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NBA Capsules: Lakers beat Spurs 101-89 without Bryant, Bynum
LOS ANGELES — No Kobe, still no problem for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Pau Gasol had 21 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists and five blocked shots to lead five players in double figures, and Los Angeles beat the San Antonio Spurs 101-89 Monday night as Bryant missed his second consecutive game with a sore left ankle.
Andrew Bynum sat out with a bruised right hip.
In their absences, the Lakers used a collective effort to win in their final home game before this weekend's All-Star break. Ron Artest added 18 points, Lamar Odom 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Farmar and Derek Fisher had 13 each.
"It's got to be reassuring for the rest of the team and for the guys that don't play that much that are now stepping up," Gasol said. "It was fun. It was a good challenge for us. We played hard and got a nice win."
Manu Ginobili scored 21 points, Tony Parker 20, Tim Duncan had 16 points and 15 rebounds and Antonio McDyess 12 rebounds for the Spurs, who have lost four in a row to the Lakers at Staples Center.
"We knew they were going to come hard and going to play hard," Parker said. "Especially with Kobe out, you're going to have guys who are going to step up and that's what they did."
Los Angeles again showed it could win without Bryant. The Lakers snapped a five-year losing streak at Portland with a victory Saturday, when Bryant ended his streak of 235 consecutive games played and Bynum missed the second half.
Bryant said he skipped another game because he can't push off on his left foot.
"I can't move to play. Can't go," he said, adding he would be a game-time decision Wednesday at Utah. "If I'm ready to go, I'll play."
Lakers trainer Gary Vitti would like Bryant to rest through All-Star weekend in Dallas. Bryant said he couldn't commit either way at this point.
"I don't know what it's going to look like on Sunday. I'm not clairvoyant," he said, laughing. "I'm not an idiot. If it's an injury where I feel like I can play through it and have it heal while I'm playing, then I'll play. But if it's the type of injury where it's going to get worse when I play, then I won't."
The Lakers extended their lead to 81-70 early in the fourth, equaling their largest lead to that point, capped by Shannon Brown's 3-pointer.
Mostly though, the final period was a messy affair, with the Spurs throwing the ball away on three occasions and the Lakers stumbling through a cold stretch after their strong start.
But they regrouped and ended the game on a 17-11 run after going 4½ minutes without a field goal.
"We finished relatively well for a game that seemed to be a struggle," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I don't think we're playing that well, but we are winning the games. We settle in and play good defense. We can shoot the ball better than we are doing."
Los Angeles led 68-57 on a 14-4 run in the third. Gasol scored seven in a row and Odom had three. But the Spurs closed the quarter with an 11-5 spurt, capped by Ginobili's 3-pointer, to trail 73-68 going into the fourth.
"The Lakers were obviously a little shorthanded and played mentally tougher than we did and physically tougher than we did," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Don't ask me why."
Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Farmar and Josh Powell started the second quarter for the Lakers along with Gasol. The youngsters' energy paid off as the Lakers scored the first seven points to take their first lead since early in the game.
The Lakers made 5 of 6 free throws to end the half ahead 50-47.
The Spurs raced to a 9-0 lead to open the game before Artest sparked the Lakers' offense with consecutive 3-pointers. Parker scored 12 of his 15 first-half points in the opening quarter when he wasn't dishing off in traffic.
Notes: The Lakers improved to 55-33 without Bryant in the lineup. However, they're 19-23 in 42 games without him since the 2003-04 season. ... The Lakers tied the season series 1-1, having lost 105-85 at San Antonio on Jan. 12. ... The oft-injured Spurs were completely healthy. ... They fell to 10-11 on the road.
Terry leads the Mavericks past Warriors, 127-117
OAKLAND, Calif. — Jason Terry spent the post-game lying on his back, his feet propped up on a folding chair, with a bag of ice tucked in the waist band of his shorts. It was just his way of relaxing after a hard night at work.
Terry scored a season-high 36 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer, and the Dallas Mavericks rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors 127-117 on Monday night.
"The best thing you can do is put pressure on them, don't settle and just play as hard as you can," Terry said. "If they outhustle you, they're going to win the game. It's my job is to go out and perform at a high level every night that I'm out there."
Josh Howard and Drew Gooden also had season bests with 25 and 24 points respectively for the Mavericks. Jason Kidd added 17 points and 12 assists.
"This was a bit of a gut check for us," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "It was a game we desperately needed and we fought hard for."
Anthony Morrow scored a season-high 33 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the Warriors, who lost their season-worst ninth straight, including five at home. Monta Ellis scored 27 points before leaving the game with an apparent right knee injury in the final four minutes.
"I don't know what to tell you with another injury we don't need," Warriors' coach Don Nelson said. "We didn't need any of them. I hope it's not serious."
Stephen Curry scored 25 points to go with nine assists.
Morrow scored 12 of his points in the second quarter to lift Golden State to a 70-61 halftime lead. The Warriors led 98-90 after the third period.
"I'd rather us win the game then me score however many points," Morrow said. "We have a lot of losses piling but everybody is still upbeat and playing together."
Golden State had a 14-point lead midway through the first quarter and never trailed until Dirk Nowitzki converted a three-point play with 6:40 remaining to play. Nowitzki, who came off the bench for the first time in over 10 years in the Mavericks last game, finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
"Our guys just stuck with it," Carlisle said. "They really wanted to win this game and put an awful lot of effort and collective will into it. We'll look to build off this. It's been a tough 10-day stretch. We've had struggles but it's a long year."
Morrow hit consecutive baskets to put the Warriors back on top, but Terry hit a 3-pointer with 5:30 left to give the Mavericks the lead for good. Kidd had steals on the next two Warriors' possessions, allowing Dallas to inch ahead and eventually build its own double-digit lead.
"When you can't afford a turnover we had a ton of them," Nelson said. "We tried to get to the right spots but something always happened."
The Warriors had beaten Dallas in five of six previous meetings at home and have now lost six straight to first-place teams.
The Mavericks rallied from a double-digit deficit for the 11th time, the most in the NBA.
Notes: Mavericks' C Erick Dampier missed the game with a swollen knee. ... Warriors F Corey Maggette missed the game with a dislocated ring finger and F Devean George was out with the stomach flu. ... The Warriors used their 28th different starting lineup. ... The 70 points allowed by the Mavericks in the first half were the most in a half all season. ... Warriors F Anthony Tolliver had 14 points and 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double.
Bryant unsure about playing in All-Star game
LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant isn't sure if he'll play in this weekend's NBA All-Star game in Dallas because of his sore left ankle.
Bryant missed his second consecutive game Monday night against San Antonio, which lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 101-89.
"If I'm not able to play, I won't play. But I'm healthy, I will," he said.
Bryant said he can't push off on his left foot.
"I can't move to play. Can't go," he said, adding he would be a game-time decision Wednesday at Utah. "If I'm ready to go, I'll play."
Lakers trainer Gary Vitti would like Bryant to rest through All-Star weekend, capped by Sunday's game. Bryant said he couldn't commit either way.
"I don't know what it's going to look like on Sunday. I'm not clairvoyant," he said, laughing.
Bryant stayed in the lockerroom to get treatment Monday night.
"It's frustrating. I'm not used to this. I don't know what the hell players are supposed to do back here," he said. "I don't know what's going on half the time."
Bryant's streak of 235 consecutive games played ended Saturday when he sat out the Lakers' first win at Portland since 2005. He said his reputation for being a warrior who refuses to shut it down is overblown.
"I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to run through a wall just to run through a wall," he said. "If it's an injury where I feel like I can play through it and have it heal while I'm playing, then I'll play. But if it's the type of injury where it's going to get worse when I play, then I won't."
Asked what percentage he needed to be at to play again, Bryant said, "If I can move, I'm good. If I can move and get to the basket, I'm good."
Bryant originally sprained his ankle on Jan. 29 in Philadelphia. He aggravated it last week against Charlotte when teammate Lamar Odom stepped on his foot.
Already this season, he's been playing through a fracture of his right index finger.
Andrew Bynum missed Monday night's game because of a bruised right hip.
-- Beth Harris
Kahn: Wolves deadline trade would be minor at most
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves remain focused on evaluation and determination of the core players they'll commit to beyond this rebuilding season and the approaching NBA trade deadline doesn't factor in to that process, president of basketball operations David Kahn said Monday.
So don't expect the Timberwolves to make any more than a minor move before the Feb. 18 cutoff for making deals, until the swapping and signing of players can begin again in July.
"I know that we won't do something dramatic," Kahn said, adding: "Firm as firm can be. Absolutely. We will not move one of the big people in the next 10 days. It would be a mistake of epic proportions."
That means point guards Jonny Flynn and Ramon Sessions, perimeter players Corey Brewer and Ryan Gomes and power forwards Al Jefferson and Kevin Love have the rest of the season to prove their worth and their fit with coach Kurt Rambis's triangle scheme. First-round draft pick Ricky Rubio is part of that process too, a world away in Spain, but Kahn again ruled out a trade this year.
"We've gotten calls on him, of course, but there's no way I would do anything with him now. Absolutely none," Kahn said. "He's still young, and I still think he can be one of the better point guards to play in the game."
After a season-high four straight wins, the Wolves still are last in the Western Conference at 13-38. In a question-and-answer session with reporters at Target Center on Monday, Kahn said he sees the team as two years away from playoff contention.
"In three or four years I hope we'll be among the best teams in this league," Kahn said.
One major question to be answered is whether Jefferson, the leading scorer and centerpiece of the franchise-altering Kevin Garnett trade of three years ago, will be part of the progress.
"We have not had one discussion that we initiated involving Al Jefferson," Kahn said. "Not one. And yet it hasn't stopped people from saying that he has been talked about in trades. Not true."
Kahn said he took a call from another team about that very subject Monday morning.
"Al understands: That's part of my job," Kahn said. "You have to listen, but that's a big difference than initiating or showing interest."
That doesn't mean the Wolves won't be open to it or even aggressive about it this summer, when they'll have around $13 million or $14 million in salary cap space. They need to add a true center, among other players, to go with Jefferson and/or Love.
"I think any of us could be gone, to tell you the truth, this summer," Love said after Monday's practice, adding: "We'll just have to wait and see."
Jefferson and Love essentially play the same position, though that also doesn't guarantee either one of them will be traded. The Wolves likely will have a top-five draft pick and possibly two later first-rounders from other teams, too.
"You certainly can make an argument with your whole team, but especially your big people that it might be nice to have an embarrassment of riches at those positions," Kahn said.
On other subjects:
— Nikola Pekovic, a second-round draft pick from Europe in 2008 for whom the Wolves hold rights, will be considered as an option for the frontcourt next season. He's only 6-foot-9, but he plays a more muscular game than Jefferson and Love. "The guy is like an Adonis," Kahn said.
— Kahn said he thought Sessions would play more than he has after signing a four-year, $16 million contract. "Kurt likes the idea of having Ramon behind Jonny as a way to influence behavior," Kahn said.
— Finishing strong in the last 31 games will be a selling point for free agents, Kahn said, as well as ownership, front office and coaching staff stability. "We have to make sure it feels hopeful as opposed to hopeless," he said.
— Kahn credited Rambis and his staff for their work with this team. "They have done a magnificent job of keeping the spirits up in a very difficult environment," he said.
-- Dave Campbell
West could return on Tuesday
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The best team in the NBA is beginning to get healthy.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, riding an 11-game winning streak, could get guard Delonte West back in the lineup Tuesday against the New Jersey Nets.
He missing the last eight games with a broken left ring finger, leaving the Cavs without their top two point guards.
Starting point guard Mo Williams, out with a shoulder injury, said Monday he expects West to play. Coach Mike Brown wasn't as confident because he hadn't received final clearance, but that could come at Tuesday's morning shootaround.
West has been fitted for a splint on his hand, but it hasn't affected his shot during practice.
"It just seems like he never misses a beat," Williams said. "He might be a little rusty, but he'll catch on pretty fast."
Cleveland has turned to role players like Daniel Gibson and Jawad Williams to fill in for West and Mo Williams the last few weeks.
Jawad Williams, who began the year on the practice squad, has twice scored in double figures since West's finger injury. Gibson has flourished in his largest role in years, averaging 12.4 points over the last eight games. He was scoring just 5.6 points per game in limited minutes most of the season.
"It was tough and disappointing because I felt like I had put in a lot of work during the summer," Gibson said. "It's gratifying when you're asked to step in and play a key role, and then you step up to the challenge."
Gibson hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds of a recent win over Oklahoma City. He had 12 points last week against Miami, all in the second half, after he missed the first half because of a medical emergency with his pregnant girlfriend.
"He's a tough son of a gun," Brown said. "He's always been a very good shooter, but now he's improved his game to where you can't just sit on his shot. Teams were doing that for awhile, but now if you do, he'll drive right by you and make a play."
West's return is imminent, Mo Williams is scheduled to return sometime in early March and forward Leon Powe, signed over the summer, is on target to return from knee surgery after the All-Star break.
All of that causes an enviable problem for Brown, who must find time for what could be the deepest team in the league. The Cavaliers haven't been at full strength all season, yet they enter Tuesday's game at 41-11 — two full games ahead of the Lakers for the best mark in the NBA.
"We'd love to have (West) back. We'd love to have Mo and Leon back," Brown said. "It'd be good to get anybody back."
Griffin to reunite with Sooners
OKLAHOMA CITY — After becoming the first Oklahoma player to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, the start of Blake Griffin's professional career has been delayed by injuries. His college teammates, meanwhile, have struggled at times to adapt to life without him.
For one night, they'll reunite and reminisce about better times, and then try to make the best of what's ahead.
A day before he's scheduled to be honored during "Blake Griffin Night" in Norman, the former Sooners star told reporters Monday what it's been like to miss his entire first season with the Los Angeles Clippers while watching Oklahoma muddle through a Big 12 season stuck in the middle of the pack.
Griffin, last season's college player of the year, was initially expected to miss only six weeks after injuring his left kneecap in the Clippers' final preseason game. But the injury didn't heal, and he had season-ending surgery last month.
"It's been tough to first of all miss the season opener and all of that, and then I thought I was going to be able to come back and play midseason or so. And then to find out I needed to have surgery, it was tough," Griffin said. "But at the same time, this surgery is something I needed to do.
"I wanted to take care of the problem and not have to deal with it in the future."
Griffin said he has started his rehab and hopes to start traveling with the team as his recovery progresses. While he's been out, he has tried to keep up with the Sooners. Although he's only been able to watch about five games on TV, he's gotten reports on the team's progress from coach Jeff Capel and his players.
"They're a little bit down with how things have gone. ... You do expect every year to be a perfect year, but the reality is it's not going to be and they're a young team," said Griffin, who led Oklahoma to the regional finals of the NCAA tournament last year. "What I love about them is how hard the guys have played."
Griffin said he had dinner with Capel recently in Los Angeles, and he was trying to help the Sooners "figure out their true identity." Oklahoma (13-9, 4-4 Big 12) lost not only Griffin but brother Taylor Griffin, a second-round pick by the Phoenix Suns, and senior point guard Austin Johnson from last year's team.
"It's been an up and down year just because they are so talented. They've lost some tough games but for the most part, he's been positive," Griffin said of Capel. "He's just trying to find a way to help this team win. That's what he should be doing."
Griffin said he hasn't been back to Oklahoma since the start of the season. He'll return Tuesday night to be honored during the Sooners' game against Texas Tech and plans to stick around for a few days, and perhaps stop by practice.
If he hadn't left early for the NBA, it would've been his junior year in college.
"Obviously, I still had two more years left, so that's a team I could be on but I really don't think about it like that," Griffin said. "I'm really just kind of thinking about trying to get better and I wish those guys the best of luck."
Back in Los Angeles, Griffin has come to understand life in the NBA better. Just last week, Mike Dunleavy stepped down as the Clippers' coach while keeping his role as general manager.
"It's definitely different, especially coming from college," Griffin said. "To lose teammates and then to get teammates through trades, it's weird. Guys will be here one day and be gone the next. It definitely kind of reminds you that this is all a business and the team's going to do whatever possible to put the team in a winning position.
"To lose a coach like that, it happens but I think we'll be all right. As far as who's going to be our next coach, that's up in the air. I think everything that we've heard so far is just rumors."
-- Jeff Latzke
Bobcats C Chandler close to return, won't start
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tyson Chandler arrived in Charlotte recovering from ankle and toe surgery. After slogging through the first third of the season with unimpressive results, he was shelved again with a stress reaction in his left foot.
Finally healthy, Chandler is ready to return — and wary of fitting in with a team that hit its stride without him.
Chandler participated in his first full practice Monday since being sidelined just before Christmas. After missing 22 games, Chandler says it's possible he could play some on Tuesday against Washington.
When he returns, it won't be as a starter — at least not right away.
"Under normal circumstances I would always start a guy who's been your starter," Bobcats coach Larry Brown said. "But I don't think this is normal circumstances because he hasn't had a lot of time on the floor. But let's hope he can come back (Tuesday). It's a nice problem to have."
Nazr Mohammed, buried on the bench last season, has been one of the biggest surprises for the Bobcats (24-25), who sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference as they vie for the franchise's first playoff berth.
The 32-year-old Mohammed has posted impressive offensive numbers in Chandler's place. In the last four games, Mohammed has connected on 26 of 37 shots and has had 10 or more rebounds in three of the past five games.
Chandler was averaging just 6.6 points and 7.0 rebounds. Since he was hurt, the Bobcats matched a franchise record with six straight wins, set a team mark with nine straight home wins, and went 13-9, counting their current three-game losing streak.
"Right now we're playing so well I don't want to disrupt chemistry at all," Chandler said. "I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be playing starter's minutes when I first come back. But I also think it's how I perform out there."
Acquiring Chandler was managing partner Michael Jordan's big offseason move. Jordan signed off on a trade that sent steady if unspectacular big man Emeka Okafor to New Orleans for Chandler. The 7-foot-1 Chandler is bigger, more athletic, can play some power forward, too, and is a better fit for Brown's coaching style.
But the 27-year-old Chandler was coming off a season in which he was limited to 45 games. His trade to Oklahoma City last year was voided when he failed a physical with the Thunder.
Chandler missed the preseason with the Bobcats, then struggled to adjust once the regular season began. He did have one of his better games — 13 points and 14 rebounds against New York on Dec. 20 — before getting hurt two days later.
"I knew the beginning of the season was going to be tough," Chandler said. "I spent the whole summer rehabbing and I was coming off surgery. I wasn't able to do any basketball or any strength training.
"Unfortunately, I was just starting to come on, starting to feel better, starting to feel my legs and I got hurt."
Chandler said he was able to do strength training while he was sidelined, which he feels will help as he gets back on the court.
While many wonder what Brown will do with Chandler, Mohammed expects to be coming off the bench again soon.
"You don't lose your starting spot because you get hurt. If I got hurt I wouldn't want to lose my starting spot that way," Mohammed said. "So I don't expect to continue starting. Maybe a game or two while he gets his legs under him. But once he gets going I expect him to start."
Brown said he envisions stretches where Mohammed and Chandler play together. And while Mohammed is better offensively, the Bobcats have struggled with their interior defense of late, something the long-armed Chandler can help with.
"His presence alone, just his shot blocking and ability to protect the basket, will hopefully get our defense kicking," forward Gerald Wallace said. "Hopefully, he'll adjust to the way we're playing so we don't have to wait on him."
NOTES: G Raymond Felton twisted his ankle in practice and left the workout early to get treatment. Brown was uncertain if it would keep him out of Tuesday's game. ... Browns said several players, including Felton, Stephen Jackson and Flip Murray, were ill in Saturday's loss to New Orleans. "As frustrated as I was, I know this team tries," Brown said. "So that's a blip." ... Murray will be Wallace's partner in one round of Saturday's All-Star dunk competition.
-- Mike Cranston
Cavaliers remove water fountains from home arena
CLEVELAND — Thirsty basketball fans cheering on the Cleveland Cavaliers will have to wait at a concession stand the next time they want a sip of water.
Citing concerns over swine flu, the team said Monday that all drinking water fountains have been removed from Quicken Loans Arena to reduce the spread of bacteria and communicable diseases.
The fountains were removed in November, said team spokesman Tad Carper. Fans who want a drink of water can now get a 9-ounce cup for free at the concession stand or pay $4 for bottled water.
"This was done in an effort to foster the most health-safe environment we felt we could provide for our fans," Carper said in an e-mailed statement.
Carper said he's not aware of any other NBA teams who have removed water fountains from their arenas. He said the team has also significantly increased its cleaning and sanitization procedures throughout the arena in light of what he called the "national health landscape."
Carper said the decision was based on information from several qualified sources, though he did not specify who those sources were.
Removing the fountains was not an attempt to force fans to purchase bottled water, Carper said.
The team did not consult the city's health department, which does not recommend removing fountains as a health precaution, said department director Matt Carroll.
"I haven't been able to find anything in the whole H1N1 world that says water fountains are a concern," Carroll said.
Instead, the city recommends following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including regular hand-washing and covering your mouth when you cough.
A message seeking comment from the NBA was not returned on Monday.
-- Meghann Barr
Kaman named to replace Roy in NBA All-Star game
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman will replace the Trail Blazers' injured Brandon Roy in this weekend's All-Star game.
The 7-foot native of Grand Rapids, Mich., will be making his first All-Star appearance in seven NBA seasons, all with the Clippers. He is the league's top-scoring center, averaging 20.2 points per game.
Los Angeles drafted Kaman in the sixth round in 2003 following his junior season at Central Michigan, where he led the Chippewas to Mid-American Conference championships in 2001 and 2003. He is the third CMU player to be named an NBA All-Star, joining Dan Roundfield and Dan Majerle.
Roy injured his right hamstring last month. Roy, in his fourth season with the Blazers, made the All-Star team as a reserve for the third straight season.
Pacers C Foster out for season with back injury
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers center Jeff Foster will miss the rest of the season with a back injury.
The Pacers announced Monday that Foster will have surgery after the All-Star break. He is expected to be ready for training camp in the fall.
The 6-foot-11 Foster has played in 16 games this season and averaged 3.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The 10-year veteran is fourth in Pacers' history in games played with 697.
The Pacers also are without rookie forward Tyler Hansbrough, who has been out since Jan. 16 with an inner ear infection and isn't even allowed to work out.
Rockets add Temple
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets have signed guard Garrett Temple to a 10-day contract after recalling him from their developmental league affiliate.
The 6-foot-6 Temple has averaged 14.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 30 games this season for Rio Grande Valley.
The Rockets signed Temple as an undrafted rookie free agent last September from LSU. Temple averaged 2.5 points in four preseason games with the Rockets before he was waived on Oct. 21.
WNBA
Lynx re-sign star Seimone Augustus for long term
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Lynx have signed two-time WNBA All-Star Seimone Augustus to a multi-year contract.
The Lynx disclosed the signing Monday without releasing terms. Augustus is currently the WNBA's all-time leader at 21.2 points per game. The 6-foot forward was a restricted free agent, coming off a major injury.
Augustus tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in a game last June, cutting short her fourth season in the league after only six games.
Augustus played on the U.S. Olympic team in 2008.
