they must come sooner than later.

The Celtics have initiated trade proposals on Allen, multiple league sources say, and Boston is searching for a younger, less expensive guard and an expiring contract. This way they can find a replacement for the 34-year-old Allen without losing him and his $20 million expiring contract for nothing in free agency this summer. Only, there isn’t a shooting guard available who’s Allen’s peer. This threatens a perilous choice between transitioning for the future and refusing to compromise a chance to win a title now.

Allen is privately resigned to the fact that it’s unlikely the Celtics will want to re-sign him this summer. He’s believed to be intrigued with the possibility of joining the Miami Heat or staying close to his Connecticut home and signing with the New York Knicks. Nevertheless, Allen wants to stay a Celtic and that’s never wavered. Yet the sheer economics make it improbable unless he’s willing to cost himself several million dollars next year.

Yes, Allen would be difficult to replace for this season, but the Celtics can overcome that easier than Garnett gimping around the floor as a shell of his old self. He’s been in the NBA 15 seasons and played more than 40,000 minutes. He’s an old 33.

Where the Celtics were once a dominant defensive team, unforgiving protectors of the rim, Garnett is forever a step slow, a body unable to get where the mind knows it wants to go. “He’s just had to adjust his game,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “That’s part of getting long in the tooth and having a few injuries and some things just don’t work as well.”

In the final minutes of the Celtics’ three consecutive losses to the NBA’s elite – Orlando, Atlanta and L.A. – the failures have been unmistakable and jarring to Rivers. “We’ve been able in the past to lean on defense when we go cold offensively,” Rivers said, and now that’s gone. In the final minutes to the Hawks, Rivers sighed, “They scored every time. … The Orlando game, down the stretch, they scored every time. And tonight …”

The Celtics will be better when Marquis Daniels returns, yes, but now Rasheed Wallace is playing too many minutes to compensate for K.G.’s injury. Boston can act tough and physical, like popping Pau Gasol in the chest over and over Sunday, but what does that do?

As one NBA coach privately says, “They’re just not as nasty as they were” when they won the title. “And they don’t rebound.” No, Boston never did replace James Posey, P.J. Brown and Leon Powe off that ’08 championship bench. The Celtics coaches insist the development of Rondo and Kendrick Perkins – whom they believe is the best low-post defender in the league – can still pick up for Garnett’s fading fury.

“The other guys are better defenders,” Rivers said, “so hopefully [Garnett] doesn’t have to do as much.”

Because he can’t anymore, and that ought to be clear to everyone with the Celtics. Garnett is holding on, holding tight and trying to get to the finish line for one more championship. Only now, the Celtics must ask themselves: How much longer can they watch him drag that knee up and down the floor, dragging the last gasp of an 18th banner with it?

Andre Miller drops 52 points

If you’re new to the Dre Miller experience, understand that this isn’t some middling journeyman who enjoyed a night for the ages.

Andre Miller has never been an All-Star, but he’s enjoyed a few All-Star-level seasons. He’s also been a double-figure scorer his entire career, averaging 14.5 points, while acting as one of the better pure point guards of his generation. In fact, poll any NBA observer over the last two decades, and they’d likely confirm the notion that Andre Miller — above such stalwarts like John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash — is probably the best lob passer of his era. Nobody throws a rim-high spiral like this guy.

But a scorer? Miller could always post-up, dating back to his college days, and nail the mid-range jumper. But he was never a huge worry for opposing defenses. Especially heading into Saturday night, 24 hours after dropping exactly two points against the Houston Rockets.

Or seven points against the Utah Jazz two nights before that.

Or six points against the New Orleans Hornets two nights before the Jazz game.

So for Miller to give the Dallas Mavericks — the 11th-most efficient defensive team in the NBA heading into Saturday — 52 points? To score 25 in the fourth quarter and overtime? To do it Wilt-style; that is to say, only taking (and making) one 3-pointer all night?

It was quite the show. Jason Kidd, Jose Juan Barea and Jason Terry just could not cut off Miller from penetrating into the lane for a series of stretched-out lay-ups. Absolutely could not stop the guy. Shawn Marion, a fantastic defender even in his advancing years, defended Miller ably but still failed to keep him from tossing in shots. Miller just drove, drove and drove toward those 52.

He shot 22 for 31, and the best indication I can pass along regarding Miller’s typical floor-bound stylings is that, of the nine misses, three of those shots were blocked. And, for someone who essentially had the ball in his hands in every Portland possession, Miller’s two turnovers in 42 minutes of play might be more impressive than the 52 he gave Kidd, et al.

“Might be.” Those 52 points, as a guard who has bounced around, working for a new team that has involved him in trade discussions for the last month and a half, for a player who will turn 34 in two months, against a team that prides itself on its sound defense? This was a bit of a jaw-dropper.