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NBA Capsules: Parker, Duncan lead Spurs past Grizzlies
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tony Parker appreciates San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich's conservation plan.
During this condensed NBA season, Parker said Popovich is rarely allowing anyone play more than 40 minutes, a strategy that contributed to the Spurs' 89-84 victory Monday night over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Parker, playing 36 minutes, scored 21 points, and Tim Duncan added 19 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in 32 minutes.
"I think Pop tries to keep us fresh," Parker said. "It's rare that me, or anyone, plays 40 minutes. Over the course of the season, if you have to play 38 or 40 minutes a game, it's tough. It takes its toll."
Memphis, minus Zach Randolph indefinitely and Tony Allen the past two games, was forced to use starters Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley for 40-plus minutes. Gasol had 22 points to lead the Grizzlies, while Conley scored 19 and Gay 18.
Gay said the Grizzlies, who lost their third straight, expended their energy fighting back from a 14-point first-half deficit to take a six-point lead entering the final quarter.
"It was tough," Gay said. "A couple of guys were fatigued from playing a lot of heavy minutes. It was one of those games that slipped away from us."
The Grizzlies were outscored 22-11 in the fourth quarter. The 11 points represented a season low for a single quarter.
"We made some shots and got some stops (to rally)," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "Then in the fourth quarter, we couldn't make a shot anymore."
Memphis didn't have an answer for Duncan in the second half. He scored 13 of his points after the half as the Spurs opened a nine-game road trip with a win, their fifth straight. The Grizzlies led 73-67 entering the final period, but missed their first nine shots to allow the Spurs to recover and take an 87-81 lead with 1:18 to go.
Duncan also had two key blocks in the closing minute as the Spurs clung to an 87-84 lead. He first blocked Gay's layup attempt with 32 seconds left and followed with a block of Gasol's close-range attempt 10 seconds later.
"He is somebody who is pretty special," Popovich said. "The blocks were pretty good down the stretch. Those kinds of things are what he does."
Parker said Duncan has been playing at a high level recently. It was Duncan's second straight double-double. He had 13 points and 15 rebounds Saturday in a win over Oklahoma City.
"He's feeling good," Parker said. "His knee is doing well. Hopefully, he can stay like that. That's a great game from Timmy — 19 (points) and 17 (rebounds)."
The Grizzlies trailed by 13 at 61-48 early in the third quarter, but rallied behind a 25-6 run to end the period. Memphis took its first lead of the second half, at 66-63, on O.J. Mayo's 3-pointer with 2:11 to go in the third quarter.
Hitting five of seven 3-pointers in the first half, San Antonio led by as many as 14 late in the second quarter. Matt Bonner and Gary Neal connected on two 3-pointers apiece and Kawhi Leonard had the other.
The Grizzlies outscored the Spurs 11-3 in the final 3:31 of the second quarter to trim San Antonio's lead to six points at 52-46 at the half.
Notes: Allen missed his second straight game with hip and knee problems. He was averaging 17.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his three previous games. ... Monday night's game marked the beginning of the Spurs' annual extended road trip. Because of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, the Spurs will play nine straight away games returning to the AT&T Center Feb. 29 vs. Chicago. ... Memphis began a season-high five-game homestand Monday night, the longest for the franchise since December 2008.
Scola leads Rockets past hurting Nuggets
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets began the night without three starters and a backup. They ended it by watching rising star forward Danilo Gallinari hobble out of the Pepsi Center on crutches in a walking boot after a dispiriting 99-90 loss to the Houston Rockets.
"Nervous. Nervous that I'm going to be out for a while," Gallinari said of his reaction to getting hurt in the third quarter, when he stepped on a defender and badly twisted his left ankle.
X-rays revealed a chip fracture of the foot.
"I was surprised," said Gallinari, who will get further medical tests Tuesday to confirm the diagnosis.
"Hopefully, I can recover fast," Gallinari said.
Gallinari, who recently signed a four-year, $42 million deal that makes him the cornerstone of Denver's young nucleus, said the doctors and trainers didn't give him any indication about how long he might be sidelined.
"I have some more scans tomorrow and they will tell me more tomorrow," he said as he made his way slowly to the players parking lot.
Luis Scola scored 25 points and Kyle Lowry added 20 for the Rockets, who handed the Nuggets their third straight loss and fifth defeat in six games.
Chase Budinger had 16 points on the strength of five 3-pointers, his last one giving Houston a seven-point lead with a minute left that sealed the Rockets' fourth road win in 12 tries.
Gallinari had 14 points when he went down with 9:38 left in the third quarter. He was replaced by Rudy Fernandez, who also scored 14 points to top Denver's makeshift lineup.
Gallinari hopped downcourt in pain after stepping on Chandler Parsons' foot, twisting his ankle. Parsons was whistled for the shooting foul and Gallinari stayed in, sank both shots but then waved for the Nuggets to take him out as he hobbled back down the court.
"It's tough," teammate Ty Lawson said. "It's just tough to see him go down. He's a tough player, he normally would get back up from that. You know it's serious when he leaves the game."
Added Nuggets power forward Al Harrington: "It's the season, man. It's the season. It ain't going to stop for nobody. If Gallo's out, somebody else has to step up and fill that hole until he gets back."
The Nuggets were already hurting before tipoff. Post player Nene (left heel), guard Arron Afflalo (left ankle, right big toe) and center Timofey Mozgov (left ankle) were all out Monday night, along with backup forward Corey Brewer following the death of his father.
"Him going out hurts them badly, especially with all the other guys being out," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said of Gallinari going down. "The injury bug has just bit them in the behind and it's hard."
Despite losing all those players and watching Kosta Koufos foul out, the Nuggets were in it until the end.
"If we would have pulled it out, it would have been an incredible win for us," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "But it's still a very disappointing loss. I mean, no one's going to feel sorry for us except ourselves, and if we feel too sorry for ourselves, we're not going to bounce back.
"It's a loss. On our home court. We can't have many more of them. We've already had five now."
Asked if it's becoming clear that the lockout-shortened season is affecting players' health, Karl said: "I don't think there's any question you could study that and analyze it that way. I know my team was tired tonight. There's no question of the residual effect of the three games in a row."
Karl was also disheartened to learn of former Nuggets star Chauncey Billups' injury Monday night. Billups, a Denver native who recently had a monster game in his first trip back to the Pepsi Center since getting caught up in the Carmelo Anthony trade a year ago, sustained a possible left Achilles injury in the Los Angeles Clippers' 107-102 overtime win at Orlando.
"If it's torn," Karl said, "it will probably be difficult for him to come back."
"The season is taking its toll," said Kenneth Faried, who started for Denver along with fellow rookie Julyan Stone.
The Nuggets hung tough despite the spate of injuries. It was 49-all when Gallinari went down and Houston led by a point heading into the fourth quarter.
The Rockets hit six straight 3-pointers in the second half, three by Budinger. After Lowry's 3 made it 94-86, the Nuggets trimmed it to 94-90 but Harrington missed two foul shots with 1:21 left and Budinger sank a 3 at the other end to make it 97-90.
Scola scored seven points during a 17-8 run Houston used to close out the first half and take a 47-45 lead into the break. The Nuggets had to feel fortunate to be so close after missing all nine of their 3-pointers and turning the ball over 13 times to Houston's four.
"I think we lost the game in the first half and not the second half," Karl said.
Overall, they went 3-for-22 from behind the arc and missed 14 of 33 free throws.
"A combination of missed free throws and missed open 3s and 20 turnovers, it's tough to win a game," Karl said.
Especially with Gallinari in the training room.
"He was a threat to us," Scola said. "He went out and they had to show us different looks. It changed the game, yes."
And, depending on the severity of his injury, maybe the Nuggets' season, too.
Notes: Houston C Samuel Dalembert was credited with a steal when the ball bounced off his face in the opening minutes. ... Karl said he hopes to have both Nene and Afflalo back for Wednesday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks. ... Houston's leading scorer, Kevin Martin — held to two points on 1-of-10 shooting in a loss at Minnesota on Saturday — went 1 for 9 against Denver and finished with eight points.
-- Arnie Stapleton
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Love suspended two games for stepping on Scola
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Love's frustration with physical play and officiating have been apparent early and often this season.
Emotion got the best of him on Saturday night against the Rockets, and now he and the Minnesota Timberwolves have to pay the price: Love, his team's leading scorer and rebounder, was suspended for two games by the NBA for "driving his foot into the upper body and face of the Rockets' Luis Scola as Scola was lying on the floor."
The play happened in the third quarter of Saturday's victory over the Rockets after the two tangled while going for a rebound. As Love went to step over Scola, who a week earlier had thrown a ball off Love's groin while trying to save it from going out of bounds, he looked down at the Rockets forward and stepped on him as he headed back up the court.
It marked the second time last week Love delivered a hard foul after not getting a call on the other end. He raked Pacers forward Danny Granger across the chest on Wednesday, touching off a small skirmish in a loss to Indiana.
Love apologized to Scola both after the game and in a statement issued by the team on Monday following the suspension, and said he has to do a better job handling his emotions.
"I don't want to be known for that," Love said after practice. "I want to be known as a stand-up guy who happened to make a mistake with a size 19 shoe and just move on. So everybody knows there were no ill intentions there."
He will miss Tuesday's game against Sacramento and Wednesday's game at Memphis as the Timberwolves (12-12) look to climb above .500 for the first time this season.
Love is averaging 25.0 points and 13.7 rebounds per game and leads the NBA with 39.4 minutes per game. The All-Star forward was contrite on Monday, saying he thought the suspension from NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson "was warranted."
"It's been a chippy year," Love said. "It's not only us. It's not only the Pacers, the Rockets or anything like that. It's a lot of games. The guys are tired. Games are being drawn out and guys are worn down.
"For me and for us, it's no different. And also for the refs as well. They've got to go over film just like we do, maybe even more. So you've got to respect them and got to respect what they do."
Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman said he has spoken with Love and the rest of his young team about playing through any perceived mistreatment from the other team or the officials.
Adelman did wonder how Jackson landed on two games as proper punishment.
"Do I think it's fair? No. Absolutely (not)," Adelman said. "I don't know the reasoning. They don't tell you the reasoning. I don't know the reasoning why two games. They haven't said anything. You've just got to move on."
The 23-year-old Love, who recently signed a four-year extension worth more than $60 million, has been barking at the officials most of the season.
Adelman said he saw Love get upset with no-calls on two straight possessions before the run-in with Scola "and it led to the incident."
"You've got to play through," Adelman said. "Play with emotion, but you've got to play through it and not let it affect what happens on the court."
Adelman didn't say who would start in Love's place against the Kings, but Derrick Williams and Anthony Tolliver figure to see a lot more time. Williams, the No. 2 overall pick, has had a tough time getting settled into a role with the Wolves.
He has played just 37 minutes combined in the last four games and tweeted on Saturday "anybody ever felt like a caged lion?"
"I guess it's just patience and hopefully I pick up (Adelman's) trust and have the ball in my hands more often," Williams said. "I kind of feel like it's just a lack of confidence, not in myself, but him in me being in that position. I've just got to earn his trust."
Separately, the Timberwolves sent rookie G Malcolm Lee to Sioux Falls of the NBDL for what essentially is a rehab assignment. The second-round pick has not played this year after having surgery on a torn meniscus in his left knee.
-- Jon Krawczynski
Other NBA Capsules
Williams' 3 gives Sixers win on milestone night for Bryant
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Lou Williams nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer, scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, and spoiled Kobe Bryant's record-setting night while leading the Philadelphia 76ers to 95-90 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
With "Beat L.A.!" echoing through a second straight sellout crowd, Williams hit the tying jumper, then followed with the 3 for a 91-88 lead. He hit another floater to make it 93-88, part of a fantastic fourth that saw him hold off Bryant and help the Sixers improve to 13-3 at home.
Bryant scored 24 of his 28 points in the first half. He passed former teammate Shaquille O'Neal and moved into fifth place on the NBA's career scoring list. Bryant got 24 points in a hurry to pass O'Neal, but stumbled down the stretch and missed nine of his 10 shots in the fourth.
Andrew Bynum had 20 points and 20 rebounds for the Lakers. Pau Gasol had 16 points and 11 rebounds.
KNICKS 99, JAZZ 88
NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremy Lin scored a career-high 28 points in his first career start, Steve Novak added a season-best 19, and the Knicks overcame the absence of Amare Stoudemire and early loss of Carmelo Anthony to beat the Utah Jazz.
Stoudemire left the team to join his family in Florida after older brother Hazell was killed there earlier Monday in a car crash, then Anthony left after just six minutes with a strained right groin.
Despite missing two All-Stars and using a lineup of second-teamers, the Knicks won their second straight thanks to another remarkable performance from Lin, the former Harvard point guard.
Al Jefferson scored 22 points in a disappointing effort for the Jazz in the opener of a brief two-game road trip.
CLIPPERS 107, MAGIC 102
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Chris Paul scored 29 points, including 11 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 15-point first-half deficit and slipped by the Orlando Magic.
Blake Griffin and Chauncey Billups each added 18 points for the Clippers.
The Clippers have won six of the last seven games and snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Magic. But they may have lost Billups for an extended period after he slipped and left in the fourth quarter with a left Achilles injury.
Dwight Howard had 33 points and 14 rebounds, and Jason Richardson 20 points for the Magic. Orlando's loss ends a three-game win streak. It came as point guard Jameer Nelson returned to the lineup after missing five consecutive games with concussion symptoms, but had 15 points and 12 assists.
WIZARDS 111, RAPTORS 108, OT
WASHINGTON (AP) — John Wall scored 31 points, Nick Young had a season-high 29 and Trevor Booker added a season-high 19 as the Wizards blew an 18-point third-quarter lead and then hung on to beat the Toronto Raptors 111-108 in overtime.
The Wizards outscored Toronto 6-3 in the overtime.
Young's two free throws with 1:06 to play gave Washington a 109-106 lead. The Raptors' Amir Johnson hit two free throws with 27.2 seconds left to make it 109-108. Booker hit the first of two free throws with 6.7 seconds left. Young rebounded Booker's miss, was fouled and hit the second of two free throws with 1.5 seconds left to make it 111-108. Linas Kleiza's 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.
Jerryd Bayless and Kleiza both had a season-high 30 points for Toronto.
SUNS 99, HAWKS 90
ATLANTA (AP) — Steve Nash scored 24 points and the Phoenix Suns broke open a close game with a 24-6 run to close the third quarter and beat the Atlanta Hawks.
Nash, whose 38th birthday is Tuesday, had 11 assists and shot 9 of 12 — including each of his four 3-pointers. Channing Frye had 19 points, including a 3-pointer and another basket in the closing minutes to help the Suns stop Atlanta's final comeback attempt.
After trailing by 16 in the second quarter, the Hawks recovered to trail only 60-58 after back-to-back 3-pointers by Joe Johnson and Josh Smith in the third period. Nash, who had a buzzer-beating 3 at the end of the first half, added another 3 before the shot clock expired to help the Suns launch the decisive run to lead 84-64 entering the final period.
Smith had 18 points, and Johnson had 17 for the Hawks, who suffered their third straight loss, all at home, after a 4-1 road trip.
BULLS 108, NETS 87
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Carlos Boozer scored 24 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to an easy victory over the New Jersey Nets.
Luol Deng scored 19 points and C.J. Watson added 14 points and 10 assists in place of Derrick Rose. The reigning league MVP played less than 11 minutes in the first half and the Bulls said at halftime that he would not return because of back spasms.
Chicago is 4-2 six games into a nine-game road trip that is the Bulls' longest of the season.
Deron Williams scored 25 points for the Nets, who only dressed nine players. Starting shooting guard Anthony Morrow missed the game due to the death of his grandmother, while Brook Lopez, Damion James, Mehmet Okur, MarShon Brooks and DeShawn Stevenson were out with injuries.
KINGS 100, HORNETS 92
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins had 28 points and 19 rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings erased an 18-point deficit en route to a victory over the slumping New Orleans Hornets.
Tyreke Evans scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, when Sacramento took its first lead on Marcus Thornton's free throw with 6:24 left. Isaiah Thomas scored 17, including a 31-foot 3-pointer with 2:15 to go that gave the Kings a 94-88 lead. Thornton added 12 points.
Greivis Vasquez scored 20 points and Marco Belinelli 18 points for New Orleans, which has lost six straight.
THUNDER 111, TRAIL BLAZERS 107, OT
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Kevin Durant had 33 points, including a dunk with 2.9 seconds left in overtime, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Portland Trail Blazers.
Russell Westbrook added 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who upped their NBA-best record to 19-5.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 39 points for Portland, who led 103-101 with 6 seconds left in regulation before a goaltending call that drew the ire of the Rose Garden crowd and seemed to take the energy out of the Blazers.
It was just the second loss for the Blazers (13-11) at the Rose Garden.
Other NBA News
Jackson lingering on Bucks' bench, role uncertain
MILWAUKEE (AP) — After spending most of last week sitting on the bench, Stephen Jackson isn't sure where he stands with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Jackson has played just over nine minutes total the past five games. He sat out one game because of an NBA suspension for verbally abusing an official and Bucks coach Scott Skiles benched him for three others. Jackson says he'll stay ready to play whenever his name is called.
"I'm supporting my teammates the way that I've always been," Jackson said Monday. "I'm going to respect the coaches, I'm going to respect everybody around. But at the end of the day, everybody knows I want to play. That's not a secret."
Jackson wouldn't say if he had requested a trade.
The Bucks signed the veteran as a free agent in the offseason, hoping he could provide some offense. Jackson was a regular starter for the Bucks until he missed a team shootaround in New York last month, which got him benched for one game.
Skiles was ill and did not attend Monday's practice. Assistant Jim Boylan said coaches will consider putting Jackson back in the regular rotation.
"That's something that will be discussed," Boylan said. "Nothing lasts forever, especially in this league."
Boylan said Jackson has remained upbeat.
"Steve's been great," Boylan said. "He was outstanding today in practice, his attitude's been positive. So he doesn't need to do anything more for me, I know that. Since all of this has gone on, he's handled himself well. So I have no complaints."
Jackson has played for seven different teams in 12 seasons. To some fans, he's best known for his role in the infamous Pacers-Pistons brawl in 2004, resulting in a 30-game suspension.
Jackson insists his reputation doesn't reflect his commitment to his teammates.
"I've been showing my commitment every day," Jackson said. "I've been up cheering, supporting the team. I'm going to support my teammates. I'm a team guy. At the end of the day, when I get called, I'm going to be ready to play. That's what I love to do."
Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings spoke up for Jackson, saying he was "a little disappointed" Skiles didn't play Jackson during Saturday's blowout home loss to Chicago.
"I felt like he should have played against Chicago," Jennings said. "The fact that we were struggling, I was in foul trouble, maybe he could have gave us a spark. Just his presence probably could have changed the game. You never know."
Jennings praised Jackson's attitude.
"The main thing is just to see what the coaches do," Jennings said. "It's the coaches' decision at the end of the day. But he's been going hard and at the end of the day he's still a big part of the team, no matter what."
Jackson brushed off a question about his relationship with Bucks coaches.
"I'll be ready to play when they call me," he said. "That's not important. None of that's important. My job's to play basketball. My job's not to be here to be friends with anybody."
Before last Wednesday's victory over Miami, Skiles said he'd had a "good conversation" with Jackson. Going into the Miami game, Jackson was suspended for a game against the Lakers and was benched for a game against Detroit.
"Look, I don't want anybody, especially somebody like 'Jack,' to be happy about not playing in a game," Skiles said on Feb. 1. "I have too much respect for him. I've been in that position myself, I totally understand it. But Jack's going to be a professional about it, and he's going to keep working hard, and when he gets his chance, he'll get into the game and help us. I'm fully confident of that."
Jackson played nine minutes and 29 seconds against Miami, and hasn't played in the Bucks' past two games.
"Of course it's frustrating, because I want to be out there to help my teammates," Jackson said. "I never want to leave a guy out there to battle by himself. But at the end of the day, I only can worry about what I can control."
-- Chris Jenkins
Cavs' Gibson still bothered by neck infection
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson practiced and believed he was ready to play. He'll have to wait a little longer.
Gibson did not travel with the team to Miami as originally planned after he complained about discomfort in his neck after practicing for the first time in 10 days.
Gibson will miss his fifth straight game Tuesday with what the team has described as a "soft tissue infection" that he was hospitalized for in Boston last week. He practiced Monday at the team's facility in Independence, Ohio, and said he was looking forward to getting back on the floor with his teammates.
But Gibson reported some "discomfort" and the team said in a release Monday night that Gibson did not make the trip to Florida to face the Heat "as a precaution."
Gibson had been upbeat after practice. He was hospitalized in Boston for two days last week to undergo tests after his neck swelled and he had trouble chewing. Gibson still isn't sure what exactly is wrong with him.
"It's kind of hard to explain," he said. "They did a lot of tests. It was a combination of a lot of different things. A lot of it they were speaking 'doctor,' so a lot of it I didn't know."
The 25-year-old said he may have hurt his neck in a Jan. 27 game against New Jersey. Following that game, Gibson came down with a cold, which may have caused some excessive swelling in his neck.
"It got kind of serious because of all the complications with your neck," he said. "There's breathing. There's so much that goes on around that area. That's why it was so serious."
Gibson has been with the Cavs since 2006, when they drafted him in the second round. He's one of the team's most popular players, the Cavs' best long-range outside shooter and top perimeter defender.
Gibson's injury isn't the only one troubling the Cavs, who have been short-handed for the past week. Starting guard Anthony Parker remains sidelined with a strained lower back and rookie forward Tristan Thompson will miss his fourth straight game with a sprained left ankle.
Before learning Gibson would be out again, the team waived rookie guard Mychel Thompson, who had made three consecutive starts.
It's possible the Cavs will make another roster move before facing the Heat, the first of four games in five days for Cleveland.
-- Tom Withers
Knicks' Stoudemire out after death of brother
LAKE WALES, Fla. (AP) — A brother of New York Knicks star Amare Stoudemire died in a Florida car crash Monday after the SUV he was driving slammed into the back of a trailer.
Authorities are still investigating and awaiting test results to find out if alcohol was a factor. The Florida Highway Patrol said 35-year-old Hazell Stoudemire was not wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene.
Amare Stoudemire returned to Florida to be with his family and was to miss Monday night's game against Utah. Knicks spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz said he doesn't know how long Stoudemire will be away.
"Our thoughts and prayers and everything's with him, and whatever time he needs to take, he'll take, and then we'll get him back as soon as possible," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said after the team's morning workout in Greenburgh, N.Y.
The highway patrol report said Hazell Stoudemire's SUV struck a trailer that was being towed by a truck early Monday morning. He had been driving on a highway in the heart of Florida's citrus country.
Hazell Stoudemire, who lived in Lakeland, Fla., was one of Amare's four brothers. The Knicks' forward also has three sisters. D'Antoni said Stoudemire "cherishes his family and he does a great job of maintaining all relationships."
Jared Jeffries will replace Stoudemire in the lineup.
Lin starts for Knicks; elbow causes Davis setback
NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremy Lin was the starting point guard for the Knicks on Monday against Utah, while the player expected to inherit the position had a recent medical setback.
Baron Davis revealed that he stopped his workouts because of an infection in his right elbow. Davis, who hasn't played this season because of herniated disk in his back, hasn't practiced since that happened on Jan. 26 in Miami and it's unknown when he will return.
Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said it would probably be a week or 10 days from when Davis resumed practicing to when he could play in games.
In the meantime, the Knicks hope Lin can be their answer. The Harvard product scored a career-high 25 points Saturday in a victory over New Jersey.
Gallinari rolls ankle, adds to Denver's woes
DENVER (AP) — Forward Danilo Gallinari left the Denver Nuggets' game against the Houston Rockets in the third quarter Monday night after rolling his left ankle. The Nuggets said X-rays revealed a chip fracture in his left foot and he'll have further tests Tuesday.
Gallinari recently signed a four-year, $42 million deal. He stayed in the game and sank two free throws after twisting his ankle but hobbled back down the court and left the game. He went to the locker room and was replaced by Rudy Fernandez.
Gallinari joined a growing list of Nuggets on the sideline. Nene (left heel), Arron Afflalo (left ankle, right big toe) and Timofey Mozgov (left ankle) were all out for the Rockets game, along with backup forward Corey Brewer following the death of his father.
-- Arnie Stapleton
Jack, Smith out for Hornets vs. Kings
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hornets coach Monty Williams says starting point guard Jarrett Jack and forward Jason Smith are sitting out Monday's night's home game against the Sacramento Kings. Jack is missing his third straight game with a sore left knee, while Smith is missing his first game since leaving Saturday night's contest at Detroit with a concussion.
Jack has averaged 15.8 points and 6.8 assists. Smith has started 12 of 21 games, averaging 8.2 points and 3.9 rebounds.
The injuries add to a growing list for New Orleans, which is already without shooting guard Eric Gordon (right knee bruise) and power forward Carl Landry (sprained left knee). Williams says center Chris Kaman is back in the lineup after being excused for more than a week while the club sought to trade him.
Cavs waive rookie G Thompson
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers have waived rookie guard Mychel Thompson.
Thompson had started the past three games for the Cavs, who were short-handed because of injuries to Daniel Gibson (neck) and Anthony Parker (back). Also, the Cavs want to maintain roster flexibility. Thompson averaged 3.6 points and 19 minutes in five games.
Gibson practiced Monday for the first time in 10 days and is traveling with the team to Miami for Tuesday's game against the Heat. Gibson was hospitalized last week in Boston with a "soft tissue" infection in his neck. Gibson says he's feeling better and is eager to play.
Parker is expected to miss his fourth straight game with a sore lower back and rookie forward Tristan Thompson still hasn't recovered from a sprained left ankle.
Bryant passes O'Neal for fifth on NBA scoring list
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has passed former teammate Shaquille O'Neal and moved into fifth place on the NBA's career scoring list.
Bryant needed 24 points to pass O'Neal entering Monday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. O'Neal retired with 28,596 points. Bryant nailed a long jumper late in the first half to give him 24 points. O'Neal and Bryant often clashed, even while leading the Lakers to NBA championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Bryant was loudly booed in pregame introductions. Bryant graduated from Lower Merion High School just outside of Philly and has been jeered by Sixers fans for the majority of his career.
NBA suspends Lakers coach Brown one game
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Los Angeles coach Mike Brown has been suspended one game without pay and fined $25,000 for making contact with a game official and failure to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection in Saturday's game.
The NBA announced the suspension Monday. Brown will miss Monday's game in Philadelphia against the 76ers. The incident occurred with 8:41 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 96-87 loss to the Utah Jazz. Brown received two quick technicals for arguing Pau Gasol was fouled by Utah's Earl Watson.
Anthony has short night because of strained groin
NEW YORK (AP) — Carmelo Anthony left the Knicks' game against Utah in the first quarter because of a strained right groin and will not return. Anthony was hurt after scoring two points in 6 minutes. The Knicks were already without Amare Stoudemire, their other All-Star, after he returned to Florida earlier Monday following the death of his brother in a car crash.
Anthony leads the Knicks with 23.3 points per game but has battled nagging injuries, missing three games and shooting poorly in a number of others.
Thunder recall Reid from D-League
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder recalled forward Ryan Reid from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League before Monday night's game at Portland.
Reid, acquired by the Thunder the day of the 2010 draft, has yet to play in an NBA game. He averaged 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds during his eight-game stretch in the D-League this season. Reid has been wearing a protective shield after having surgery last month on his broken nose.
WNBA
Seattle signs veteran C Wauters
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Storm have added depth to their front-court by signing former No. 1 overall pick Ann Wauters.
Seattle announced the signing of the veteran center on Monday after head coach Brian Agler returned from Spain, where he met with Wauters, who is currently playing in the EuroLeague.
The 31-year-old Wauters last played in the WNBA in 2009 and took the last two seasons off. She was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 WNBA draft by Cleveland. Wauters also played for New York and San Antonio and was an All-Star in 2005.
Wauters is currently playing with Seattle star Lauren Jackson for Ros Casares Valencia and leads that team in points (14.9) and rebounds (8.0) per game.
Chicago Sky sign Riley
CHICAGO (AP) — Former Olympic gold medalist and two-time WNBA champion Ruth Riley has signed with the Chicago Sky. The Sky announced the agreement on Monday.
The veteran center has averaged 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds over 11 seasons and has made the playoffs 10 times. She spent the past five seasons with San Antonio, helping the 2008 team reach the WNBA finals after winning championships with the Detroit Shock in 2003 and 2006. She also led Notre Dame to a national championship in 2001 and won the gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team in 2004.
In Chicago, she will be reunited with Swin Cash, her teammate on Detroit's 2003 championship team.
Connecticut signs Mims to two-year deal
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — The Connecticut Sun has signed free agent Mistie Mims to a two-year contract. The team made the announcement on Monday, but did not disclose the terms of the deal.
The 6-foot-3 forward out of Duke has played five seasons in the WNBA for the Houston Comets and Chicago Sky, but did not play in the league in 2011. She is currently averaging almost 20 points per game for Challes-Les-Eaux in the French League.
Coach Mike Thibault said Connecticut had been looking for another front-court player because Jessica Moore recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on her left knee and may miss the start of the season.
