NBA Capsules: Bosh, James carry Heat past Cavs
MIAMI (AP) — Chris Bosh scored 17 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, LeBron James added 18 and the Miami Heat survived another shaky offensive night to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-85 on Tuesday night.
Bosh made 10 of 16 shots and reached the 30-point mark for the fourth time this season for Miami, which improved to 4-1 against Cleveland since James joined the Heat. The 35 points matched Bosh's high since joining Miami.
Kyrie Irving — Cleveland's No. 1 overall draft pick last year and a friend of James, who the Cavaliers drafted No. 1 in 2003 — scored 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Samardo Samuels made his first seven shots and finished with 15 points for the Cavs, who got 11 points and 11 rebounds from Anderson Varejao and 10 from Ramon Sessions.
MAGIC 102, PACERS 83
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Anderson had 24 points and eight rebounds to help Orlando cruise past Indiana.
Dwight Howard had 14 points and nine rebounds and became the Magic's all-time leading scorer. He came in needing just eight points to break the record. Howard picked up his third foul early in the second quarter and sat for most of the first half.
Anderson shot 8 for 14 from the field, including 5 for 7 on 3-pointers,
Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert scored 16 points each and Hibbert also had 12 rebounds for the Pacers, who returned home after winning two of three on a West Coast trip.
KNICKS 111, BOBCATS 78
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tyson Chandler had 20 points and 17 rebounds as New York snapped a six-game losing streak and handed Charlotte its fifth straight defeat.
Chandler, a former Bobcats player, shot 9 for 10 from the field as the Knicks won despite a career-low one point from star Carmelo Anthony.
Amar'e Stoudemire chipped in with 18 points and eight rebounds while Landry Fields added 18 points and four assists for the Knicks, who won for the first time since Jan. 11.
The Knicks dominated inside the paint, outrebounding the Bobcats 53-33.
Kemba Walker, starting at point guard in place of D.J. Augustin, led Charlotte with 22 points. Gerald Henderson and Derrick Brown each scored 15 points for the Bobcats.
RAPTORS 99, SUNS 96
PHOENIX (AP) — Andrea Bargnani returned after missing six games with a left calf strain to score 27 of his 36 points in the second half, and Toronto Raptors snapped an eight-game losing and beat Phoenix for the first time in eight years.
The Raptors had lost 14 in a row to Phoenix, last beating the Suns on Feb. 10, 2004. It was tied for the third-longest active streak of its kind in the NBA.
Former Suns star Leandro Barbosa scored 19 and James Johnson 18 for the Raptors.
Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Steve Nash had 17 points and 14 assists for the Suns. Hakim Warrick added 17 points for Phoenix.
TRAIL BLAZERS 97, GRIZZLIES 84
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge scored 23 points and Marcus Camby grabbed a season-high 22 rebounds as Portland snapped Memphis' seven-game winning streak.
Jamal Crawford scored 15 points, Wesley Matthews added 13 and Nicolas Batum and Raymond Felton had 10 each for Portland.
O.J. Mayo had 20 ponts to lead Memphis, and Rudy Gay scored 11.
Aldridge hit his first five shots and scored 14 points during the first quarter as the Blazers won consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 10. Camby was a force under the boards throughout the game, pulling down 12 rebounds during the first half. He also finished with a season-high five blocks.
Other NBA News
Wizards fire coach Saunders, promote Wittman
WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking different strategies at both ends of the court and improvement from a roster filled with young players such as John Wall, the NBA-worst Washington Wizards fired coach Flip Saunders on Tuesday after a 2-15 start and replaced him with assistant Randy Wittman.
"I'm not the miracle-maker here," said Wittman, who was given the top job through the end of the season. "We've got to change our outlook on how we play. Sometimes, when you have such a young team, players get a little confused, I think, when the word 'development' is used; that they're going to be able to develop just playing. Development has to happen on the practice floor."
The Wizards fell to 0-7 on the road with a 20-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Washington's next game is at home Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats.
A 25-minute news conference Tuesday with Wittman and team president Ernie Grunfeld ended with Grunfeld answering a question by saying: "Just because you're losing, you're not a loser."
It began with him explaining the coaching switch.
"I felt like at this time, our players were not responding, and I think we needed a different voice. This doesn't change our overall plan, which always has been very transparent for us, which is to build through the draft, get salary-cap space going forward and develop our young players," Grunfeld said. "They probably haven't developed as quickly as we'd like for them to develop. That's something we need to continue to work on."
He and Wittman spoke about playing a faster-paced, running game on offense and perhaps using more press tactics on defense. They also emphasized that younger players — no names were mentioned, but JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche and Nick Young might have been among those being referenced — need to understand that floor minutes are not guaranteed.
"We have to develop these kids, there's no question about it," Wittman said. "There comes a point, if you know you're going to be out there, you'll play whatever way you want to play. And I think that has to change a little bit."
Grunfeld said the coaching change was his decision, although he got approval from owner Ted Leonsis — whose NHL team, the Washington Capitals, fired coach Bruce Boudreau in November.
"Any time you rebuild, you have to go through some tough times, and that's what we're going through now," Grunfeld said. "We're trying to build a foundation right now."
Saunders was in his third season with the Wizards, going 51-130. When he was hired, the roster featured All-Stars Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, but the franchise is now starting over around point guard Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft.
But there is not a lot of help for Wall, and the Wizards have been prone to inconsistent play, often failing to even be competitive this season.
Talking about Wall, Wittman said: "He is a talented player that I think I need to coach — and he has to be willing to be coached. And if he does that, that's where good players become great players."
Acknowledging he's been a part of the coaching staff during the recent struggles, Wittman said: "This is a black mark on all of us, absolutely."
Back in December, before the lockout-shortened season began, Saunders tried to look on the bright side, saying he could envision how the young Wizards might be able to improve on their 23-59 record from 2010-11.
"I want to compete for the playoffs," Saunders said then.
But Washington got off to a franchise-worst 0-8 start — half of the losses were by at least 18 points — before beating the Toronto Raptors. Curiously, the Wizards' only other victory came against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Saunders tried tinkering a bit with the lineup and sought ways to motivate players, including making Blatche a captain for the season-opening game. But nothing seemed to get things going in the right direction; after a loss in Game 1, Blatche openly questioned how he was being used on offense.
Before joining the Wizards, Saunders coached 13 NBA seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons, reaching the conference finals a total of four times.
He was hired by Washington in April 2009, and given a four-year contract.
Wittman gets his third job as an NBA head coach, after going 100-207 — a .326 winning percentage — with Minnesota and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wittman was drafted by Washington with the 22nd overall pick in the 1983 draft.
Perhaps mindful that he's working in the nation's capital, Wittman threw out quite a non sequitur during the news conference, mentioning Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney while answering a question about what Wizards' fans might be thinking these days.
''I'm not running against Romney. I'm not getting any votes here. I'm not looking for votes," Wittman said. "I'm looking to get this team going in a positive direction."
-- Howard Fendrich
Durant's movie brings Hollywood to Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Kevin Durant wasn't sure at first that he wanted to be a movie star and a basketball star.
It took some peer pressure and some encouragement from his mother, but now Durant is bringing Hollywood to Oklahoma City for a few days. The two-time NBA scoring champion filmed scenes from the upcoming movie "Thunderstruck" Tuesday at the team's home arena, including the pivotal sequence when his basketball skills are magically switched with a clumsy teenager to throw the Thunder's playoff hopes into question.
"That's not my style, man. Doing a movie? I'm a low key guy, and that's something I didn't want to get into," Durant said.
Durant plays himself in the movie. Nickelodeon star Taylor Gray misses a halfcourt shot so badly that it hits Oklahoma City's mascot, Rumble, in the arena tunnel and he tracks down the ball at the same time as Durant. He says he wishes he could play as well as Durant, and the Thunder superstar says he wishes he could help.
The wish magically gets granted, with the downside being that Durant suddenly has the skills of a kid who couldn't make his own high school basketball team.
"It was pretty cool. I'm going to be nervous about how people view the movie and how they think my performance was," Durant said. "I really don't care now. I did it, it was fun, I enjoyed myself, I made some friends along the way, so I think it was a success."
Durant follows in the footsteps of Michael Jordan's "Space Jam" and Shaquille O'Neal's "Kazaam," leaving his acting performance to be evaluated by movie critics or the general public, for better or worse.
"I really didn't know what 'nailed it' was. People told me I did a good job but they could just be blowing smoke," Durant said. "I didn't know what was going on. People said I did good, so I guess I'll take their word."
Brandon T. Jackson, a veteran of "Tropic Thunder" and "Big Momma's House," gave Durant's acting skills a thumbs up and joked that his biggest challenge was that his "neck hurts from saying my lines to him."
"Some basketball players are not good actors. He's really good. Let's just say it bluntly," said Jackson, who plays Durant's agent in the movie "He's really good, for it to be his first movie. I remember my first movie, I was shaky and scared and just saying lines that weren't even on the page — which turned out to be funny later on."
Durant's real-life agent, Eric Goodwin, found the script and presented the idea to producer Mike Karz and director John Whitesell. Karz did some exploring and was impressed with Durant's personality and how he handled himself in interviews in front of the camera.
"Certainly, we've seen it work both ways in the history of movies. But with Kevin, we just had a feeling. ... Clearly, he seems like just a fantastic guy. And when we met him, we were correct. He is a great guy," Karz said.
"And his persona, his true life persona, reflects itself in the movie because he does play himself — he's very sweet, compassionate guy and in the movie he has this magical thing that happens to him which makes his life worse initially and ultimately it all works out in the end."
Karz said producers even decided to include Durant in additional scenes after he handled it well in the early days of shooting. The Warner Bros. crews spent about three weeks in Louisiana in September, completing about 80 percent of the movie, and plan to finish up the filming with Wednesday night's game against New Orleans.
"He is a world-class athlete, one of the best in the world, and when he does something he does it with 100 percent commitment and passion and that's the way he approached the movie," Karz said. "He rehearsed, he ran his lines, he worked with the other actors and he just approached it like it was a big game and did the best he could."
The film is expected to come out later this year, possibly as early as April. It also stars Jim Belushi and William Ragsdale.
"I've done commercials before but that was just like a commercial on steroids, as you would say," Durant said. "It was so much time put into one scene. We would go over it three or four times. It was just a lot of work. I see what those guys go through over there acting.
"It was different, it was cool, it was fun but it was one of those things that I would pass on doing the next time."
Durant said the initial filming session included days when he was on set from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. and scenes were repeated 20 times or more. That the filming took place during the NBA lockout helped, but he said he's not sure if he's willing to devote that much time to doing another film. He may just stick to 30-second commercials instead.
"I'm done," he said. "I'm just playing basketball."
-- Jeff Latzke
Clock ticking on Timberwolves, Love
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Love stepped to the free throw line late in the game against Houston and a fan shouted "four more years! Four more years!"
Love is hoping for five more, actually, and it won't be long before what has been a season-long story line for the All-Star power forward and the Minnesota Timberwolves reaches a conclusion, for better or worse.
The deadline for players from the 2008 draft class to sign an extension is 11 p.m. Central time Wednesday. If the Wolves and Love do not come to agreement, the new face of the franchise will become a restricted free agent this summer.
Timberwolves president David Kahn has remained confident that a deal will be completed and Love has done nothing to discount that stance. Coach Rick Adelman said Tuesday that he doesn't think it's been a distraction to the team, but did say he can tell it is on his best player's mind.
"I'm sure it is for him," Adelman said. "It's a big deal. Something's obviously going to have to happen by (Wednesday), so we'll see."
Love — who ranks fifth in the league with 24.9 points per game, second with 13.9 rebounds and first with 39.4 minutes — declined to comment after practice, clearly tired of answering questions about a situation that he has been discussing for most of the season.
"I'm not worried about it," Love said Monday before the loss to the Rockets. "I'm in a good situation regardless of what happens and I just want to continue to keep playing good basketball."
The new collective bargaining agreement allows the Timberwolves to offer Love more money than any other team. They can offer him a maximum salary contract of four years and roughly $60 million, or they can choose to use their one-time "designated player" contract for five years and around $80 million. Each team can only use one five-year contract during the term of the CBA, so the Wolves would like to save that chip to use give them as much salary cap flexibility in future years as possible.
But after seeing UCLA classmate Russell Westbrook get the five-year deal in Oklahoma City, which also has superstar Kevin Durant on the roster, there is no doubt that Love would prefer a similar level of security and status.
If no deal is reached and Love becomes a restricted free agent, the Timberwolves would be able to match any offer he signs with another team. Love could also decide to play next year for $6.1 million and become an unrestricted free agent in 2013, but that carries considerable risk if he suffers a serious injury before then.
"Of course he's thinking about it because it's in every newspaper across the world," teammate and friend Michael Beasley said. "As far as his play, Kevin's tough mentally. He's going to go out there and give it what he's got every night."
Love certainly has shown no signs of the situation affecting his play. He hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer on Friday to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, then fought through illness to score 39 points and grab 12 rebounds in the loss to Houston on Monday night.
"Kevin's been consistent in his games and that's all you can ask for," Adelman said.
The feeling around Target Center has been that a deal will eventually get done, with the only question being the length of the contract.
In previous years, this situation would have been settled long before this point. But the lockout has thrust it into the heart of the team's season, and that's been an adjustment for everyone.
"This is a little bit different than I'm used to because of the lockout situation and then suddenly these new rules came in," Adelman said. "Now you knew by the end of January something was going to have to happen, one way or the other. Usually it just kind of works itself out and you're not dealing with it in the middle of the season."
These types of high-level negotiations usually work best with a deadline, and now there is one staring both Kahn and Love's agent, Jeff Schwartz, right in the face.
"Kevin's a great player," Beasley said. "This organization needs him. Just about every organization wants him. As far as he goes, he's going to be straight, whether he signs it tomorrow or whether he goes into the summer a restricted free agent. But we'll see."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Deng hopes to avoid surgery on left wrist
DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng hopes he won't need surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist.
Deng was injured in the fourth quarter Saturday against Charlotte and figures to miss at least a few more games after sitting out Monday's win over the New Jersey Nets. He said the wrist is still sore, but the pain has eased "a lot" the past few days.
"I know it's a bad injury and it sounds terrible, but really, I think it will fine," Deng said Tuesday. "We've got a good team, and I think I'm going to be fine."
Even so, surgery remains a possibility, and coach Tom Thibodeau said he is "week to week." He said Deng did some dribbling with his left hand and shooting at practice on Tuesday, although Deng disputed that.
One thing that can't be argued is this. Losing Deng for an extended time would be a blow for the Bulls even though they've dealt with their share of injuries while building a league-best 16-3 record. A key contributor on both ends, he's averaging 15.9 points per game and 7.5 rebounds, but Chicago has been playing through bumps and bruises all season.
Richard Hamilton has been limited by a groin problem in his first season with the Bulls, and Derrick Rose missed four straight games because of a sprained left big toe that could be an issue for him the rest of the season. Taj Gibson has missed the past two games because of a sprained left ankle. Joakim Noah sat out Saturday with a similar injury.
Now, Deng's out. For how long? That depends on his pain tolerance.
"I'm just trying to get it down to a certain level where I can play again," Deng said. "I'm really confident in the fact that I'll be out there, hopefully soon."
Deng said he opted against surgery for now after consulting with doctors because he believes the Bulls "have a very good chance of doing something special" and he believes he will be fine without it. Besides eyeing a deep playoff run, he's also set to play for Great Britain in the London Olympics this summer.
He sidestepped the question when he was asked how much time he would need to recover from surgery, saying he didn't want to think about it, but he might need an operation if the wrist flares up after he returns.
"I feel like without the surgery, I'll be fine," he said. "I just know that I can do with it and what I can't do. I'm going to be very effective out there. There are going to be days where it's sore. We're going to try control (the pain). Everybody's body responds differently. I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to handle it."
Deng suffered the same injury to his right wrist late in his 2004-05 rookie year and had season-ending surgery. Dr. Susan Craig-Scott performed the operation back then and consulted with him this time, but one difference is this one is to his non-shooting hand.
"There have been a number of players that have played with it," Thibodeau said. "Again, it's your comfort level. It's your pain tolerance. All those things factor into it."
-- Andrew Seligman
NBA stars urge young fans to be healthy, active
NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony are among the NBA stars urging young fans to live active lifestyles during the NBA's annual FIT "live healthy" week.
Kemba Walker, James Harden and Jameer Nelson are also part of the FIT team that is encouraging children and their families to exercise and eat right. The pros are offering tips at www.nba.com/nbafit, where fans can get information about programs during the week.
Griffin, the reigning Rookie of the Year, says Wednesday in a statement he knows "how important it is for me to exercise and eat well, and I encourage our fans to make healthy, active living a priority."
Throughout the week, NBA teams will host events in their arenas or communities. Players will wear special shooting shirts, and blue headbands and wristbands.
The "live healthy" week will run Wednesday through Feb. 2.
Bobcats G Augustin expected to miss four games
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Bobcats have announced guard D.J. Augustin is expected to miss the next four games with a right toe injury.
Augustin saw Charlotte orthopedist Dr. Bob Anderson on Tuesday and the diagnosis confirmed an inflammatory condition of the sesmoid bones that lie in the flexor tendons on Augustin's right big toe. The injury has been bothering Augustin for months, but he re-aggravated it during Sunday's game at New Jersey.
With Augustin out of the lineup, rookie Kemba Walker will start at point guard and Gerald Henderson will move back to the shooting guard spot. Derrick Brown will get the start at small forward. Augustin is averaging 13.6 points and 6.6 assists per game for the Bobcats this season.
The Bobcats host the New York Knicks Tuesday night.
Wade, Thompson out for Cleveland-Miami game
MIAMI (AP) — Heat guard Dwyane Wade missed his fifth consecutive game Tuesday night with a sprained right ankle, sitting out Miami's matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Also out for the contest: Cleveland rookie Tristan Thompson, sidelined with a sprained left ankle.
Wade remains listed as day-to-day and will travel with the Heat to Detroit for their game there Wednesday. The Cleveland game was the eighth he's missed this season, including three earlier this month with a sore left foot.
Cleveland coach Byron Scott says Thompson's condition is improving and that he will be listed as questionable for the Cavaliers' home game against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
Grizzlies pick up option on G/F Pondexter
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies have picked up the third-year option on Quincy Pondexter's contract, guaranteeing his deal through the 2012-13 season. The Grizzlies announced the move Tuesday.
The guard-forward has averaged 4.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 14.9 minutes since Memphis acquired the 6-foot-6 Pondexter from New Orleans on Dec. 24. The Grizzlies sent Greivis Vasquez to the Hornets in the deal, and Pondexter tied his career-high with 14 points on Jan. 8 at the Los Angeles Lakers.
Pondexter was a first-round pick, 26th overall, by New Orleans in 2010 out of Washington where he was the all-time leader with 136 games played.
Nets F James sidelined for season with foot
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Nets forward Damion James will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to replace a screw in his right foot.
Nets General Manager Billy King announced Tuesday that James had the surgery earlier in the day at University Health Center in Indianapolis. Dr. David Porter replaced the screw in James' fifth metatarsal.
James had the screw originally inserted on Dec. 13, 2010. He aggravated the injury in a game earlier this season. The second-year pro from Texas averaged 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in seven games, all starts.
Kings recall Tyler Honeycutt from D-league
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Sacramento Kings have recalled rookie forward Tyler Honeycutt from Reno of the NBA Development League. President of basketball operations Geoff Petrie announced the move Tuesday.
Honeycutt averaged 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10 games with Reno. He played one game with the Kings before being sent down. Honeycutt was drafted in the second round last June after leaving UCLA following his sophomore season.
