KFC PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals (Results)

Recharged Texters Nip Kings; Giants Topple Elasto Painters

(From Yahoo! Sports)

Jared Dillinger nailed a huge basket on a perfect alley-oop by Ranidel de Ocampo in the crunch, allowing Talk n Text to complete a comeback from 19-point deficits, stunning Barangay Ginebra, 106-105, to move in the threshold of the KFC PBA Philippine Cup semifinals at the Araneta Coliseum last night.

Seven Talk n Text players scored in double figures but Dillinger and De Ocampo emerged as the team’s biggest heroes as they executed the play that decided the outcome of the classic contest.

Squeezing through with a follow-up on their 107-92 rout in Game One, the Texters moved a win short of setting up a best-of-seven semifinal confrontation with top seeds Alaska Milk Aces.

The reigning all-Filipino champions, who now have three chances to nail down the semis slot, will try to clinch it in Game Three Wednesday in the same venue.

“I don’t want to dwell on what ifs. We’ll come with a sense of urgency Wednesday,” said Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes.

“We’ve gone through two tough games. It will be 10 times tougher Wednesday and we have to be ready,” Reyes added.

Purefoods likewise completed a huge fightback from a big deficit, moving a win shy of the semis with a 95-94 squeaker over Rain or Shine later in the night.

As in their Wednesday victory, the two Yaps - James and Roger – played key roles for the Giants.

James nailed two free throws with six-tenths of a second left as the Giants grabbed the game from the hands of the Elasto Painters.

Roger earlier brought Purefoods back into the game in tossing 20 of his 22 points in the second half.

Ginebra, seeded one rung higher than Talk n Text at No. 4, needs to win three in a row to move on in the tourney it won the last time in 2007.

The Texters waged a searing rally in the third quarter and raged on in the final period as they overcame 18-point deficits (47-65 and 49-67) to gain the commanding two-game-to-nil lead in the best-of-five series.

Crucial free-throw misses by the Kings proved to be their biggest bogeys, allowing the Texters to stay in the battle before eventually stealing the game on Dillinger’s clutch basket off De Ocampo’s alley-oop throw-in with time down to 2.4 seconds.

Murphy to Cavs? Warriors to Sign Coby Karl ?

The NBA's Feb. 18 trade deadline is less than three weeks away and the Indiana Pacers are actively working the phones trying to salvage a disappointing season. The player that most likely could be moved before the deadline is forward Troy Murphy. Murphy is one of several players who have been linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers. - Indianapolis Star

Swingman Cartier Martin was informed by the team before Friday's game that he would not be offered a guaranteed contract for the remainder of the season, according to Warriors sources. The Warriors are at the league limit with 15 guaranteed roster spots, and Martin's second and final 10-day contract expires today. - San Francisco Chronicle

The Warriors are thus letting Martin go and plan to bring in a new player on a 10-day contract, according to sources close to the situation. That player, sources said, is expected to be guard Coby Karl, who sat out Friday night's game with the Idaho Stampede in anticipation of joining the Warriors. - ESPN

Asked following the game by Armstrong what the difference was in his game on the night, Turkoglu replied: “Ball” A four-second pause as Armstrong tried to decipher what exactly Turkoglu was trying to say followed. Prompted with a - “The ball in your hands and you did a lot with it?’ by Armstrong, Turkoglu said “I got nothing else to say.” The video of that exchange had gone viral by early Friday. Less than 12 hours after the conversation took place, there was a Fan page on Facebook set up. By Friday evening it already had 630 fans. - Toronto Sun

It's no secret that the Bulls want to clear as much salary-cap space as they can for this summer's free-agent bonanza, which is why you're hearing more and more about their willingness to move Kirk Hinrich and John Salmons as covered here last week. Miller's $12.3 million expiring contract is central to that strategy, so it's going to take a special offer to get Chicago to part with him. - ESPN

Dallas' interest in Sacramento's Kevin Martin was last week's big trade topic, but the Kings keep saying that Martin is not available. And while Washington's Caron Butler and Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala are most certainly available, one plugged-in source insisted this week that the Mavs have real reservations about trading Howard for Butler and are hesitant regarding Iguodala as well largely because of the four years and $56 million left on the Philly swingman's contract after this season. - ESPN

Amar'e Stoudemire acknowledged in a TNT interview and again after the game that trade speculation has distracted his play. He told ESPN, "I feel like the confidence in me is not quite there with them, for them to want to shop me around so much." With the Feb. 18 NBA trade deadline approaching, the probability of Phoenix trading Stoudemire appears greater than ever. - Arizona Republic

On Friday, Colangelo counted the impending regular-season debut of Reggie Evans, pencilled into the lineup for Feb. 17, as the equivalent of a deadline acquisition. But even as Triano has argued the merits of roster stability now that the club is on point – "I don't want to see much changed," the coach said – the GM didn't rule out an actual swap. Boxing Day prices presumably no longer apply. "Whether or not there's an additional piece, or something significant to add, is going to be something we'll know soon enough," Colangelo said. "You've never seen me, for a moment, not try to make the team better." - Toronto Star

The Raptors have a payroll of $67.8-million (U.S.) this season. Teams that go over $69.2-million have to pay tax to the league on a dollar-for-dollar basis. They also forgo the opportunity to receive a refund of sorts from the tax gathered, typically about $5-million. Next season, the league has projected the luxury tax threshold will come down considerably, as it's based on overall basketball-related revenue, which is expected to shrink in the wake of the economic downturn. - Globe and Mail

“I know pretty much what’s going on,” Bosh said. “I knew coming into this there was going to be a lot of chatter, especially now that this trade deadline is coming. It’s just a part of the game. That’s what it is. I just keep doing my day-to-day and focus on what I’m doing right now.” - Yahoo! Sports

Once a major critic of the February 2008 decision to trade Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers, Gregg Popovich now concedes Memphis also made out good in the deal. "They gave up a great player but it helped them extend the franchise's success into the future," Popovich said. "It's shown that they've done a good job. Whatever they were thinking a couple of iterations ahead at the time has paid off for them." - Memphis Commercial Appeal

Zach Randolph on what he plans to do with his roughly $330,000 bonus for making the All-Star team: "It's going in the bank. I wish it was more." - Memphis Commercial Appeal

Ben Gordon didn't play as much as he wanted during his return to the lineup, but he was not complaining. Gordon played just 13 minutes and scored 10 points during the Pistons 92-65 loss to the Heat Friday night at The Palace. He came into the game during the waning seconds of the first quarter and made his first two shots. "It was all right," he said. "I did not play a lot but it felt good the times I was out there. I just have to build off that and continue with my rehab." - Detroit News

Phil Jackson said he saw Andrew Bynum after learning Bynum didn’t make the All-Star team and said: “You avoided that rat race.” Bynum said and responded: “Maybe next year.” Jackson is no fan of All-Star weekend, but Bynum very much had been hoping to make it to Dallas for the All-Star Game this season. He said Friday he was “not really” upset about not getting chosen in the coach vote for reserves. - Orange County Register Blog

Hawks forward Josh Smith was included on many lists of so-called “snubs” after he wasn’t one of the seven All-Star reserves selected by a vote of Eastern Conference coaches. But Smith said he’s not upset. “The people around me, my family and friends, are more mad about it than me,” Smith said Friday. Among the East forwards selected, Boston’s Paul Pierce and Toronto’s Chris Bosh are established stars, and that tends to win them the benefit of any doubts. But the other reserve forward, Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace, will play in his first All-Star game. - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Conceit, Controversy and Rico Maierhofer

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)


TOO often, his confidence has been mistaken for arrogance.

All the loose talk on his cocky on-court nature, however, hasn’t ruffled Paul Rico Maierhofer a bit.

“Either you love him or you hate him,” Maierhofer says, quite candidly, of himself. “I’ve been told that there’s no in-between when it comes to people’s impressions of me.”

As the current top rookie in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), however, Maierhofer proved once again that he has all the goods to back up the perceived conceit.

“Inaamin ko nagiging mayabang ako sa court [I admit I can get cocky on court],” Maierhofer says. “I think nadadala lang ng competitiveness ko sa sports yung emotions ko. Yun ang yabang na nakikita nila sa akin [I get carried away by my emotions because of my competitiveness in sports. That’s the arrogance people perceive].”

For four seasons, Maierhofer made his mark as a sensational and colorful stalwart of the La Salle Green Archers in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

Although his college-days notoriety was compounded by a controversial dirty finger flashing incident during La Salle’s epic 2008 UAAP championship showdown against rival Ateneo, there’s no arguing that Maierhofer has emerged as a much sought-after amateur cager with his impressive athleticism, nimble post plays and defensive prowess.

And it was his multitudinous skills, rather than his polarizing nature, that the Purefoods TJ Giants saw come draft day for the 2009 PBA season.

“Rico is an extremely athletic player who can jump out of the gym,” Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said after the Giants picked Maierhofer second overall in the PBA Rookie Draft last August. “He can play multiple positions. He has the height of the big man and the quickness of a guard. He will obviously complement our shooters because he has an uncanny ability to play off the ball and score on putbacks.”

True enough, Maierhofer showed these past months that his lanky 6-foot-6 frame can hold up against the burly veterans in the professional league.

“Mahirap sa PBA, bugbugan [It’s hard in the PBA, it can get rough],” Maierhofer says. “I’m only 180 pounds and I’m playing against opponents who are at least 200 to 220 pounds. Bugbog talaga, pero yun ang sacrifice ko. Dinadaan ko na lang sa speed and determination [The games are very physical, but that’s something I have to take. I just make up for it with speed and determination].”

Not that Maierhofer isn’t used to rough play.

NBA Daily Results

vs(From the Associated Press) - The only question left in the final minutes was whether or not LeBron James(notes) would get his 27th career triple-double. He finished one rebound short, but the Cavaliers still beat the Indiana Pacers 94-73 on Friday night to win their seventh straight game. James finished with 22 points, a season-high 13 assists and nine boards...Shaquille O’Neal(notes) tied a season high with 22 points in 25 minutes on 8-for-10 shooting. “Shaq is going to play like this,” James said. “We know how good a player he is, and tonight was another prime example.” Danny Granger(notes) led the Pacers with 13 points, but he shot 6 for 23 from the field. He also had 10 rebounds and five assists. It was the fewest points the Cavaliers allowed all season, bettering the 79 points they gave up against Charlotte on Halloween. “Defensively, we were in tune with just about everything they were doing on offense,” James said. James had nine assists in the first quarter to help the Cavaliers take a 36-18 lead. He just missed the team record of 10 assists in a quarter, accomplished by Mark Price in 1990 and ’93...The Cavaliers have an 11-3 record in January. James has scored at least 30 points eight times, more than 40 points once and has reached double figures in assists five times this month.

vs(From the Associated Press) - A.I. vs. Kobe delivered the throwback duel fans paid to see. Just like in the 2001 NBA finals, Bryant’s Lakers topped Allen Iverson’s(notes) 76ers. Bryant roused the 20,000 fans who came to jeer him as much as they did to root on the 76ers, scoring 24 points to lead Los Angeles to a 99-91 win over Philadelphia on Friday night. “It was a like a trip down memory lane for me,” Bryant said. “It was exciting.”...While Bryant is still in his prime, Iverson is in a steady decline. Lakers coach Phil Jackson said the All-Star showdown misses some of the buzz of years past when both could make the argument they were tops at their position. Don’t tell Iverson. He crossed-over and crashed his way toward a season-high 23 points...Iverson insisted he was so focused on trying to win the game, he didn’t get caught up trying to outshine Bryant. He also refused to draw parallels between his career with Bryant’s. “It’s evident that he is one of the best ever to do it,” Iverson said. “He goes out there night in and night out and plays the same way every night.” Bryant and the Lakers did serious damage in the third. The Lakers built a 16-point lead and played the fourth in cruise control. Pau Gasol(notes) had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Ron Artest(notes) scored 18 points and Lamar Odom(notes) had 13 for the Lakers. Elton Brand scored 19 points, and Sam Dalembert had 10 points and 12 rebounds.


vs(From the Associated Press) - Joe Johnson(notes) was already looking ahead to the playoffs as he sought perspective on the Atlanta Hawks’ first season sweep of the Celtics in 11 years. Johnson scored 16 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to help the Hawks beat Boston 100-91 to complete the four-game sweep...“It means nothing, to be honest,” Johnson said. “It just means we swept them in the regular season; the postseason is a totally different game.” Jamal Crawford(notes) had 28 points as the Hawks recovered after Boston cut a 14-point deficit to one in the third quarter. Paul Pierce(notes) led Boston with a season-high 35 points. The Celtics have lost five of seven, including losses to Orlando and Atlanta in back-to-back days...Kevin Garnett(notes) had 15 as Boston’s only other scorer in double figures...Johnson said Crawford, Josh Smith(notes) (12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Al Horford(notes) (11 points, 8 rebounds) carried the team in the first three periods.

vs(From the Associated Press) - Two nights after losing to the worst team in the East, the Clippers lost to the team with the Western Conference’s worst record, falling 111-97 to the Timberwolves on Friday night. Al Jefferson(notes) scored 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, and the Timberwolves led by as many as 23 points in their 10th victory this season. Jefferson also had 16 rebounds and Ryan Hollins(notes) tied a career-high with 19 points for Minnesota. “We just talked about salvaging the rest of this season and this thing’s not over for us and to put Wednesday’s loss behind us,” Marcus Camby(notes) said of the meeting. “Hopefully we could come out and respond the right way, but we didn’t.” Baron Davis(notes) scored 23 of his 28 points in a brilliant third quarter, but the Clippers already had dug themselves too big a hole. They now have lost back-to-back games to the Nets and Wolves, teams that have combined for 14 wins...“We hope they don’t catch up to us at the end of the year,” said Camby, who had 10 points and 19 rebounds. “But it seems to look that way as of right now.”...“We had to get it back together,” said Wolves point guard Jonny Flynn(notes), who had 19 points and eight assists. “Coming off their loss to New Jersey, you knew they didn’t want to lose to us, too.” Corey Brewer(notes), who scored 20 points, hit a 3-pointer that gave the Timberwolves a 66-43 lead early in the third quarter before Davis went on a tear. He scored 21 of the Clippers’ next 30 points to get Los Angeles back in the game.

vs(From the Associated Press) - Luol Deng(notes) scored 26 points, including a putback with 0.2 left in regulation to force overtime, and the Chicago Bulls outlasted the New Orleans Hornets 108-106 on Friday night. Derrick Rose(notes) added 18 points for the Bulls, including two free throws that put Chicago ahead for good in overtime. The Bulls finished a season-long, seven-game road trip with their fifth consecutive victory...David West(notes) led New Orleans with 29 points. Chris Paul(notes) added 18 points and 12 assists, but he hurt his left leg trying to save a loose ball near the end of regulation and was ineffective in overtime...New Orleans appeared ready to win in regulation when West grabbed a rebound and was fouled with 8.8 seconds left. The Hornets were not in the penalty yet, though, and West’s long inbounds pass to Paul sailed over his head. Paul chased it down just before the ball went out of bounds—hurting his leg in the process — but his desperation save went to Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich(notes). The Bulls raced down the court, and Deng tipped in a rebound after West got a piece of Rose’s shot...“The Bulls played outstanding basketball tonight, and we just came up a little short,” Hornets coach Jeff Bower said. “The thing I will focus most on is the effort in the fourth quarter to come back and get into the game.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Two days after the NBA suspended their leading scorer and another teammate, Earl Boykins(notes) and the Wizards’ reserves gave Washington a much needed lift, if only for a night. Boykins hit a jumper with 0.4 to play and Washington defeated the New Jersey Nets 81-79 on Friday night, the Wizards’ first game since guards Gilbert Arenas(notes) and Javaris Crittenton(notes) were suspended for the remainder of the season for bringing weapons into the locker room...The 5-foot-5 guard came off the bench, scored a team-high 15 points on 7 of 13 shooting from the field and grabbed five rebounds. His biggest shot, of course, was his last, which came 12.6 seconds after Brook Lopez(notes) tied the game at 79 for New Jersey with a layup with 13 seconds to go...Reserves Andray Blatche(notes) added 14 points and Nick Young(notes) had 10 for the Wizards, who did not get double figures from any of their starting five. Courtney Lee(notes) had 19 points—17 in the first half—and Lopez added 17 and eight rebounds for the Nets. “This are tough losses when you compete this hard,” Nets interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe said. “Everybody across the board was competing.”

Stoudemire for Iguodala?

Joe Johnson has the Atlanta Hawks contending now in the Eastern Conference, but several league sources say they wouldn’t be surprised if the All-Star guard leaves this summer, specifically to sign with the Chicago Bulls. The Hawks’ perch near the top of the East would likely keep them from moving Johnson – or any of their other core players – before next month’s trade deadline, but rival team executives wonder if they’d at least be willing to listen to offers if they aren’t certain Johnson will return. - Yahoo! Sports

Said one source with knowledge of the Mavs’ thinking: “They are looking hard.” But they are also still strongly weighing whether it’s smarter to keep Josh Howard past the trading deadline. That would preserve the option to package Howard (who becomes an $11.8 million expiring contract for 2010-11 once his team option is picked up) with Erick Dampier (whose $13.1 million salary next season is fully unguaranteed) as a combo-pack of assets for an offseason trade splash. - ESPN

The Dallas Mavericks figure to be among the most active teams before the trade deadline. The Mavericks’ attractive trade chip: center Erick Dampier, whose contract isn’t guaranteed beyond this season. Rival teams also say to keep an eye on the Minnesota Timberwolves, who continue to struggle and are also suffering in the attendance and sponsorship departments. - Yahoo! Sports

With the trade deadline approaching, Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh can expect to hear his name discussed amongst all the speculation of possible deals. Multiple sources, however, said the Raptors don’t expect to trade the future free agent prior to the deadline. Team officials are optimistic about their chances to re-sign Bosh, and, if they can’t, the Raptors could potentially use him in sign-and-trade deals since they can offer the biggest contract. “I know pretty much what’s going on,” Bosh said. - Yahoo! Sports

Sixers guard Andre Iguodala is already in the thick of rumor mills across the country, and HOOPSWORLD has been told by numerous sources that a team willing to take on Samuel Dalembert's contract could get Iguodala as part of the deal. It seems the Sixers are among the teams looking to make drastic moves, and we anticipate they'll find one before the trade deadline . . .now just 20 days away. - HoopsWorld

League executives list Phoenix forward Amar’e Stoudemire and Philadelphia 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala among the biggest names most likely to be moved before the trade deadline – and there’s even a chance they might be dealt for each other. If the cost-cutting Sixers did such a deal, they could try to use Stoudemire in a sign-and-trade during the offseason and not re-sign him. - Yahoo! Sports

Reggie Miller: The Knicks are headed in the right direction, hopefully. They have a lot of money under the salary cap and hopefully they can get one or two of these free agents. It won’t be LeBron, but maybe they can get two others, and maybe they’re going to get on the right track. Q. So the Knicks aren’t getting LeBron James? Reggie Miller. No. They’re not getting LeBron. - New York Times

One GM said he wouldn’t be surprised if Washington Wizards guard Javaris Crittenton is out of the NBA next season. Crittenton was suspended for the rest of the season for his role in the gun incident with Gilbert Arenas(notes) and will be a free agent this summer. “There are a lot of point guards that can do what he does without his drama,” the GM said. Arenas, sources said, remains optimistic he’ll receive probation and no jail time when he’s sentenced on March 26. - Yahoo! Sports

We've already fast-forwarded once past all of the above complexities to examine where Arenas will be able to turn if he does become an unexpected big-name addition to the Summer of 2010 free-agent class. And Orlando continues to be mentioned more prominently than any other potential destination, thanks largely to Arenas' close relationship with Magic general manager Otis Smith. I was assured earlier this month that the Magic will give the matter legit consideration this summer, even if Arenas figures to be the party pushing hardest for it. - ESPN

The Oklahoma City Thunder are drawing trade interest for their two 2010 first-round draft picks: one is theirs; the other they picked up from Phoenix in the Kurt Thomas trade in 2007. The Thunder also own Minnesota’s second-round pick this season. - Yahoo! Sports

Phil Jackson on whether the Lakers front office is thinking about the few years Kobe has left and if they would rather have a finished product of Chris Bosh or keep Bynum: “I think obviously there is a great deal of speculation about Chris this year because he is at the end of a contract. The looming feeling is that he is going to leave Toronto, whether he does or not who knows? That is kind of like the feeling. Everything is speculating who would be a reasonable situation in that regard. It doesn’t make any sense in the structural way to run a basketball team to take that kind of a risk... -  Sports Radio Interviews

Western Conference scout on whether the Cleveland Cavaliers would be better off acquiring Antawn Jamison or Troy Murphy: "Jamison can help them more short-term, but I like Murphy's contract better. "Jamison is better around the basket. He can shoot 3s like Murphy can. But the last year of Jamison's deal -- $15 million when he'll be 35 -- would scare me. So I'd go with Murphy. "He doesn't play defense like the Cavs [expect], but he only has one season left after this one [at nearly $12 million]. If I'm the Cavs and I end up losing LeBron, I'm not going to want Jamison on my books in that last year at $15 million." - ESPN

Pumaren To Look Carefully on PBA Players’ Trust Fund

(From GMA News)

Former La Salle Green Archers coach Franz Pumaren was one of those who helped Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players get free education for their kids through the PBA Players’ Trust Fund.

Although inactive from the league, Pumaren remains the PBA Players Union president and he wants to play an active role after hearing concerns about his fellow retired players.

Pumaren said that more players now are not receiving the same amount which were given to some of the retired and active players in the previous years.

“Sabi nga nu’ng iba, halos P10,000 na nga lang daw kada semester ang natatanggap nila," Pumaren told GMANews.TV. “Maybe I should look into the matter since I am still the president of the Players’ Union dahil wala pa rin namang nangyayaring election."

PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios didn’t deny the fact that players now receive less than the previous years since more kids became league scholars.

“Suwerte yung mga time nina Atoy (Co) and Mon (Fernandez) because at that time, kokonti pa lang yung mga scholars kaya medyo malaki pa nakukuha nila and they were able to send their kids to respectable schools like La Salle and Ateneo," said Barrios. “Pero ngayon na marami na and most of the players also want their kids to be sent to the best schools, talagang liliit yung makukuha ng bawat players."

PBA Game Results

(From PBA Online)

Tender Juicy Giants 90, Elasto Painters 85


Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants needed a couple of crucial defensive stops in the end to deny Rain or Shine Elasto Painters game 1 of their best-of-5 quarterfinal series in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

James Yap hit a game-high 31 points while Roger Yap preserved the 90-85 win for the Giants with a key deflection of Sol Mercado's pass in the closing seconds.

Roger Yap added 17 points for No. 3 seed Purefoods while Kerby Raymundo chipped in 12 points and 11 rebounds.

"We really expected a tough Game 1 because the momentum is on their side," said Giants head coach Ryan Gregorio.

"I told the players that in the end, defense will bail us out. We had key steals and key stops and made crucial free throws that were enough to win Game 1," he added.

Ryan Arana had 19 points for the No. 9 seed Elasto Painters, who had to go through the tough wildcard stage before earning a spot in the quarterfinals.

The Elasto Painters almost pulled off another shocker against the well-rested Giants. They fought them toe-to-toe the whole game, but crucial mistakes down the stretch cost them the series opener.

Purefoods was holding an 85-78 advantage on back-to-back triples by James Yap and Roger Yap with 4:02 left, but Rain or Shine got back in the game with a 7-3 exchange to threaten at 85-88 with 2:08 remaining.

After both teams exchanged empty possessions, the Elasto Painters had the chance to move closer after Raymundo muffed a 12-foot jumper in the previous play.

But Mercado, the hero in Rain or Shine's twin victories in the wildcard stage, committed a crucial error as his pass was deflected by Roger Yap, resulting in a foul by the Elasto Painters guard.

The two players were actually given a technical foul each for taunting after the play.

Roger Yap split his free throws to give the Giants an 89-85 cushion with 28.3 ticks left, and Eddie Laure's three-point attempt was way off the mark to hand Purefoods the win.

"There will be no celebration yet. It takes 3 wins to win the series. I expect Rain or Shine to play its hearts out on Sunday," said Gregorio.

Mercado finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists while Laure added 16. Gabe Norwood had a quiet 12-point performance on 5-of-13 shooting from the field. - www.abs-cbnnews.com

Scores:

Purefoods 90 - Yap J. 31, Yap R. 17, Raymundo 12, Maierhofer 9, Pingris 6, Reavis 5, Artadi 4, Canaleta 2, Adducul 2, Allado 2, Timberlake 0.

Rain or Shine 85 - Arana 19, Mercado 17, Laure 16, Norwood 12, Telan 9, Reyes 4, Chan 3, Hrabak 3, Ibanes 2, Cruz 0, Alfad 0, Arellano 0.

Quarterscores: 23-22, 51-48, 73-73, 90-85.


Tropang Texters 107, Kings 92

Defending champion Talk ‘N Text withstood Barangay Ginebra's rally in the third quarter and scored a 107-92 to grab a 1-0 lead in their own best-of-five quarterfinal series.

NBA Daily Results

vs(From the Associated Press) - Chris Bosh is going back to his hometown to play in the All-Star game, and he showed why Thursday night. Bosh had 27 points and 15 rebounds, Hedo Turkoglu set season highs with 26 points and 11 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors rallied for a 106-104 victory over the New York Knicks. Jarrett Jack made one of two free throws in the final seconds and drew a charging call on Al Harrington on New York’s final possession, helping Toronto (25-22) move three games over .500 for the first time this season...David Lee had 29 points and 18 rebounds for New York, 3-7 in its last 10 games. The sluggish stretch includes a victory over woeful Minnesota and an embarrassing 128-78 loss to Dallas on Sunday—the worst home loss in franchise history...Antoine Wright scored 13 points, and fellow reserve Jose Calderon had 12 for Toronto, which got off to a slow start before rallying behind Turkoglu’s best game since he was acquired from Orlando in the offseason...Bosh hit two free throws with 7 minutes left to give the Raptors a 91-85 lead, but New York battled back. Harrington converted a three-point play and made a 3-pointer to put the Knicks in front 100-97 at the 2:51 mark. Lee then got free for a dunk to extend the lead to five. Back came the Raptors, who scored the next eight points. Turkoglu had two free throws and a rebound basket, and Jack scored inside. Bosh then drove past Wilson Chandler to make it 105-102 with 15.9 seconds remaining. After Lee’s rebound basket, Jack hit a free throw, then got in front of Harrington on defense to secure the victory. Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said the ball was supposed to be inbounded to Nate Robinson. “I was just the last resort and when I got it my leg killed me and I had no brakes,” Harrington said. “I just tried to make the play and obviously got called for the charge.” Harrington finished with 20 points, and Chandler had 14 for New York.

vs(From the Associated Press) - The play designed for Vince Carter was being shredded. J.J. Redick stood near midcourt, swarmed by defenders, unable to make the pass with the clock about to run out on an improbable come back. Instead, Rashard Lewis caught the ball and surprised everybody. Lewis made the go-ahead layup with 1.3 seconds remaining, and the Orlando Magic overcame a 16-point deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 96-94 on Thursday night...Not one to pass up a 3-point shot, Lewis took the ball after a broken play and sprinted down the baseline past Kevin Garnett for the uncontested layup. Rasheed Wallace missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Magic their second victory in three games against the Celtics this season. Lewis led the Magic with 23 points, and Dwight Howard overcome early foul trouble to finish with 19 points and 10 rebounds, including 11 points in the fourth quarter. Ray Allen had 20 points, and Wallace added 17 for the Celtics, who took a big lead on potent 3-point shooting but wilted from outside in the final period. “We deserved it,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “I thought we completely lost our focus. An 11-point lead at halftime, I told them it was a joke. We should’ve been up by 25 points.”...“Rashard saved me,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We couldn’t get Vince the ball, it was a poorly designed play and Rashard bailed my butt out.”...“We should’ve been in control but I never felt like we were because of the way we were playing,” Rivers said. “I think with 6 minutes left in the third quarter I told the bench, ‘We’re in trouble.”’ Even after coming back from the win—especially after a bad Christmas Day loss to Boston—Van Gundy was reluctant to say that this could be a turning point. “I know it’s supposed to be a huge game, measuring stick, statement game, all the cliches. It’s Game 46 in a regular season,” Van Gundy said. “But it is good for us in terms of our development to be in these kind of games. “We’re starting to show more resilience and fight.”

Randolph, Rondo, Rose and Williams To Play in All-Star

Point guards Deron Williams of Utah, Chicago's Derrick Rose and Boston's Rajon Rondo will make their All-Star Game debuts next month in Dallas, sources said Thursday. Williams, Rondo and Rose top the list of reserves chosen by the league's coaches to participate in the Feb. 14 game at Cowboys Stadium. The names won't be made official until Thursday night, but Yahoo! Sports has obtained the list of reserves. - Yahoo! Sports

But nobody is incurring more internal disappointment than Stoudemire, whose teammates wondered after recent games about his effort and focus. Stoudemire has said trade talk would not affect him, but his energy on the court has made him look as though he's halfway packed and ready to leave. It has reached the point that the Suns are more inclined to trade him before the Feb. 18 deadline if a palatable deal arises. - Arizona Republic

Charlotte Bobcat Stephen Jackson forced his way out of the Golden State Warriors, so he's not deluding himself about how he'll be treated in his return to Oakland Friday. "I know I'm going to get booed," Jackson told the Observer Tuesday night. "I was booed while I was playing there, so I know I'm going to get booed. But I won't pay any attention; I get booed in 15 (NBA) arenas. This won't be any different to me." - Charlotte Observer

Rookie Jermaine Taylor, limited to just 17½ minutes this season, likely will be sent to the Rockets’ NBA Development League affiliate today, a move considered the next step in getting him ready to play with the Rockets, confirmed Gersson Rosas, the Rockets’ vice president of player personnel and Rio Grande Valley Vipers general manager. The Rockets likely will sign Vipers point guard Will Conroy, their final cut in the preseason, to a 10-day contract Friday. - Houston Chronicle

Nothing is ever permanent when it comes to the Dallas Mavericks’ rotation and even less is certain when it comes to the starting lineup. That said, there’s a reason Jason Terry’s emergence as the starter at shooting guard is a strategy with staying power. "It makes us better," Jason Kidd said. And that’s enough to keep Terry, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year in the NBA, in the starting lineup. - The Dallas Morning News

Mavericks president and CEO Terdema Ussery said Wednesday that the Feb. 14 NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium is "past 85,000 tickets sold," the most of any basketball game in history. Ussery said that Mavericks, Cowboys and NBA officials are working with Arlington fire marshals and public safety officials to determine how many more standing-room tickets can be sold. "Whether or not we get to 100,000, we don’t know," Ussery said. - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

DeRozan said he was "more confused than angry" about not being selected but he did use his Twitter account to share his initial feelings when he found it. DeRozan sent out the three-letter tweet "Wow" and left it at that. "I've learned from other players, just keep it short and sweet," he said. - Toronto Sun

John Hollinger has demonstrated that tall players age better than short players. Listed at 6-4, but measured at just over 6-2 in socks when he was drafted, Gilbert Arenas is in the category of smaller players who usually need athleticism to thrive. At 28, Arenas is at an age when a lot of players begin slowing down. - ESPN

Chris Duhon ran a flawless floor game Tuesday, but still can’t buy a basket. But as long as he’s got a 3.49 assist-to-turnover ratio — sixth-best in the NBA — D’Antoni said they will stick with him. “I’ll still get out there and play and try and help this team win. I can’t let my shot affect the rest of my game,” Duhon said. “I can still help this team win in other areas and that’s what I’ll do until everything else starts to click.” - New York Post

Dirk Nowitzki of the hometown Dallas Mavericks was named an NBA All-Star for the ninth time, as the NBA today announced the list of 14 players -- including seven first-timers -- that have been selected by the coaches as reserves for the 2010 All-Star Game. - InsideHoops

With the Feb. 18 trading deadline fast approaching, trade winds are starting to pick up. The biggest names swirling around are Toronto’s Chris Bosh and Phoenix’s Amar’e Stoudemire. I’m hearing the Miami Heat are enamored with Bosh and, more importantly, so is Heat superstar Dwyane Wade. Wade, I’ve been informed, has in so many words told Heat management to bring in a star player over the summer or he, a free-agent in-waiting as well, may be relocating his immeasurable talents to a different zip code. - Journal Times

PBA Teams Still Mum on Lending Players to Gilas

(From GMA News)

Former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) most valuable player (MVP) Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia, former rookie of the year Gabe Norwood of Rain or Shine and ex-national team standout Jared Dillinger of Talk ‘N Text on Smart Gilas team?

Their inclusion remains up for discussion by the PBA board of governors and their respective mother ballclubs.

This was confirmed by PBA vice chairman and Purfoods board governor Rene Pardo to GMANews.TV.

“We haven’t discussed anything yet on the table," Pardo said. “It all depends on the team but it will be a big risk for the team’s because the period of time in between breaks in the PBA is very short and players will be needed right away by their mother teams."

NBA Daily Results

vs(From the Associated Press) - LeBron James’ only moves in the fourth quarter were in a playful dance-off with one of the arena’s ushers. After a string of nail-biters, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally enjoyed a blowout. J.J. Hickson scored a career-high 23, James added 11 assists before resting the last 12 minutes and the Cavs finally won comfortably following two weeks of tense-and-tight games, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-95 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory...Emerging as an interior option for Cleveland, Hickson was active near the basket and went 8 of 10 from the field and made all 7 free throws in 25 minutes. Leading by 19 points after three, Cavs coach Mike Brown had the luxury of sitting James, Hickson and Shaquille O’Neal for the fourth...James added 12 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes. Corey Brewer scored 22 and Kevin Love 20 for the Timberwolves, who lacked the firepower to trade baskets with the NBA’s best team...O’Neal added 13 points and four assists in just 19 minutes and Jamario Moon added a season-high 14 points.

vs(From the Associated Press) - Andrew Bynum played as though he was making a final statement ahead of Thursday’s All-Star reserves announcement. The center scored a season-high 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 118-96 on Wednesday night...Lakers forward Pau Gasol said Bynum should be on the team. The coaches choose the reserves...Bynum scored 22 points in the first half. Kobe Bryant took over in the second half and finished with a game-high 29 points to go with nine rebounds and seven assists...Gasol had 21 points and 13 rebounds and Lamar Odom added 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who outrebounded the Pacers 62-42 and set a season rebounding high. Roy Hibbert scored 21 points, Troy Murphy scored 18, Granger had 14 and Brandon Rush added 13 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana.

vs(From the Associated Press) - Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors showed no signs of a letdown after Sunday’s big win against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bosh had 24 points and a season-high 18 rebounds, Andrea Bargnani scored 27 points and the Raptors beat the Miami Heat 111-103 on Wednesday night...Amir Johnson and Marco Belinelli each scored 11 points for Toronto, with Sonny Weems adding 10 in his first career start. The Raptors, who beat the Lakers 106-105 on Sunday, won for the 10th time in 11 home games and moved past Miami into fifth place in the Eastern Conference...Dwyane Wade had 35 points and 10 assists and former Raptors center Jermaine O’Neal scored 22 for Miami, which lost Michael Beasley to a right knee injury...Toronto led 100-91 with 4:11 left but Wade made a layup and Rafer Alston followed with a 3-pointer, cutting it to 100-96 with 3:22 remaining. Calderon and Bosh scored for Toronto but a pair of free throws by Udonis Haslem and a three-point play by O’Neal made it 104-101 with 2:00 left. Hedo Turkoglu made two free throws and Wade had a breakaway layup but Toronto put it away when Jose Calderon made one of two from the line, then found Antoine Wright in the corner for a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left, making it 110-103...Haslem had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Alston scored 10 points as Miami lost its second straight.

vs(From the Associated Press) - The crowd was on its feet and clapping. The players were standing near midcourt, happily waiting for the final buzzer to sound...Kris Humphries scored a career-high 25 points and the Nets avoided the worst 44-game start in NBA history with a 103-87 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night, snapping an 11-game losing streak...“Did we need this?” center Brook Lopez said after chipping in 19 points and nine rebounds. “Are you kidding me? I mean we were 3-40. That’s not a tough question to answer.”...“I know I definitely needed it, especially coming off the last road trip which I said was the worst of my life,” said veteran guard Keyon Dooling, who scored 10 of 18 points in the fourth quarter. “I still believe that. We responded well.” Chris Kaman had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers. Craig Smith added 18 points and eight rebounds. “Words can’t even describe this,” said veteran Clippers guard Baron Davis, who was limited to six points in 29 minutes, with only two coming in the fourth quarter...“Getting the win is more important,” Humphries said, downplaying his point total. “Nobody remembers who averaged what on a bad team. It’s just about winning. It doesn’t mean anything to put up numbers on a bad team.” New Jersey led 71-64 entering the fourth quarter and they never let the Clippers get closer than 73-70 on a 3-pointer by Rasual Butler (14 points).


vs(From the Associated Press) - Marc Gasol scored the game’s final eight points and the Pistons missed their final eight shots as the Grizzlies posted a 99-93 victory Wednesday night...Gasol added 12 rebounds while Zach Randolph had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Memphis, which won its third straight. All five Grizzlies starters scored at least 14 points. “This is pretty much how it has been all year,” said O.J. Mayo, who finished with 16 points. “We’re pretty stable with our starting five, because that’s who we are going with down the stretch. Tonight was a prime example of executing at the end of the game.” Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 17 points and 11 assists and Richard Hamilton added 16 points and 10 assists. The Pistons have lost three straight...“We played almost 48 minutes tonight, so I’m pleased,” said Pistons coach John Kuester, who had been critical of his team’s effort in a lopsided loss to Indiana last week. “We competed. It’s a shame to lose this game.”

Arenas, Crittenton Suspended for the Rest of the Season

The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Anthony Tolliver to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today. Tolliver, 24, has appeared in five games with Golden State since being called-up from the NBA Development League's Idaho Stampede on January 17, averaging 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in 29.2 minutes during those five contests. - NBA

Kahn acknowledged that the Wolves have received offers for Jefferson, but he emphasized that he is not looking to trade the 25-year-old cornerstone of the franchise. “I think Al actually backed up exactly the conversation we had face-to-face in Denver a couple of weeks ago, and that was as follows: ‘Al, I am not looking to trade you, and that’s the truth. I haven’t made one phone call all year long proposing a deal that involved Al Jefferson, and I won’t do so this year,’ " Kahn said. - ESPN

NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Washington Wizards guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton for the remainder of the NBA season Wednesday, and ESPN.com learned that Arenas has agreed not to appeal the punishment. Stern's disciplinary actions were announced Wednesday afternoon after Arenas met face-to-face with Stern for the first time since the gun incident that put Arenas' future with the Wizards in doubt. - ESPN

Ever since J.R. Smith sulked on the bench because of limited playing time (12 minutes) in Saturday's overtime victory over New Orleans, there's been speculation that Denver might trade him. Well, you can put that speculation to rest. Plugged-in sources tell me the team definitely will not trade J.R. Smith before the Feb. 18 trade deadline. - ESPN

I spoke with one executive about Amare Stoudemire and was told that, the way owners are talking now, Stoudemire wouldn’t even get a five-year contract worth $60 million under the next CBA. That sounded crazy to me, but when I spoke with a team owner an hour later, he made the executive sound tame. “The owners are really going to chop the money down,’’ the owner said. “I think Stoudemire would get $5 or $6 million [annually] in the next deal. The bottom line is that things are going to change dramatically.’’ - ESPN

Though Rafer Alston figures to remain the Heat's starting point guard this season barring an injury or something unforeseen, Mario Chalmers continues to express his desire to regain that spot. ``Time to get back on my [game]. Tired of sittin' on the bench,'' Chalmers said Sunday on Twitter. ``Gotta get back to the way I was.'' Before Monday's game, Chalmers did not back away from those comments. ``I'm ready to get back that spot,'' he said. ``The team needs me back there. I want my spot back. I think there's a great chance I can get it back.'' - Miami Herald

On Thursday, when East All-Star reserves are announced, it would be an injustice if (Gerald) Wallace doesn't hear his name called. The 6-foot-7 Bobcats forward is the Swiss Army knife of NBA players. He can score inside and outside, rebound, block shots and D up. He isn't one of the most exciting players around despite being in the dunk contest during All-Star Saturday. - FanHouse

With Walsh a few yards away, Kahn, prone to grandstanding, stood on the Garden sidelines and told reporters the chances of Rubio becoming a Knick anytime soon are almost nonexistent because of the Knicks' lack of prime-time assets. "Donnie and I have talked a grand total of three times in the last nine months (about Rubio),' Kahn said. "From the moment we talked, I said to him -- and I mean no disrespect to the Knicks or Donnie -- what kind of trade can they possibly propose?" - New York Post

Popovich continues to have patience with small forward Richard Jefferson, who is coming off a miserable two-point, 1-for-8 performance against Chicago. Jefferson is averaging 12.5 points and appears to be relying heavily on perimeter jumpers. “Richard's working with trying to be comfortable with everything,” Popovich said. “He's a team player. He wants to fit in. His game has been a little bit up and down lately, but he's going to be fine.” - San Antonio Express-News

Bobcats center Tyson Chandler says he's pain-free for the first time since being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot. He said his goal is to practice sometime this week and possibly play next week. Chandler has missed 16 games. I'm sure he'd love to be back by Feb.6, when the Bobcats play his former team, the New Orleans Hornets. - Charlotte Observer

The Wizards continue to receive a high level of interest from teams wanting to acquire Jamison via trade, with Cleveland still among the teams going hard after the power forward. A league source also said the Cavaliers have interest in the seldom-used Mike James, who would like to either be traded or bought out so he can get consistent minutes elsewhere. - CSN Washington

Talked to a couple NBA people who were checking in about the Warriors’ situation, since there apparently are–surprise!–mixed signals coming from the W’s front office these days. I can’t add much to Ric Bucher’s recent mention of a possible imminent Warriors’ fire sale, which may or may not be an indication of Chris Cohan being ready/pushed to sell. But what I’ve heard is that the Warriors, to this point, are NOT seriously offering any packages that include their three main expiring contracts–Speedy Claxton, Devean George and Raja Bell–in order to add talent (and long-term payroll). - San Jose Mercury News

His New York fans may have deserted him, but Stephon Marbury is already winning new friends in this grimy coal town in northern China. "Ma Bu Li", as he's now known, on Wednesday launched an unlikely career with the Taiyuan Shanxi Zhongyu Professional Basketball Club, one of the worst teams in the league. He'll be the biggest U.S. National Basketball Association star ever to play professional basketball in China. - Wall Street Journal

Normally I couldn’t give a – well I can’t even say it – but I don’t care much for the sophomore-rookie game. But I’m outraged that DeMar DeRozan has been left off the rookie roster. Outraged! Okay. Surprised. And not only me. Sonny Weems, who will start tonight and have the job guarding Dwyane Wade, was shocked too. “That’s bogus,” said Weems. “That’s bogus.”  - Toronto Globe and Mail

Matthews was not among the nine rookies who were chosen Wednesday to play against a team of second-year players. The rookie team will be headlined by Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans and Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings. “I didn’t get drafted, either,” said Matthews, who was coming off a season-high 21-point game in Monday’s victory over Phoenix. “How disappointed can I really be? It would have been fun to be a part of it, but it’s not the end of the world.” - Salt Lake Tribune

Elasto Painters Get Final Seat in Q'Finals

(From PBA)

With back-to-back upset wins in the wildcard round, last seed Rain or Shine grabbed the last slot in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals.

The Elasto Painters, fighting with tremendous grit and guts, completed a triumphant ride in the wildcards with a 99-84 toppling of the seventh-seeded Coca-Cola Tigers Wednesday night at the Ynares Sports Center here.

Rain or Shine, a team in search of a breakthrough championship in the local pro league, made the quarters versus third seed Purefoods Tender Juicy.

The Elasto Painters and the Giants mix it up at 5 p.m. then the Ginebra Kings and the Talk n Text Tropang Texters clash at 7:30 p.m. in the opener of the best-of-five quarters series Friday over at the Araneta Coliseum.

In surviving the wildcard plays, Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia believed his chargers -- winners over the Sta. Lucia Realtors Wednesday -- would be upbeat in their quarters showdown with the Giants.

“It would be tough playing Purefoods but it we continue to play with intensity, enthusiasm and energy, we’ll have a chance to beat them,” said Garcia.

“I think we’re peaking at the right time. If we hit a good rhythm, we would be alright,” said Sol Mercado, turning himself to a human dynamo versus the Tigers.

Mercado sizzled with 28 points, eight assists and two steals and emerged as the team’s biggest sparkplug in their backbreaking run in the fourth quarter.

Gabe Norwood, Eddie Laure, Jeff Chan and Mike Hrabak also made an impact as the Elasto Painters stunned the Tigers, sending Coca-Cola to the exit to join early casualties Barako Bull, Sta. Lucia and Burger King.

The two teams engaged in a battle before the Elasto Painters came through with a decisive 11-to-nothing attack to establish a commanding 80-64 advantage.

The Tigers never recovered from that hole, thus, seeing the end of their four-game romp dating back to the elims.

Except for Asi Taulava, Gary David and Mark Macapagal, the rest of the Coca-Cola team struggled in this knockout Wednesday.

NBA Daily Results

vs(From the Associated Press) - There’s nothing like a trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to lift the spirits during the dog days of an NBA season. That’s a privilege given only to the reigning champions, and the Los Angeles Lakers had their moment with President Barack Obama on Monday. It was a good substitute for a ho-hum January practice, and they promptly lifted their road doldrums Tuesday night with a 115-103 win over the Washington Wizards. “Our overall energy was a lot better,” said Lamar Odom, who scored 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting. “The trip to the White House gave us a little energy. We want to go back.”...“Offensive rebounds, getting loose balls, turning teams over,” Kobe Bryant said. “Especially when you play on the road, that’s some of things you need to have happen.” Bryant and Pau Gasol scored 26 points apiece for the Lakers, who had lost six of their previous eight road games and pulled to a 2-2 record midway through their current eight-game swing. Antawn Jamison, playing on a sprained right foot, scored 27 points to lead the Wizards, who lost the last four games of a six-game homestand. The game came one day after guard Javaris Crittenton received probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge, the latest fallout from last month’s locker room confrontation between Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas. “I think we’re all pretty much numb to the whole thing right now,” coach Flip Saunders said.

vs(From the Associated Press) - David Lee had 28 points and 10 rebounds, and the Knicks rebounded from a lopsided beating by administering one, routing the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-105. Al Harrington scored 26 and Wilson Chandler had 20 despite a strained left groin for the Knicks, who were dealt the worst home loss in franchise history when Dallas beat them 128-78 on Sunday. New York was on the other end this time, scoring the first 15 points and leading by as many as 36. The 27-point victory was the largest by a team following a 50-point loss, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. New York became the third team in NBA history to win by 20 or more the game after losing by 50. “We definitely wanted to get that 50-point loss, that taste out of our mouth,” Harrington said. “So everybody was just locked in.” Corey Brewer made 9 of 10 shots for 22 points in yet another lopsided defeat for the Timberwolves, who lost by 33 at Milwaukee on Saturday. They have surrendered 120 points 12 times this season and lost by 20 or more 11 times. Ramon Sessions finished with 20 points and fellow reserve Sasha Pavlovic had 16...Struggling Chris Duhon was scoreless on 0 for 3 shooting but had 13 assists. Backup Nate Robinson returned after missing the Dallas loss with a strained right hamstring and scored 13. “We really didn’t play well against Dallas. It’s really been one of the few games in the last couple of months so once in a while it does crop up,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s not good but we responded in a good manner. Now we’ve just got to keep it going from here.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points, Jason Terry added 21 and the Mavericks held on late to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 108-107 Tuesday night. Dallas beat the New York Knicks 128-78 Sunday for the largest win in franchise history. The Mavericks, who were up by as much as 53 against the Knicks, never led by more than nine and overcame a near-perfect shooting performance from Bucks center Andrew Bogut. After trailing by seven with just more than two minutes left, Carlos Delfino missed a running 10-footer in the lane before the buzzer that would have won the game for Milwaukee. “We do what we have to do to buckle down at the end and win,” said Mavericks forward Shawn Marion, who had 12 points. “You can’t win every game by a blowout. But it doesn’t matter. A win is a win.”...Bogut hit his first nine shots from the floor and scored a career-high 32 points on 13 of 14 shooting. Delfino chipped in with 22 points for the Bucks, who dropped to 5-18 on the road. Milwaukee dropped its fourth straight away from home. Three of those losses were by less than five points. “We’ve been playing good teams on the road and we had chances to beat them,” Bogut said. “We just haven’t gotten a lucky bounce at the end. It will turn around for us.”

Hinrich and Salmons Available? Martin Fined

Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin has been fined $35,000 for actions surrounding his ejection from last night’s game vs. the Charlotte Bobcats, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations. The incident occurred with 2:27 remaining in the second quarter of Denver’s 104-93 win over the Bobcats at the Pepsi Center. - NBA

The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired guard Bobby Brown from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for a 2014 conditional second round draft pick and cash considerations. In a related move, the Clippers released guard JamesOn Curry from his 10-day contract. Brown, 25, has appeared in 25 games for the Hornets this season and is averaging 6.6 points and 2.1 assists in 14.9 minutes per game. - NBA

By his own estimation, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich never has tinkered with player rotations more than he has this season. “No, never,” the Spurs coach said before tipoff of Monday's 43rd game of the season, against the Chicago Bulls at the AT&T Center. The experimentation continued Monday, as Popovich used only eight players in a third straight home loss, the Bulls winning 98-93. - San Antonio Express-News

Management, including Karl, is hoping the possibility of a suspension might scare Smith straight. Then again, Smith has already had two suspensions for off-court behavior, served 24 days in jail last summer for his role in a fatal car crash and had countless pep talks from the coaching staff. Karl is open to anyone helping Smith realize he needs to be more coachable. - The Denver Post

While it's obvious that the Hornets made this move to shed salary, Chicago's motivations require a little more digging and imagination. It's possible that this trade could be an attempt to shore up the Bulls' backcourt should they be able to find a taker for either Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons before the trade deadline. Chicago would like to head into this offseason with enough money to pursue a big name free agent and possibly have the option of extending Tyrus Thomas. - HoopsWorld

Reggie Evans, the long-injured Raptors defensive specialist, returned to full-contact practice on Monday, banging with his teammates for the first time in more than three months. "Today was a fun day for me," he said. "I finally got to a good stepping stone. ... I've got some work to do." - Toronto Star

Green, the fifth overall pick in 2007, is struggling through a season-long slump that he can’t seem to find a way out of. His points, rebounds, assists and shooting percentages from the field, 3-point line and foul line are all down from a year ago. Green’s 12.7-point average this month is his lowest in a month since February of his rookie season in 2008. - The Oklahoman

The MRI taken on the right wrist of Devin Harris came back negative, the Nets announced Monday. The team, however, still lists Harris as day-to-day, so he is questionable for Wednesday’s home game against the Los Angeles Clippers. - The Star-Ledger

While the summer free agent class is expected to include the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, a well-placed source said because neither is likely headed to New Jersey, the Nets have had conversations with Phoenix about trading for Suns All-Star power forward Amar'e Stoudemire. - New York Post

Jackson, speaking before facing Denver at the Pepsi Center, claims to know this because "they were talking about that when I was there'' regarding Nelson retiring after this season. Jackson, who was dealt last November from the Warriors to the Bobcats after playing under Nelson since January 2007, wouldn't specify individuals who said that. Nelson begged to differ. "I'm going to coach until my contract is up next year,'' Nelson said in a phone interview. "Ask Jack if he's going to leave with one year left on his contract. ... I'm going to honor my contract next year and then that will be it.'' - FanHouse

With Nate Robinson likely to miss tonight's Minnesota game with his strained hamstring and rookie Toney Douglas looking lost Sunday, Hughes may be D'Antoni's best option -- even if the veteran recently called D'Antoni's methods "a joke." D'Antoni wouldn't commit yesterday to rolling with Hughes again, but it seems likely. - New York Post

It’s highly unlikely Allen would earn the $19 million he’s making in the final year of his current deal, but he does have market value. He would enter this summer’s free agent bonanza as a second-tier choice behind LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. He could be pursued by teams seeking a shooter and a durable player. The Celtics are Allen’s first choice but he realizes the feeling may not be mutual, especially since he will turn 35 during the free agency period in July. - Boston Globe

Declaring himself fit for a change, Glen Davis said before Monday's Boston Celtics game that he's dropping the "Big Baby" moniker and is searching for a new nickname. When a reporter suggested the Chad Ochocinco-like "Uno Uno" to match Davis' No. 11 jersey, he instantly fell in love with it. - ESPNBoston