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NBA Capsules: Spurs outlast Wallace, Pistons
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Tim Duncan made his move to the basket and didn't come close to scoring. After he released the ball, the San Antonio star fell to the ground, the victim of a stray elbow from Detroit's Ben Wallace.
What began as a mismatch between the streaking Spurs and rebuilding Pistons had turned into an enthralling showdown between Duncan and Wallace, two veteran big men facing each other for perhaps the final time.
"Two old guys trying to get it done for their teams," said the 37-year-old Wallace, who plans to retire after this season.
Duncan's Spurs came out on top, overcoming a spirited Detroit rally to beat the Pistons 99-95 on Tuesday night for their eighth consecutive victory. Duncan had 18 points and 13 rebounds, spoiling a special night for Wallace, who played in his 1,055th game — a record for an undrafted player since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger.
Wallace drew a standing ovation when his record was announced after the first quarter, and he ignited the crowd again later on when Detroit rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit. Wallace finished with nine points and five rebounds.
"That was great. He's always in great shape, and he's moving well, and he was really active," the 35-year-old Duncan said. "I asked him on the floor how much longer he was going to play, and he said he was done after this year. I told him he's had an unbelievable career."
The Spurs and Pistons aren't scheduled to play again in the regular season, so this may have been the final meeting between Duncan and Wallace. Duncan outplayed Greg Monroe, Detroit's young big man, but the Pistons stuck with Wallace down the stretch, and the four-time defensive player of the year helped swing momentum in Detroit's favor.
Finally, San Antonio's Tony Parker made a driving layup with 1:13 remaining to break a 91-all tie and put the Spurs ahead to stay. Parker also made a floater with 27.2 seconds left to make it 95-92.
After Ben Gordon missed from the left corner with Duncan contesting, the Detroit guard was called for a technical foul, and the Spurs held on.
"I thought Detroit did a great job in the fourth. We got up 15 or 16, but they got physical on defense and moved the ball." San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "We've got three veteran players out there in Tim, Manu (Ginobili) and Tony, and they made plays down the stretch when we needed them."
Down 79-64, the Pistons went on a 14-0 run that included the seventh 3-pointer of Wallace's career. Later, with the Spurs up 83-82, Duncan missed inside and was caught by Wallace's elbow. While Duncan remained on the ground, Detroit's Brandon Knight scored while being fouled at the other end to give the Pistons the lead with 5:28 remaining.
Duncan stayed in the game with what looked like a bandage under his left eye. Less than a minute later it was Detroit's Rodney Stuckey sprawled on the floor after he appeared to be hit in the head by Ginobili's knee.
The Spurs began fouling Wallace intentionally, and he finished 4 of 8 from the free throw line, including two airballs. He tied the game at 91 with a free throw with 2:06 remaining, but Parker put San Antonio ahead with his drive.
Wallace's 3-pointer was his first since Dec. 11, 2010.
"Three-ball — that ain't nothing that you all haven't seen before," Wallace said. "They hacked me. I made a couple free throws, shot a couple airballs — still ain't nothing that you all have never seen before."
Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said he wasn't about to pull Wallace when he was being fouled intentionally.
"He earned the right to be in there," Frank said. "Ben turned the game around."
Stuckey led the Pistons with 23 points.
San Antonio had seven players in double figures. Parker scored 14 points, and Richard Jefferson and Tiago Splitter had 13 each.
NOTES: It was the fourth game of a nine-game road trip for the Spurs. ... The Pistons have lost two straight after a four-game winning streak. ... Wallace moved one game ahead of former Spur Avery Johnson on the list of games played by undrafted players.
Conley, Gay lead Grizzlies over Rockets
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tony Allen was determined to stop Rockets leading scorer Kevin Martin. He completely shut him down.
Mike Conley scored 21 points, Rudy Gay added 20 points and eight rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies held Martin scoreless for the first time in six years in the Grizzlies' 93-83 victory over the Rockets on Tuesday night.
Martin, who entered the game averaging 18.4 points per game this season and 25.8 in his career against the Grizzlies, played only 19 minutes. He was 0-for-3 shooting and limited to seven minutes in the second half.
Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins credited his defensive stopper, Tony Allen, for making matters difficult for Martin from the outset.
"He didn't get off to a quick start," Hollins said of Martin. "I thought Tony came out with the mindset that he was going to try to play him as hard as he could. Then the kid didn't make a couple of shots and things weren't going his way and they made a sub and played Courtney Lee."
Allen knew of Martin's success against the Grizzlies. Martin averaged 31.4 points in four games against Memphis last season.
"I got a video edit of his last three games before the game and I was studying his tendencies," Allen said. "We were talking about Kevin in shoot-around and about him being a Grizzlies killer. We had our antennas up."
Gay wasn't surprised by Allen's ability to shut down Martin.
"That's Tony Allen for you," he said. "He's going to be active. He's going to pressure you and that's what we love about him."
Rockets coach Kevin McHale said the Grizzlies did a good job defensively on his entire team, not just Martin. The Grizzlies defense held Houston to 38 percent shooting. Kyle Lowry led the Rockets with 24 points, but the other four Houston starters were limited to 27 points on 12-for-32 shooting. No other starter was in double figures.
"They played harder than we did tonight," McHale said. "It took us a long time to get engaged in the type of game it was, which was going to be a grind-it-out one, as you could see (from) the first quarter. You can't ease into a game like that."
Despite the strong defensive showing by the Grizzlies, the Rockets made a late run in the closing minutes. Memphis led by 15 early in the third quarter, but the Rockets trimmed the advantage to five points, 84-79, on Lowrys steal and layup with 2:58 left.
But Conley answered by scoring seven of the Grizzlies' final nine points, starting with a 3-pointer with 2:26 to go. His 3-pointer followed a scramble for a loose ball under the Grizzlies basket and gave Memphis an 87-79 advantage.
"It thwarted their momentum," Hollins said.
The Grizzlies built a 52-43 halftime lead behind Gay, who had 12 of his 16 first-half points in the second quarter. Memphis led by 11 on two occasions in second quarter, the first on a 3-pointer by Conley from the left wing with 1:17 to go and again, at 52-41, following a three-point play by Marc Gasol with 39 seconds left. Gasol scored 18 points and had seven rebounds for the Grizzlies (15-14).
Memphis opened the second half on a 10-4 run to go up by 15.
In the first quarter, the Grizzlies fell behind, 13-8, before going on a 9-0 run ignited by Conley's first 3-pointer of the game. Memphis did not trail again in the opening half.
The Grizzlies shot 52 percent in the first half and their starters — Conley, Gay, Gasol, Allen and Marreese Speights — combined to go 21-of-31 for 68 percent.
NOTES: Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph has been cleared to begin non-contact drills and may return to the lineup by early March, according to team officials. Randolph tore his right medial collateral ligament Jan. 1 in a game against the Bulls in Chicago. ... Gay scored 20 or more points for the 14th time in 20 games. The Grizzlies are 11-4 when Gay scores 20 or more points. ... Houston finished its six-game road trip with a 3-3 record.
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Lin's late 3 sends Knicks to win over Raptors
TORONTO (AP) — Jeremy Lin made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with less than a second to play to cap his finishing flurry of six straight points, and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 90-87 Tuesday night, extending their winning streak to six games.
The NBA's first American-Taiwanese player, Lin had 27 points and a career-high 11 assists in his first game since being named Eastern Conference player of the week.
The season-high crowd of 20,092 roared as Lin drained a pull-up jumper from the top with half a second to play, giving the Knicks their first lead since the opening quarter.
Toronto's Rasual Butler airballed his attempt at the buzzer as the Knicks swarmed their newest hero at center court.
Amare Stoudemire returned from a four-game absence with 21 points and Tyson Chandler had 13 for New York.
Jose Calderon scored 25 points, Linas Kleiza had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan scored 14 for the Raptors.
HEAT 105, PACERS 90
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — LeBron James scored 23 points and nearly produced his first triple-double in 11 months, Dwyane Wade had 16 points, and Miami became the first team in 33 years to win three straight on the road in three days.
Miami is also the first club in 42 years to win each of the three by double digits. Phoenix was the last to win three in a row on the road in consecutive days, from Dec. 21-23, 1979. Milwaukee was the last team to win all three by at least 10 from Nov. 20-22, 1970.
Rookie Norris Cole matched his season high with 20 points and James had nine points and six assists in the first 14 minutes. Wade made his first five shots and needed a little more than eight minutes to reach 10. Defensively, Miami was just as tough limiting Indiana to just 6 of 23 from the field in the first quarter and not much better until the closing minutes.
David West led the Pacers with 14 points and Paul George had 12, not nearly enough to avoid a fourth consecutive loss. Even worse, the Pacers (17-11) lost leading scorer Danny Granger with a sprained left ankle late in the first quarter and he did not return. Granger finished with three points.
THUNDER 111, JAZZ 85
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — James Harden scored 22 points, Kevin Durant added 21 and Oklahoma City beat Utah for the second time in five days.
In between, NBA-leading Oklahoma City got three days off. Utah embarked on its only back-to-back-to-back set of the season and finished it with two straight losses.
The well-rested Thunder never trailed and led by at least 12 throughout the second half on their way to a seventh straight win at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, extending the team's longest home winning streak since moving from Seattle in 2008.
Russell Westbrook chipped in 16 points for Oklahoma City, and Serge Ibaka also scored 16 to go with 10 rebounds and six blocks.
Al Jefferson led the Jazz with 15 points and rookie Derrick Favors scored 13.
NUGGETS 109, SUNS 92
DENVER (AP) — Arron Afflalo scored 20 points, Ty Lawson had 17 and Denver broke open a close game in the third quarter to beat short-handed Phoenix.
Chris Andersen had 16 points and seven rebounds and rookie Kenneth Faried had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Nuggets, who snapped a five-game home losing streak.
Markieff Morris had 21 points, Michael Redd had 20 points and Marcin Gortat had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Suns, who played without starters Steve Nash and Grant Hill.
Nash and Hill sat out to rest and avoid risking injury, Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said before the game.
BULLS 121, KINGS 115
CHICAGO (AP) — Luol Deng came through with 23 points and a career-high 11 assists, and Chicago beat Sacramento after watching a 19-point, fourth-quarter lead dwindle to two.
Joakim Noah added 22 points and 11 rebounds. Kyle Korver scored 18, hitting four free throws in the final 17.6 seconds. Carlos Boozer scored 16, Taj Gibson added 15 points, and the Bulls came away with the win — barely — even though Derrick Rose missed his third straight game with lower back spasms.
The victory clinched the Eastern Conference coaching spot at the All-Star game for the Bulls' Tom Thibodeau.
DeMarcus Cousins led Sacramento with 28 points and 17 rebounds. Tyreke Evans scored 27, and Marcus Thornton added 23 points for the Kings, who made things extremely interesting down the stretch.
LAKERS 86, HAWKS 78
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pau Gasol scored seven of his 20 points in the final 5:20 and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Los Angeles beat Atlanta.
Andrew Bynum had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who returned from a 3-3 road trip and improved to 12-2 at home — compared to 5-10 away. Kobe Bryant, whose jumper in the final 5 seconds beat Toronto on Sunday, finished this one with only 10 points in 34 minutes on 5 for 18 shooting.
The Hawks shot just 34.4 percent in the opener of a five-game trip. Jeff Teague led them with 18 points, and All-Star Joe Johnson was held to 15 in 37 minutes on 7 for 17 shooting. Josh Smith, still smarting from his All-Star sub, also scored 15.
WIZARDS 124, TRAIL BLAZERS 109
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nick Young scored a season-high 35 points, John Wall added 29 points and nine assists, and Washington beat Portland for its second straight road win.
Jordan Crawford added 21 points for Washington, which put together its best game of the season, shooting 60 percent from the field and 52 percent on 3-pointers. Young was 7 of 8 from behind the arc.
Nicolas Batum tied a career high with 33 points for the Blazers (15-14), who lost All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge to an ankle injury early in the game. Gerald Wallace had 25 points and eight assists, and Marcus Camby added 13 points and 12 rebounds.
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'Linderella' arrives in Toronto with Knicks
TORONTO (AP) — The New York Knicks coach calls him "Linderella."
Knicks phenom Jeremy Lin arrived on Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre with the Knicks, who are riding a five-game winning streak thanks to the former Harvard player.
Jeremy Lin peered from a podium at more than 75 journalists and 16 cameras at a news conference. Lin, who's averaged 27 points and eight assists in his first four starts, says even he's amazed by the numbers.
"I don't think anybody expected this to happen the way it happened," said Lin, helped carry the Knicks with stars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire sidelined.
Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni's search for a point guard had been frustrated by injury and poor performances since waiving Chauncey Billups. He's dubbed called Lin's story "Linderella."
"He's an underdog who came on, does it right, the right way," D'Antoni said. "Probably the biggest point is to be able to step on national TV with all the scrutiny, Madison Square Garden against the Lakers, against Kobe (Bryant) and produce what he did.
"To me that's remarkable, it's unbelievable that he could do that in that game."
Linsanity is sweeping Toronto, with the Knicks-Raptors game projected to be a sellout. Raptors officials said they had handed out about 75 additional media credentials. They had to turn down requests from journalists to cover Lin on Tuesday morning to prevent overcrowding.
Lin, the NBA's first American-born player of Asian heritage, will have more than 25 Chinese journalists covering him from the Toronto area. The undrafted Lin was passed over by several teams including the Raptors, then cut by Golden State and Houston.
Lin, who will make $789,000 this season, helped the Minnesota Timberwolves draw their largest crowd since 2004 on Saturday.
The unassuming guard was asked if it's difficult to focus on basketball with all the distractions.
"I try to just not pay attention to it as much as possible, spending a lot of time with my family and friends in my free time," Lin said. "When I'm with the team we stay focused, and we know what we have to do. And then just staying in my Bible, basically."
Lin's story is so inspirational, Hollywood writers could not craft a better script, said Raptors coach Dwane Casey.
"In the biggest market in the world, in New York, he becomes an overnight sensation," Casey said. "You go from being in the D-League on waiver wire, getting picked and now he's a starter on one of the prime teams, historical teams in the NBA."
Both Casey and D'Antoni insist Lin is the real deal.
"You can't say he's a flash in the pan, he's done it for five games, against some quality teams," Casey said. "He's taking advantage of his opportunity, and that's what you tell players all the time, be ready when your number is called, and he's done that."
Lin has already had a huge impact on Chinese fans, becoming that country's most popular player since Yao Ming. A Chinese journalist presented Lin with a book of "Year of the Dragon" stamps from Canada Post.
"I know you are a dragon, so this is for you, from the heart of Canadian fans," she said.
She asked him to say something in Mandarin to children who look up to him, and he obliged before translating for English reporters: "I just said thank you to everyone for watching us play basketball."
"My whole thing as I try to live my life is have fun, explore your opportunities, your dreams, find something you're passionate about, and then just go after it," Lin said. "And I think that's true for kids whether they play basketball, or they want to do whatever they want to do. So, hopefully, I can be an inspiration to them."
Williams: Gordon wants to play for Hornets
WESTWEGO, La. (AP) — Monty Williams still envisions Eric Gordon finishing the season on the court for the Hornets, despite the befuddling evolution of the shooting guard's right knee injury. After playing in only two games and resting his knee for more than a month, Gordon had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday.
Williams was at a loss to explain why the initial prognosis that Gordon would need only rest changed suddenly this week, but expressed confidence that the operation gave the club a more concrete timeline of about six weeks for Gordon's return.
"I'm not a doctor and I'm not going to play one right now," Williams said after Tuesday's practice. "From the information I was given, the surgery was a success. Obviously they felt like they had to clean it out to make sure everything is headed in the right direction.
"The biggest thing is his desire to get on the court is something that people don't get to see," Williams continued, adding that reports Gordon does not want to play for the Hornets are "way off base."
According to team officials, the fourth-year shooting guard out of Indiana bruised his knee in the season opener, when he scored 20 points in a victory at Phoenix and hit the game-winning shot.
He came back Jan. 4 against Philadelphia, scoring 22 points in a loss, but has not played since.
"Eric is dying to get back on the floor," Williams said. "Because of where he is in his career, being young and the future of our franchise, I'm pretty sure we're being a ton more cautious than we would if ... this were three or four weeks before the playoffs."
During New Orleans victory over Utah on Monday night, Gordon was not on the bench with the team. One of his Twitter posts indicated that he was watching Syracuse defeated Louisville. The post said in part that, "Syracuse is a fun basketball team to watch."
A number of Hornets fans apparently saw the post and posted their own notes, questioning why Gordon was not watching his own team.
Williams said he sensed there would be a backlash to Gordon's tweet when he heard about it, but emphasized that he has never known Gordon to intentionally "do stuff just to tick people off."
"I see it, but I'm like, 'Come on, guys.' He doesn't have the track record of somebody who has been a knucklehead, who would do something like that on purpose," Williams said. "For all we know, as much money as he makes, he could have had three or four TVs up in his house. I think it gets a little out of sorts. ... I'm pretty sure he feels bad, the way this is coming out."
Gordon, 23, was one of three players the Hornets acquired, along with center Chris Kaman and forward Al-Farouq Aminu, in a trade that sent All-Star guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers.
That trade also brought the Hornets a first-round draft choice that the Clippers had previously acquired from Minnesota.
Gordon averaged 22.3 points with the Clippers last season, establishing himself as a top scoring threat. With Gordon in the lineup, the Hornets are 1-1. Without him, they are 4-22, including 12 single-digit losses.
The Hornets offered Gordon a four-year extension earlier this season, but the two sides were unable to reach a deal before a January NBA deadline for reaching early extensions players who were due to become restricted free agents after the season. General manager Dell Demps said after negotiations stalled that the Hornets still see Gordon as a potential centerpiece of their rebuilding effort, and he expects negotiations to resume when the season ends.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the Hornets will be able to offer Gordon more money than anyone else. The question is how comfortable they would be doing that after Gordon has missed most of the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season.
"Eric is obviously a big part of what we want to do and where we're going and I get" the scrutiny of his prolonged absence, Williams said. "I would hope that we would look at his heart and his intention and who he is. His track record is pretty good. I'm just excited or hopeful that we could get him back."
-- Brett Martel
Cavs' Irving ready to return
CLEVELAND (AP) — Kyrie Irving is ready to play. It's now up to the doctors to decide when that will happen.
Cleveland's rookie guard made it through a complete practice Tuesday and appears poised to return after missing three games with a concussion on Wednesday against Indiana.
"Young fella looked good," said Ramon Sessions, who has started at the point while Irving recovered. "He's getting back in the groove. He looked back to normal, and we're happy to have him back. He's a key part of this team."
Irving will be back in Cleveland's starting lineup as long as he's cleared by the team's medical staff, which will consult with an NBA doctor per the league's new guidelines on head injuries implemented this season.
Coach Byron Scott said those discussions were already taking place and the Cavs were awaiting word from the league.
"He went through everything today, full contact and looked pretty good," Scott said. "We still have to wait on NBA protocol to when he can play. We have to make sure everything is OK."
On Monday, Irving, who is averaging 18 points and 5.1 assists per game, only participated in non-contact drills. But he was on the floor for the entire workout Tuesday and came away unscathed.
"He was out there the whole time," Sessions said. "He didn't sit out for any drills and we expect him to play tomorrow. He looked the same. He was getting work in when he didn't have any contact, and today was a day where he got beat around a little bit and he looked good."
Irving was not available for interviews following practice.
He sustained the concussion last week in Miami when he was inadvertently kneed in the head by Heat star Dwyane Wade during the fourth quarter. Irving didn't begin showing concussion symptoms until after the game and the Cavs did not diagnose him until shortly before tip-off the following day against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Irving sat on the bench for Cleveland's next two games. He began doing some conditioning on Saturday and has gradually added more to his workouts in the past few days.
As long as Irving is cleared, Scott said there will be no restrictions on him as far as how many minutes he plays.
"He will resume his normal duties," Scott said. "No holds barred."
The Cavaliers did not have any update on starting center Anderson Varejao, who broke his right wrist last week and could be out for a significant period.
Varejao is expected to undergo further tests. It's not known if he needs surgery.
-- Tom Withers
Augustin ready to return for laboring Bobcats
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Bobcats are hoping the return of point guard D.J. Augustin means the end of a dubious 15-game losing streak, the longest in franchise history.
The Bobcats (3-25) have lost 11 straight games with Augustin sidelined with inflammation in his right toe.
Coach Paul Silas said he was impressed watching Augustin run and cut in practice Tuesday and is leaning toward starting him Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first of three consecutive road games. That's a change from earlier in the week when Silas said Augustin would likely return but would probably only play about 15 minutes.
"He's the kind of kid where I probably could just let him go and start him," Silas said. "I'm leaning toward starting him, yes. I'm considering it."
Augustin is second on the Bobcats in scoring, averaging 13.6 points per game. That ranks behind only Gerald Henderson, who remains out of the starting lineup with strained hamstring.
Silas said the combination of Augustin and Corey Maggette, who returned to action late last week after missing 19 games, should be a huge boost to the league's 30th-ranked offense.
Augustin also provides solid veteran leadership, something they've been missing with Kemba Walker. Augustin is also better at distributing the ball, averaging 6.6 assists per game to Walker's 3.6.
"D.J. is a great shooter on outside shots and if he's open he has a better than 50-50 chance to make that shot," Silas said. "But running the ball club we really didn't have anybody who was looking for the assists before they shot and getting us in what we need to run."
Augustin's returns likely means Walker will return to the bench and serve as the backup point guard. However, Silas said there will be some situations where Augustin and Walker will be on the court at the same time. He said the small ball guard duo worked well together in practice Tuesday.
Augustin said he was a little sore after practice but should be ready to go.
"For a while I couldn't even push off my right foot offensively or defensively," Augustin said. "Today in practice I was able to guard people on defense and drive to the hole and do what I do.... When I get in the lane I do a lot of quick cuts and stuff like that. I wasn't able to do that before because my foot hurt."
Augustin said he's been fitted for new shoes but they haven't arrived yet.
"It takes them a little while to make them," Augustin said.
-- Steve Reed
Timberwolves recall G Lee from D League
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota recalled rookie Malcolm Lee from their NBA Developmental League affiliate on Tuesday, but anxious Timberwolves fans hoping he is the answer to the team's woes at shooting guard will have to be patient.
After spending last week in Sioux Falls, S.D., Lee practiced with the Wolves, staying after for extra work with assistant coach Bill Bayno and fellow rookie Derrick Williams. He pronounced himself ready to play as soon as possible, but coach Rick Adelman said they would take it slow with their second-round draft pick as he continues to recover from a torn meniscus in his left knee.
"He went down and had a nice stint down there," Adelman said. "But you just can't grab somebody and throw them in there because somebody else is going to have to sit down."
Lee played in three games for the Skyforce, averaging 9.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 25.3 minutes. He has yet to make his NBA debut, due to surgery he had on Dec. 30. Lee has not played in an NBA game this season after being chosen out of UCLA.
"He got through it and he played pretty good," Adelman said. "We'll just evaluate him this week to see if his knee is stronger and if he's doing fine. We'll just keep monitoring it to find out what's best for him."
Lee said his knee was about 90 percent healthy. There's still some occasional swelling, but that is expected. This is the third time he's had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knees and he said he is recovering exactly the same has he did the previous two times.
"It feels good just to be back in the mix and out here in Minneapolis," Lee said. "It felt like Sioux Falls was a good week of progress. I'm just ready to go now."
The 6-foot-5 Lee impressed during training camp with his defense and athleticism, so much so that the Timberwolves signed him to a three-year contract, a level of security not commonly given to second-round picks. They desperately need a shooting guard to provide them with some steady minutes and shot-making, a hole that has been exposed during their four-game losing streak.
Luke Ridnour has been starting at shooting guard alongside point guard Ricky Rubio. He returned to practice on Tuesday after missing the game Monday in Orlando for personal reasons, but he's been in a shooting funk. He is 9 for 35 in his last four games, and he has had difficulty guarding bigger guards.
The team hoped second-year swingman Wes Johnson was ready to play the position, but he's been getting more of his starts at small forward lately and has struggled mightily to have any impact on the offensive end. Martell Webster is still working his way back from back surgery and has been spotty as well, while Wayne Ellington has only been used sporadically.
The Timberwolves host the Charlotte Bobcats, losers of 15 straight, on Wednesday. But the Wolves turned the ball over 51 times in two home losses last weekend and Rubio and JJ Barea combined for 12 turnovers in the loss at Orlando on Monday.
"Four games ago we won five out of seven and everything was fine and now the world's coming to an end," Adelman said. "We have to go out and win a game, and then we'll win the next game. You have to have resiliency. If you're going to cave into the situation, you're going to be in trouble."
-- Jon Krawczynski
O'Neal: Howard leaving Orlando would be 'travesty'
NEW YORK (AP) — Shaquille O'Neal said Tuesday it would be a "travesty" if Dwight Howard leaves the Orlando Magic.
O'Neal also said Howard's situation is not like his was when he left for the Lakers in 1996, because he said he wanted to stay with the Magic but had a better option.
That's no longer possible, since the collective bargaining agreement allows the home team to offer the largest contract. So O'Neal thinks there may be an "underlying problem" that makes Howard reluctant to sign a contract extension there.
"I think they have to be a little bit worried that he hasn't committed to signing, so there may be an underlying problem of what's really going on," O'Neal said.
"I don't know if he doesn't like the organization, I don't know if he wants to go to a bigger city where he can get more endorsement deals, he can do movies. No one really knows the problem."
Howard has told the Magic he wants to be traded, and the team has given his agent permission to discuss deals with the Nets, Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.
The Magic have to decide by March 15, this season's trade deadline, if they will trade Howard or risk losing him for nothing when he can become a free agent in July.
"I'm sure they would probably like to move him so they don't lose him," O'Neal said.
But O'Neal, speaking on a Turner Sports conference call, said the Feb. 26 All-Star game in Orlando will still be a great event even with Howard's desire to be traded looming over the weekend.
Plus, there's always a chance Howard changes his mind and decides to stay. O'Neal noted that Orlando has become a better city with a better building since it hosted the All-Star game in 1992, shortly before drafting him.
"You know hopefully he stays, because that arena there is one of the best arenas in the country," O'Neal said. "If he leaves, it'll be a travesty."
O'Neal's departure, and the damage it did to the franchise, is often cited as the reason the Magic may have no choice but to trade Howard. But TNT analyst Steve Kerr, the former Phoenix general manager, said his preference would be to not deal the All-Star center.
"I would be inclined towards playing it out and trying to keep Dwight, because it's so hard to get equal value, and given that Dwight seems to say something new every week, I think there's still a chance that they could re-sign him," Kerr said. "I think you have to exhaust every opportunity or every possibility before you make a trade that you might later regret."
-- Brian Mahoney
Bulls G Rose misses third straight game
CHICAGO (AP) — Bulls star Derrick Rose said his aching back is improving, and he doesn't expect any lingering problems.
Even so, he missed his third straight game because of lower back spasms when the Chicago Bulls hosted the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night and remains day to day.
"I shouldn't have any problems in the long run," Rose said. "This back pain should be behind me in a couple of days. I should be back out there in a couple days. I'm going to take my time and be smart."
Rose didn't have a target date for his return. Boston visits Thursday, and he wasn't sure if he'd be ready to play against Rajon Rondo and the Celtics. C.J. Watson has been starting in his place.
"It's not just (Rose's) decision," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "There are a lot of people weighing in on it. We have a great medical staff, a great training staff. Their input is critical. His input is critical. We're certainly not going to do anything to jeopardize him being hurt."
If nothing else, Rose was relieved after a back specialist confirmed Monday that there was no structural damage. He also saw a chiropractor to help the recovery.
Rose said taking a pain-killing injection was discussed, but with his fear of needles, he wasn't about to take one.
"(My back's) getting better," Rose said. "I shot earlier, didn't move that much. Hopefully, (Wednesday) I'll be running."
Rose is averaging 22.0 points and 7.8 assists, but this was the eighth game this season that he has missed because of problems with his back and left big toe. He said the toe is pain-free, but the back still is an issue.
With Rose sidelined, the Bulls signed guard Mike James to a 10-day contract. He appeared in three games for Chicago before being waived on Jan. 28.
Veteran guard Richard Hamilton, who remains sidelined by a right thigh injury, rejoined the team after tending to a family issue. He posted on Twitter that his grandmother died.
-- Andrew Seligman
Blazers F Aldridge helped off with ankle injury
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Trail Blazers All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge sprained his left ankle early in Portland's loss to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Aldridge let out a yell and fell to the floor after landing on Trevor Booker's foot less than two minutes into the first quarter. The Blazers said X-rays on the ankle were negative, but he did not return and will not travel with the team to Golden State on Wednesday.
"I'm going to get back as soon as I can!" Aldridge wrote on his Twitter account after the game.
The crowd in the Rose Garden was silent while Aldridge was lying on the floor, but let out an audible groan as the replay was shown. After a couple minutes, Aldridge was helped off the floor by teammates and athletic trainer Jay Jensen.
Blazers owner Paul Allen looked in on Aldridge while he was getting treatment, according to Blazers' broadcasting. Without Aldridge, the Blazers struggled, falling 124-109 to the Wizards.
"I think when he went down the life went out of us," center Marcus Camby said. "It's sad but true."
Aldridge was averaging 23.3 points and 8.6 rebounds going into the game. He has reached double figures in points in all of Portland's games this season.
Aldridge was chosen to his first All-Star game on Feb. 9, becoming the 15th Trail Blazer to earn the honor. He has also been selected as one of 20 finalists for a spot on the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team for the London Olympics.
Raptors coach Casey gets championship ring
TORONTO (AP) — Tyson Chandler had a special Valentine's Day gift for Raptors coach Dwane Casey when he came to Toronto on Tuesday: an NBA championship ring.
Chandler, now with the Knicks, presented the ring to Casey before Tuesday's game in Toronto. Casey was an assistant coach and Chandler the starting center for the Dallas Mavericks team when they beat Miami in the NBA finals.
Following the player introductions, the scoreboard played a video of Mavericks highlights and messages of congratulation to Casey from Dallas players Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, and Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle.
Chandler and Casey then walked to center court and embraced. Casey was joined by his wife and children and presented with the diamond studded ring.
N.J. Nets sign F Emmett to 10-day contract
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Nets have signed forward Andre Emmett from the NBA D-League's Reno Bighorns to a 10-day contract. Nets general manager Billy King announced the signing Tuesday, saying the team waived injured guard Keith Bogans to make room on the roster.
Emmett is currently ranked second in the D-League with a 23.7 scoring average. The 6-foot 5 Texas Tech product is shooting .531 from the field and .459 from 3-point range. Emmett was drafted by Seattle in the second round of the 2004 NBA Draft. He played in eight games for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2004-05.
Bogans had surgery on Monday to repair a torn deltoid ligament and a broken left ankle. He played in five games for New Jersey, averaging, 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds.
Nash, Hill sit out for Suns
DENVER (AP) — Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash and forward Grant Hill will not play against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. The Nuggets will be without forward Nene.
Suns coach Alvin Gentry said he wanted to give his veterans the night off to rest bumps and bruises as the team plays its second of three straight nights. Nash leads the team with 10.5 assists per game and is second in scoring with a 14.3 average. Hill is averaging 9.0 points and 3.4 rebounds.
Nene, who has missed five games with a strained left heel, will sit with a left calf strain. He is averaging 13.4 points and a team-best 7.8 rebounds. Guards Michael Redd and Ronnie Price will replace Nash and Hill in the lineup.
Wallace sets record for undrafted player
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Detroit's Ben Wallace has appeared in his 1,055th game, a record for an undrafted player since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger.
Wallace was tied with Avery Johnson before entering Tuesday night's game against San Antonio in the first quarter. The home crowd gave him a nice cheer when he went in, and when his record was announced at the end of the quarter, he received a standing ovation.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who coached Johnson, was among those applauding. The 37-year-old Wallace — a four-time defensive player of the year — is in his 16th season. He has said it will be his last.
WNBA
Mystics get Robinson from Storm for Dunlap
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Mystics have acquired center Ashley Robinson from the Seattle Storm in a trade for first-round draft pick Victoria Dunlap.
Robinson averaged career highs of 3.8 points and 3.9 rebounds while playing in every game last season, her fifth with the Storm. She was a member of Seattle's 2010 WNBA championship team. Dunlap averaged 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds with Washington after being the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft.
The deal was announced Tuesday.
