NBA News

[aliansari10]

IRAN I LOVE U

[Rasputin]

خزانه داری آمریکا تحقیقاتی در باره این که آیا بازی بسکتبالیست های آمریکایی برای یک تیم در ایران قانون تحریم اقتصادی ایران را نقض کرده است یا خیر، آغاز کرده است.
بسکتبال یک ورزش محبوب در ایران است و سال گذشته بیست بسکتبالیست آمریکایی قراردادی با یک تیم ایرانی منعقد کردند؛ بسیاری از آن به عنوان نمونه ای ازچیرگی روابط ورزشی براختلافات سیاسی یاد کرده اند.

هم اکنون تنها دو بازیکن آمریکایی در ایران باقی مانده اند.

قانون تحریم آمریکا علیه ایران هر گونه معامله آمریکایی ها با ایران یا عرضه هر گونه خدمات به ایران یا دولت ایران را بدون داشتن مجوز مخصوص از اداره نظارت بر دارایی های خارجی آمریکا را ممنوع می کند.

اما دیپلماتها در ایران می گویند این مقررات هرگز پیش از این در باره ورزشکاران لازم الاجرا نبوده است.

آنها می گویند اگر قرار بود مفاد این قانون مو به مو اجرا شود دیگر هیچ دانشجوی آمریکایی یا حتی افراد دارای تابعیت دوگانه نمی توانست به تدریس زبان انگلیسی در ایران مشغول شود.

خزانه داری آمریکا شروع به برقراری تماس با بسکتبالیست های آمریکایی که برای یک تیم ایرانی بازی کرده بوده اند، کرده است و از آنان در باره جزییات قرارداد شان، این که چه آمریکایی هایی واسطه این کار بوده اند وهمچنین در باره سایر بازیکنان آمریکایی در ایران پرس و جو کرده است.

یک سخنگوی خزانه داری آمریکا گفت تحقیق در باره مواردی که ظن نقض قانون در آن می رود روالی طبیعی است اما وی نمی تواند این موضوع که تحقیقات ممکن است به گشودن پرونده هایی علیه افراد بدل شود را تائید یا تکذیب کند.

او گفت که جریمه احتمالی برای افراد خاطی ممکن است تا پنجاه هزار دلار برسد.

ولی یک مشاور تیم های بسکتبال در ایران می گوید بسکتبالیست های آمریکایی که اکنونمورد تحقیق قرار گرفته اند از این که با این کار خود قانون تحریم علیه حکومت ایران را نقض کرده اند، آگاه نبوده اند.

[Rasputin]

Magic fan banned for racial slur

ORLANDO (AP) -- The fan who allegedly directed a racial slur at Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo was banned for the season Monday by the NBA and Orlando Magic.

Season-ticket holder Hooman Hamzehloui allegedly called Mutombo a "monkey" Thursday at a preseason game between the Rockets and the Magic. Mutombo -- a native of Zaire, which is now called the Democratic Republic of Congo -- yelled back at Hamzehloui and gestured from the court.

Hamzehloui was ejected from the game. The league said Hamzehloui is also barred from attending games at any NBA arena this season. Orlando said it will refund his season-ticket payment.

Mutombo said after the game he would go into the stands if it ever happened again, but told Houston television station KRIV on Monday that he has already forgiven Hamzehloui.

"I will not say that I am happy about it," Mutombo said about the NBA's decision to ban Hamzehloui. "It is out of my hands. I have done my job. I have forgiven him.

"Whatever the commissioner and the league does, that's not my area."

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said no action was taken against Mutombo and the matter was closed.

Hamzehloui sent Mutombo a letter of apology obtained by The Associated Press. In it, he promised $5,000 to the charity of Mutombo's choice and vowed not to attend any games until the 7-foot-2 center gave his blessing.

"I am by no means a racist, and if you only knew me better you would never begin to have those thoughts," Hamzehloui wrote. "What I am guilty of is poor judgment in the use of words while doing what I do to many of the visiting team's players, 'heckle them."'

Hamzehloui asked to meet with Mutombo to apologize in person.

Mutombo told KRIV that Hamzehloui's promise to make a charitable donation "meant a lot" to him but a personal apology was not necessary.

"I thoroughly respect you as a player and as a human being and my only motivation when I have my fun at the games is to 'get under the player's skin' no matter what color that skin happens to be," Hamzehloui wrote.

A message was left seeking comment from Hamzehloui late Monday afternoon.

[Rasputin]

Campeona of the world is third in ranking FIBA

The selection stays in the third seat of the ranking of the FIBA, after making history and obtaining the gold medal in the past World-wide of Japan.

The pupilos of Jose Vicente Hernandez follow behind the United States and Argentina, effective campeona Olympic, whereas the Spaniards are over selections like Lituania, Yugoslavia or Greece.

Spain obtained in Japan the Maxima score (50 points) in the competition that more weight along with has in the elaboration of the ranking the Olympic Games, which allowed ' colarsé him between the three best ones.

With respect to the féminas, the Spaniards locate themselves eighth in a classification, that also is led by the United States, reason why the North Americans are also the leaders in the combined one, where they tell to the results of boys and girls and in whom Spain occupies the fourth position

MASCULINE RANKING FIBA

1. The United States 832,2 ptos.
2. Argentina 720.0.
3. SPAIN 619.0.
4. Yugoslavia 508.0.
5. Lituania 460.0.
6. Greece 429.0.
7. Italy 418.0.
8. France 343.0.
9. Germany 282.0.
10. Australia 279.0.

FEMININE RANKING FIBA

1. The United States 1.030,0 ptos.
2. Australia 860.0.
3. Russia 843.0.
4. Brazil 556.0.
5. France 357.0.
6. Czech Republic 304.0.
7. Cuba 297.0.
8. SPAIN 294.0.

COMBINED RANKING

1. The United States 1.862,2 ptos.
2. Australia 1,139.0.
3. Russia 1,005.0.
4. SPAIN 913.0.
5. Argentina 882.4.

[Rasputin]

Hollywood and its profitable relation with the basketball

The basketball always has been a source of very profitable inspiration for the scriptwriters of Hollywood. The fever by the films on the sport of the basket began in 1938, with the opening of a titled tape ' Campus Confessions' and in which it appeared Hank Luisetti, the creator of the launching at a hand and one of the most influential players of first half of Century XX. In the Fifties the documentary ones followed one another on basketball, and a director of the talent and fame of Robert Altman (MASH, Cookiés Fortune or the game of Hollywood) even dared to submerge in 1952 this sport with ' King Basketball'.

The commercial explosion of the basketball in the rooms of cinema took place in the seventy, with the opening of films like ' Maurié, ' Shirt/Skins', ' The Gambler' (with Paul Sorvino and James Woods), ' Mixed Company', ' One on Oné (with Melanie Griffith), ' Coach' or ' Fast Break' (with the ex- player Bernard King like protagonist).


But the first great success at world-wide level took place in 1979, with the opening of ' The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh', titled in Spain ' Basket Music' and in which they appeared players like Juilus Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Connie Hawkins, Spencer Haywood, Bob Lanier or Norman Nixon. This amused musical comedy devastated in the rooms of cinema, and for many present stars as ' quarterback' Donovan McNabb or mísmisimo Shaquille O´Neal recognizes that it is his favorite film.

Alluvium of films after ' Hoosiers'

But if ' Basket Music' made history to the being the first great success is a film who must consider itself of head in the world of the basketball, ' Hoosiers' (based on the real history of trainer Marvin Wood, that in 1954 took to the modest Milan High School to gain the championship of the State of Indiana). He was released in 1986, and the boys of Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper arrived at the heart from all the spectators and critical, that continue it cataloguing like one of the five better sport films of history.

After ' Hoosiers' they arrived ' From Hair in Took, ' Pistol: The Birth of to Legend' (on the life of the spoiled Pete ' Pistol' Maravich), ' sky is Playground', ' Targets not know it meter' (with Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson and Rosie Perez), ' End Shot' (on the life of Hank Gathers, the player of Loyola Marymount that died during a party), ' The Air Up Theré (with Kevin Bacon and cameos of Bob McDoo), ' Hoop Dreams' (' To win of nobody it will manerá) (with Nick Nolte and stars like Shaquille O´Neal, Anfernee Hardaway or Bob Cousy. Also it participated in a stellar paper, Matt Nover, ex- player of the Murcia), ' Above the Rim' (with the rapero Tupac Shakur), ' Basketball Diaries' (with Leonardo I gave Caprio), ' Olvídate de París' (with a majestic interpretation of Billy Crystal and Debra Winger and cameos of Bill Walton, They give Majer to him, Kevin Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Isaiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Kurt Rambis, Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley and David Robinson), ' the important Pride of the Celtics', Eddie (with Whoopie Goldberg and papers for John Salley, Rick Fox, Malik Sealy, Mark Jackson, Dwayne Schintzius and Greg Ostertag), ' Air Bud', ' There am got Gamé (with Denzel Washington, Rosary Dawson and Milla Jojovich and paper protagonist for Ray Allen in this film of Spike Lee)...

Space Jam Arrived

Another film that meant a commercial success on world-wide scale was ' Space Jam', released in 1996 and in which Michael Jordan was the draftee it stars of an equipment made up of Bugs Bunny and its friends (the Looney Tunes). Actor Bill Murray and players like Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Mugsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing and Larry Johnson had their stellar papers. Its spectacular mixture of cartoons, Michael Jordan and basketball was irresistible for the fans to the cinema.

Indispensable curiosities

In 1972 it was released ' you do not remain atrás' (released as ' Just There am Said' in the United States). This film was directed by Jack Nicholson, and treats on the history of a popular player of the NCAA that considers to give the jump to the NBA, with the war of Vietnam and a sentimental relation like trasfondo. Another essential tape is ' Rebound', for many one of best the three sport films of history. It was released in 1996 and it treats, as a documentary, on the history of the greater legend of the street basketball, Earl ' The Goat' Manigault (a player that in the seventy lost its opportunity to be a star of the NBA by drugs).

[Rasputin]

NBA News

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the world's premier men's professional basketball league and one of the four major professional sports leagues of North America.

The league was founded in New York City, United States on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in the autumn of 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League. The league's several international and individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.

The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by the owners of the major sports arenas in the Northeast and Midwest United States, most notably Madison Square Garden in New York City. Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League and the National Basketball League, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. During its early years, though, the quality of play in the BAA was not obviously better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. For instance the 1947 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won its 1948 title, followed by the 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers who won the 1949 BAA title. On November 1, 1946, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers which the NBA now regards as the first game played in the league's history.

Following the 1949 season, the BAA agreed to merge with the NBL, expanding the National Basketball Association to seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1954, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league (the Knickerbockers, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals/Kings, Pistons, Hawks, and Nationals/76ers).

While contracting, the league also saw its smaller city franchises move to larger cities. The Hawks shifted from "Tri-Cities" (the area now known as the Quad Cities) to Milwaukee and then to St. Louis; the Royals from Rochester to Cincinnati, the Pistons from Fort Wayne to Detroit.

Although Japanese-American Wataru Misaka technically broke the NBA color barrier in the 1947-48 season when he played for the New York Knicks, 1950 is recognized as the year the NBA integrated with the addition of African American players by several teams including Chuck Cooper with the Boston Celtics, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols. Today, more than fifty years later, the NBA is made up of players of many different races, with diverse backgrounds and cultures. The majority (80&#37 of NBA players today are African American.

During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Championships and established themselves as its first dynasty.

To encourage shooting and discourage stalling, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954. If a team does not attempt to score a field goal within 24 seconds of obtaining the ball, play is stopped and the ball given to its opponent.

In 1956, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league in 1959 and became the dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new records in scoring and rebounding. Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the great individual rivalries in the history of team sports.

Through this period, the NBA continued to strengthen with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, and the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises.

In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association. The leagues engaged in a bidding war for talent. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who together with Oscar Robertson led the Milwaukee Bucks to a title in his second season, and who later played on five Laker championship teams.

However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees—Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak and Joe Gushue.

The ABA also succeeded in signing a number of major stars, including Julius Erving, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period, one purpose being to tie up the most viable cities. Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22.

The league added the ABA's innovative three-point field goal beginning in 1979 to open up the game. That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, initiating a period of significant growth in fan interest in the NBA throughout the country and the world. Bird went on to lead the Celtics to three titles, and Johnson went on to lead the Lakers to five.

Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. By 1989, further expansion had raised the number of teams in the league to 27. During the 1990s, Jordan went on to lead the Bulls to six titles. 1991-1993,1996-1998

The 1990s also saw greater globalization. The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. A growing number of NBA star players also began coming from other countries. Initially, many of these players, such as 1994 NBA MVP Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, first played NCAA basketball to enhance their skills. An increasing number, though, have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA, such as 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year and 2006 World Championships MVP Pau Gasol of Spain, first pick in the 2002 NBA Draft Yao Ming of China, 2002 World Championships and Eurobasket 2005 MVP Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, and 2004 Olympic Tournament MVP Manu Ginobili of Argentina. Today, young players from the English-speaking world tend to attend U.S. colleges before playing in the NBA (notable examples are 2005 and 2006 MVP Steve Nash, a Canadian, and 2005 top draft pick Andrew Bogut of Australia), while other international players generally come to the NBA from professional club teams. The NBA is now televised in 212 nations in 42 languages.

In 1996 the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association, and in 2001 created an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League, now called the NBA Development League.

In 1998 the NBA owners began a lockout which lasted 191-days and was settled on January 18, 1999. As a result of this lockout the 1998-99 NBA season was reduced from 82 to 50 games, which were all played in early 1999.

Today, the NBA has reached 30 franchises and continues to evolve as one of the premier sports leagues in the world.

On June 29, 2006, a new official game ball was introduced for the 2006-07 season, marking the first change to the ball in over 35 years and only the second in 60 seasons. Manufactured by Spalding, the new ball featured a new design and new synthetic material that Spalding claimed offered a better grip, feel, and consistency than the original ball. However, many players were vocal in their disdain for the new ball, saying that it was too sticky when dry, and too slippery when wet.

On December 11, 2006, Commissioner Stern announced that beginning January 1, 2007, the NBA would return to the traditional leather basketball in use prior to the 2006-2007 season. The change was influenced by frequent player complaints and confirmed hand injuries (cuts) caused by the microfiber ball. The Players Association had filed a suit in behalf of the players against the NBA over the new ball . As of 2006, the NBA team jerseys are manufactured by Adidas, which purchased the previous supplier, Reebok .

[Rasputin]

NBA Playoffs

The NBA Playoffs always begin in late April, with eight teams in each conference qualifying for the playoffs. The top three seeds for each conference are determined by taking the winners of the conference's three divisions and ranking them by regular season record. The remaining five seeds are determined by taking the five teams with the next-best records from among the non-division winning teams in the conference. However, the seeding system has one feature that is unusual in North American sports; division champions do not necessarily have home-court advantage in the playoffs. Although the playoff brackets are not reseeded, home-court advantage is based strictly on regular-season record, without regard to whether a team won its division.

Having a higher seed offers several advantages. Since the first seed plays the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed in the playoffs, having a higher seed generally means you will be facing a weaker team. The team in each series with the better record has home court advantage, including the First Round. This means that, for example, if the team who receives the 6 (six) seed has a better record than the team with the 3 (three) seed (by virtue of a divisional championship), the 6 seed would have home court advantage, even though the other team has a higher seed. Therefore, the team with the best regular season record in the league is guaranteed home court advantage in every series it plays.

The playoffs follow a tournament format. Each team plays a rival in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the second round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs. In the next round, the successful team plays against another advancing team of the same conference. Thus, all but one team in each conference are eliminated from the playoffs. Since the NBA does not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference uses a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the 1st and 8th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 4th and 5th seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the 2nd and 7th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 3rd and 6th seeded teams. In every round except the NBA Finals, the best of seven series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3, 4, and 6. For the final round (NBA Finals), the series follows a 2-3-2 pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 6, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3-5.

The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, and it is held annually in June. The victor in the NBA Finals wins the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Each player and major contributor, including coaches and the general manager, on the winning team receive a championship ring. In addition, the league awards an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, which nearly always goes to a member of the winning team, though not by rule. There has been only one exception to date: Jerry West won the award in 1969 (the award's first season) even though his Los Angeles Lakers did not win the championship.

On August 2, 2006, the NBA announced the new playoff format. The new format takes the three division winners and the second-place team with the best record and rank them 1-4 by record. The other 4 slots are filled by best record other than those other 4 teams. This might be in relation to the 2006 playoffs when Dallas and San Antonio, the two best Western Conference Teams, faced each other in the semifinals. This new format ensures that the two best teams will not meet until the Conference finals.

[Rasputin]

Mavs Beat Heat in NBA Finals Rematch

MIAMI - Just like in last year's NBA finals, the Dallas Mavericks couldn't find anyone capable of truly stopping Dwyane Wade from scoring. Yet this time, it didn't really matter.

Jerry Stackhouse scored 16 of his 23 points in the final quarter as the Mavericks held on to beat the Miami Heat 99-93 on Sunday in the first matchup between the teams since last season's NBA finals.

Josh Howard had 25 points and Dirk Nowitzki added 22 points and 11 rebounds for Dallas, which improved its NBA-best record to 34-8 and is 20-1 in its last 21 games. Plus, the Mavs got some tiny measure of revenge over the Heat, who lost the first two games of last year's finals before rallying to win the title in six games.

"It wasn't perfect. It wasn't great," Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. "But a road game in our league, especially against the world champions, you can't discount that. We will take it."

Wade _ who suffered a left ankle injury in the first quarter, but returned and played 44 minutes _ finished with 31 points, six rebounds and six assists for Miami, but missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 5.8 seconds left.

Jason Williams had 17 points and Udonis Haslem, who missed his first eight shots, had 15 for the Heat.

"We still had an opportunity to win the game," Heat center Alonzo Mourning said. "When you put yourself in a position to win, you don't want to just settle for that. They don't keep stats for moral victories."

In the other NBA games Sunday, it was: San Antonio 99, Philadelphia 85; Phoenix 131, Minnesota 102; and Portland 99, Milwaukee 95.

The Heat were down by 13 early in the second half and their chances clearly didn't look good, especially with Shaquille O'Neal inactive for the 34th straight game because of his surgically repaired knee and Wade hobbling around after injuring his ankle by stepping on Nowitzki's foot late in the first quarter.

"A stupid play," Wade said.

But he returned after getting re-taped and somehow, Miami pulled into a 90-all tie with 3 1/2 minutes left.

Miami was within 76-75 after a three-point play by Wade with 10:44 left, but Stackhouse scored seven straight points to quell the rally, restore some Dallas breathing room and give the Mavericks an 83-75 lead.

Another jumper by Stackhouse with 5:34 left pushed the Mavs' edge to 90-84, but the Heat scored the next six points and tied it 2 minutes later when Wade hit a jumper.

"They're the world champions. ... You knew they were going to come back with a champion's heart," Stackhouse said.

Dallas scored the next six points, with Nowitzki and Howard scoring 26 seconds apart to put the Mavs back on top. Miami got back within 96-93 on a Wade layup with 57 seconds left, but the Heat wouldn't score again and wound up with their 10th home loss of the season _ matching the total from all of last year.

"We gave up a big lead, they tied it up but we didn't give up either," Johnson said. "They didn't give up. We didn't give up. That's what I think championship teams and championship organizations are all about."

Jason Terry had 11 points and 11 assists for Dallas, which outrebounded Miami 48-35. Antoine Walker had 11 points for the Heat.

Dallas never trailed in the game, which was only tied once after tipoff. The Mavs held a 16-5 rebounding edge in the first quarter _ Nowitzki had six boards that period alone _ and disrupted Miami's offense so much that the Heat managed three assists in the entire opening half.

And while Miami clearly improved after halftime, the Mavs' edge in rebounding and second-chance points (19-5) proved to be crucial.

"That's the bottom line," Heat interim coach Ron Rothstein said. "If we held our ground there I think I would be sitting up here really happy with a win."

Suns 131, Timberwolves 102

Shawn Marion had 17 points and 20 rebounds to help host Phoenix became the eighth team in NBA history to have two winning streaks of at least 13 games in a season. The Suns won a franchise-record 15 straight from Nov. 20 to Dec. 19.

Randy Foye led Minnesota with 25 points, including 5-for-6 on 3-pointers. Troy Hudson added 22 points and Trenton Hassell 20. The Timberwolves were without their top two scorers, Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis, both on one-game suspensions.

Amare Stoudemire had 25 points on 11-for-14 shooting, Leandro Barbosa scored 20 points and Steve Nash added 16 points and 11 assists.

Spurs 99, 76ers 85

Tim Duncan had 17 points and 15 rebounds, and Brent Barry scored 23 points as visiting San Antonio coasted to its sixth win in eight games.

Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 20 points and Steven Hunter had 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. The Sixers dropped to 3-14 against Western Conference teams.

Trail Blazers 99, Bucks 95

Rookie Brandon Roy had a career-high 28 points including a late jumper that helped preserve host Portland's victory.

Zach Randolph added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who led by as many as 20 points.

Earl Boykins had 28 points for the Bucks, who had just 10 healthy players.

[Rasputin]

NBA: Phoenix 131, Minnesota 102

Amare Stoudemire scored 25 points and the Phoenix Suns ran away from the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday, 131-102, to run their winning streak to 13 games.

Phoenix is two games from tying its franchise record for consecutive games won, a mark set earlier this season. Since starting the season 1-5, the Suns have won 31 of 34 games.

Sunday's game was no contest, as Minnesota played without its two leading scorers -- Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis. Both were serving one-game NBA suspensions.

The Suns scored 31 of 33 points at one stretch in the third period and led 102-71 going into the fourth quarter. Phoenix was able to hold many of its starters out during the fourth quarter.

Stoudemire's 25 points came on 11-of-14 shooting as the Suns shot 56.8 percent for the game.

Leandro Barbosa had 20 points off the bench. Shawn Marion had 17 points and 20 rebounds, and Steve Nash also had a double-double with 16 points and 11 assists.

Minnesota got 25 points from Randy Foye, who hit 5-of-6 three-point tries.

Carmelo Anthony's suspension is over. Let the suspense begin.

The day after the NBA's leading scorer was banned for 15 games for fighting, the Denver Nuggets acquired seven-time all-star Allen Iverson, who was the league's second-leading scorer at the time, from the Sixers.

Can the two high-scoring superstars coexist?

Sure, Iverson said, insisting he's carried the load for so long in his career that he's ready to serve as wingman to the 22-year-old Anthony.

"I've never played with nobody that good," Iverson said.

Anthony hasn't, either, and he, too, swears there won't be any problems playing alongside A.I. After all, he thrived with the U.S. team at the World Championships last summer while playing with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Anthony, who returns from his 36-day absence tonight when the Nuggets face the Memphis Grizzlies in Denver, said in an open letter of apology to fans and the team yesterday that he'll return a better player and a better person.

"I have been going crazy for 36 days waiting to return," he wrote. "... I've spent the time working extremely hard... I've also spent time thinking about the huge responsibilities I have... I'm aware that a great deal is expected of me, and not just as a player."

Denver coach George Karl thinks it will work.

"They are both great offensive players," Karl said. "... I think great players like to play with great players."

Former Nuggets player Ruben Patterson, now with the Bucks, isn't so sure things will click.

"There's only one NBA basketball," he said. "I don't know how they're going to get all those shots off."

Nets' Jefferson faces surgery. New Jersey Nets forward Richard Jefferson will have surgery on his right ankle today, and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Yesterday's games

Mavericks 99, Heat 93

MIAMI - Jerry Stackhouse scored 16 of his 23 points in the final quarter as Dallas withstood Miami.

Josh Howard had 25 points for Dallas.

Dwyane Wade finished with 31 points for Miami, but missed a potentially game-tying three-pointer with 5.8 seconds left.

Wade played despite spraining his ankle with 43 seconds remaining in the first quarter. He was not sure of his status for tonight's game against the Knicks.

"It's pretty sore," he said. "I'll try to go home and ice it and hopefully it feels better."

Shaquille O'Neal was inactive for the 34th straight game because of his knee surgery. He has practiced and gone through conditioning drills.

Heat rookie Robert Hite, charged with driving under the influence early yesterday in Miami Beach, was not in the arena.

"I don't know anything about it. I don't know where he is," Heat interim coach Ron Rothstein said.

Suns 131, Timberwolves 102

PHOENIX - Shawn Marion had 17 points and 20 rebounds, then sat out the fourth quarter as Phoenix routed a depleted Minnesota squad.

The Timberwolves were without their top two scorers, Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis, both on one-game suspensions. Garnett was suspended for throwing a punch at Detroit's Antonio McDyess on Friday. Davis was suspended for leaving the bench early.

Randy Foye led Minnesota with 25 points.Amare Stoudemire had 25 to lead the Suns.

Trail Blazers 99, Bucks 95

PORTLAND, Ore. - Rookie Brandon Roy had 28 points to help Portland over shorthanded Milwaukee.

Earl Boykins had 28 points for the Bucks, who had just 10 healthy players.

Milwaukee was without forward Brian Skinner (stomach virus), Michael Redd (strained tendon), Mo Williams (shoulder sprain), Bobby Simmons (heel surgery) and Charlie Villanueva (tendinitis).

[Rasputin]

Charting the NBA

Charting the NBA

Garnett is suspended for punch at McDyess

 Kevin Garnett was suspended one game by the NBA on Sunday for throwing a punch at Antonio McDyess of the Pistons.

 Garnett didn't play Sunday night when Minnesota visited the Suns. He leads the Timberwolves with 22.2 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. With 5:18 left in the fourth quarter of the Pistons' double-overtime victory Friday night, McDyess knocked Mark Madsen to the floor with a forearm shove.

 Garnett then chucked the ball at McDyess, who charged at Garnett with his fist cocked. Garnett was poised to punch, too, and took a swipe at McDyess as he partially retreated.

Jefferson to have surgery

 Richard Jefferson will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle today. The team gave no timetable for his return.

 Jefferson had been bothered by ankle pain since before the season, and left a game against Miami on Nov. 10 after landing on the foot of Shaquille O'Neal . He has missed six of New Jersey's 40 games and is averaging 16 points and 4.5 rebounds.

Double dribbles

 The Mavericks had a 19-5 advantage over the Heat in second-chance points.

  The 76ers are 3-14 against Western Conference teams. They have lost 17 games decided by 10 or more points.

  The Suns are the eighth team in history to have two winning streaks of at least 13 in a season. Phoenix won a franchise-record 15 straight from Nov. 20-Dec. 19.

  Dallas is 29-2 when holding teams under 100 points and 27-1 when recording more assists.

[Rasputin]

NBA game of the day: Warriors at Lakers

Lakers backers were all smiles the last time these teams met.

That’s because L.A. topped Golden State 110-98 as 7-point road underdogs on Nov. 1, despite the fact Kobe Bryant wasn’t in uniform.

Ronny Turiaf paced the Lakers attack in Bryan’s absence, collecting a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds. Monta Ellis was the Warriors` top scorer, posting 22 points in just over 22 minutes of playing time.

The final score surpassed the posted total of 204 ½, marking the eighth consecutive Lakers-Warriors matchup that played over.

Davis returns

Warriors point guard Baron Davis returns to the lineup Monday after sitting out Saturday’s game against Cleveland.

Davis was forced to the sidelines because of a one-game suspension he received from the NBA for taking a swing at the Clippers’ Quinton Ross on Jan. 17. Davis leads the Warriors in scoring and assists, and without him Golden State lost 106-104 to the Cavs as 1 ½-point favorites.

Davis returns to the Warriors with a chip on his shoulder.

“There was no foul call on the play,” Davis told reporters of the incident with Ross. “I just think it was unfair that it was judged that way.”

Roster shakeup

Golden State liked what they saw from a pair of new starters on Saturday.

The Warriors pulled off an eight-player trade with Indiana on Wednesday, a deal that brought Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington to Golden State. The duo made their debut against the Cavs, and combined for 43 points and 19 rebounds.

“I like the pieces that we have now,” Warriors coach Don Nelson told reporters after the game with Cleveland. “That was a glimpse of the way we can play. Now it`s up to me to put guys in a position where they can succeed and not fail.”

Lakers struggling on defense

The Lakers defense reached a new low on Saturday night.

L.A. gave up 113 points in a loss to the New Orleans Hornets, the NBA lowest scoring team (90.5 points a night). New Orleans broke the 100-point mark a grand total of two times in its previous 21 games before lighting up the Lakers.

“Our defense is obviously not very good right now,” Lakers guard Maurice Evans told reporters. “We`ve got to learn to trust one another on both ends of the floor. I think that that`s evident in why we lose certain games, especially to teams that aren`t as talented as we are.”

The Lakers have allowed 106 points or more in four of their last five games, with the over/under going 4-1.

First-half struggles for Kobe

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant finished Saturday’s game with 23 points, but he took his time getting his act together in the loss.

Bryant scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half, after hitting just three free throws in the opening two quarters.

It was the second time this month Bryant failed to make a single field goal in the first half of a game, having done the same thing in Denver on Jan. 5.

“The first half isn`t a situation where I have to get the ball and start attacking and doing those sort of things,” Bryant told reporters.

Brown could play

Lakers center Kwame Brown could return to the lineup Monday, according to a recent report in the Los Angeles Times.

Brown has been out since Dec. 31 with a sprained ankle and is expected to start at center if he`s healthy enough to go on Monday.

“Phil (Jackson) will probably put Kwame in (against Golden State),” Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who was starting in Brown’s place, told the Times.

[abadani69]

GO SUNSSSSSSSSS ALL THE WAYYYYYYYY

[Rasputin]

NBA Notebook | Nuggets' new superstar

DENVER — Allen Iverson raced downcourt and floated an alley-oop lob that Carmelo Anthony shoved one-handed through the hoop for an arena-rattling jam, one that seemed to holler to all their doubters, "Take that!"

"We just wanted to show the whole world we could play together," Anthony said after the duo's triumphant debut Monday night. "We know there's a lot of doubt about that."

Anthony scored 28 points in his return from a 15-game suspension for fighting and Iverson added 23 in the Denver Nuggets' 115-98 rout of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The two are out to prove two superstars can coexist.

So far, so very, very good.

Their pairing not only benefited each other but created open looks for everybody else. Their signature moment came with 6:39 left when Anthony soared for the alley-oop dunk that made it 103-82.

"I wanted to throw it up high so he could make 'SportsCenter,' " Iverson cracked. "No, it was a bad pass, honestly. He just showed what type of athlete he is — he went up there and got it."

After the basket, Iverson sauntered back downcourt, holding his right hand to his ear as the crowd roared.

"That's what it's all about. It's about the kids, and about the fans that love the game and the excitement of the greatest game in the world," Iverson said. "I'm enjoying myself. I know it's my 11th season, but this is a fresh start for me, and it feels like my first. I am having a great time and I love my situation here."

After receiving a resounding ovation during introductions, Anthony took the microphone and thanked fans, teammates and Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke for supporting him during his 36-day layoff.

"It's like a new beginning for us," Anthony said. "And we're going to give y'all something to cheer for."

The Nuggets delivered, jumping out to a 20-point first-quarter lead, never trailing and turning it on in the fourth quarter.

"They play well together," said Pau Gasol, who led Memphis with 23 points. "They had a chemistry from the first moment. They have fun together and help each other out.

"It's tough to have to guard one of them. It's worse to have to worry about two great players."

Iverson swears he's had his fill of carrying the load during his 11 NBA seasons and is eager to serve as wingman to the 22-year-old Anthony — and he showed it the first chance he got.

With 7:30 left in the first quarter, Iverson had a breakaway for an easy basket but flipped the ball instead to Anthony running alongside him for a finger-roll that rocked the Pepsi Center.

Marcus Camby had 17 points and 17 boards and J.R. Smith scored 19 points for the energized Nuggets, who raced to a 38-18 lead after one quarter and led 59-47 at the half.

Notes

• G Dwyane Wade was held out of Miami's game against New York because of a sprained ankle. He wasn't in uniform, and his status is day to day.

Also missing for the Heat was reserve G Robert Hite, charged with driving under the influence early Sunday in Miami Beach. Hite apologized and is "acutely aware of the seriousness of the incident," Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement.

• Charlotte C Primoz Brezec has a bulging disc in his lower back and will miss seven to 10 days.

• Atlanta F Josh Smith was fined $25,000 by the NBA for making obscene gestures to the crowd as he left for the locker room following a second-quarter ejection Saturday night in the Hawks' loss at Charlotte. Smith raised both middle fingers to the crowd as he was about halfway through the tunnel, apparently reacting to being heckled by fans.

• PG T.J. Ford was not in uniform for Toronto's game against Charlotte because of a sore right ankle.

[Rasputin]

MIAMI (AP) -Playing without their two All-Stars, the Miami Heat scored a franchise-record 27 consecutive points Monday night and beat the New York Knicks 101-83.

Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal watched from the bench as Miami raced to a 29-3 lead after 8 1/2 minutes. The Knicks missed 10 consecutive shots as their 3-2 lead became a 26-point deficit, while the Heat started 13-for-19 and outscored New York 14-0 in the paint at the outset.

Miami did it with a makeshift lineup. Wade decided shortly before the game to rest the left ankle he sprained Sunday in a loss to Dallas, and O'Neal missed his 35th consecutive game as he nears a return from knee surgery.

Jason Williams scored 20 points for Miami.

The Knicks cut the deficit to 15 by halftime and briefly to six in the fourth quarter. Williams hit a pair of 26-footers late to prevent a collapse by Miami.

Jason Kapono fueled the Heat's early run and scored 22 points. Udonis Haslem added 19 points and 10 rebounds. Gary Payton had 13 assists, his highest total since joining the Heat in 2005.

New York's Stephon Marbury sat out the second half because of a sore left knee.

Spurs 93, Celtics 89

BOSTON (AP) - Tim Duncan remained unbeaten against Boston, finishing with 21 points and nine rebounds to lead San Antonio.

Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker each scored 15 points for the Spurs, who have won 18 straight against the Celtics and nine in a row in Boston. The Celtics last beat the Spurs on Jan. 8, 1997, the season before Duncan entered the NBA.

Duncan shot 7-of-17 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free throw line as the Spurs won their third straight and eighth in 10 games. His 10 second-quarter points helped San Antonio outscore Boston 30-14 after falling behind 24-20 through one.

Delonte West led Boston with 27 points and Al Jefferson added 26. The Celtics have lost eight straight and are 2-14 without star guard Paul Pierce, out since Dec. 22 with a stress reaction in his left foot.

Pacers 98, Bulls 91

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Jermaine O'Neal had 22 points and 10 rebounds as Indiana beat Chicago to snap a four-game skid and win for the first time since making an eight-player trade last week.

Darrell Armstrong had 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Pacers. The 38-year-old point guard was making his second start of the season in place of injured Jamaal Tinsley.

Ben Gordon scored 21 of his 31 points in the second half for the Bulls. Luol Deng had 18 points and eight rebounds.

Two of the newcomers acquired by Indiana from Golden State, Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy, made solid contributions. Dunleavy had 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Murphy had seven points and eight rebounds in his first start for the Pacers.

Magic 90, Cavaliers 79

CLEVELAND (AP) - Grant Hill scored 22 points, Dwight Howard added 18 with 13 rebounds and Orlando snapped a five-game losing streak by beating listless Cleveland.

Hill, who missed Orlando's previous game with a dislocated pinky, only scored two points and played less than six minutes of the fourth quarter. But he did enough in his first 27 minutes on the floor to give the Magic an 11-point lead entering the period.

Jameer Nelson had 11 points, Keith Bogans made three 3-pointers and Darko Milicic added nine rebounds for Orlando, which ended a six-game skid in Cleveland.

LeBron James had 18 points for the weary Cavaliers, who just completed a seven-game trip out West and were playing their fifth game in seven nights.

Raptors 105, Bobcats 84

TORONTO (AP) - Chris Bosh scored 20 points and Jose Calderon had a season-high 19 points and 11 assists to lead Toronto over Charlotte.

Andrea Bargnani added 14 points for the Raptors, who played without starting point guard T.J. Ford (sore right ankle). Calderon has played well with Ford hobbled in recent games.

The Raptors outscored the Bobcats 21-8 in the third, when Charlotte shot just 4-for-18.

Gerald Wallace had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Bobcats, who had won five of seven. Raymond Felton had 19 points and eight assists after missing two games with an ankle injury.

Bargnani, the No. 1 pick in the draft, finished 5-for-10 from the field. Adam Morrison, the third pick, went 1-for-6 for just three points.

[Rasputin]

NBA: LA Lakers 108, Golden State 103

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Kobe Bryant's 42 points on 11-for-22 shooting helped lift the Los Angeles Lakers over Pacific Division rival Golden State, 108-103, Monday.

Off the bench, Maurice Evans scored 14 points for the Lakers, who avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season. Brian Cook scored 13 points, Smush Parker had 11 and Andrew Bynum added 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Al Harrington scored 30 points for the Warriors, who lost their third straight. Monta Ellis scored 16 points off the bench. Mickael Pietrus had 14 points and 14 boards. Stephen Jackson added 13 points.