Asked about his declining production since Kevin Martin returned four games before, a frustrated John Salmons said it's up to the coaching staff to keep him involved.

"They call the plays, so it's up to them," said Salmons, who hit just 1 of 8 shots Monday and has made 18 of 58 since Martin returned from a left ankle injury that kept him out of 22 games.

"There shouldn't be no reason why (he and Martin) shouldn't be able to play together … . That's on them, because it's proven (that he can produce)."

As the Kings set a Sacramento-era record for slowest start to a season (8-27), the inability of those around Martin to chip in is suddenly the latest reason they can't find a way to win. Yet in their 11th consecutive road loss, Salmons was in a category all his own when it came to nonexistent offense.

The solution, as Salmons sees it, has nothing to do with him. Averaging nearly 20 points this season, he said his number simply isn't being called recently.

"It's drastic," Salmons said when asked about the difference in the number of plays being called for him. "It's just ridiculous."

Martin, who made 11 of 21 shots but was only 3 of 12 in the second half, said he doesn't see it as a systematic problem.

"It's not tough (to keep everybody involved in the offense)," Martin said. "It's just like with any team. Somebody has the hot hand, and it shouldn't be hard for any guy to go off because it's not like the guy is being selfish or anything.

"We've just got to continue to play together because these have been some tough losses. Hopefully, we get through it."

Andrew Bynum thought something was wrong with his game. He believed he wasn't playing with the same gusto as he was at this time last season, when he was running and jumping and dunking and rebounding with remarkable success.

So, he watched a stack of videos, which confirmed his suspicions.

Something was wrong. He discovered he wasn't playing with the same gusto as he was at this time last season, when he made a major career breakthrough.

"I don't think I'm taking advantage of the opportunities I'm getting," Bynum said before the Lakers played against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night at Staples Center. "I just need to go out there and put more energy to it.

"When I watched last year's tapes and this year's tapes, there's a difference you can see pretty clearly."

Bynum refused to play the blame game. He said his left kneecap was not the reason for a decline in production. He was averaging 12.2 points and 8.2 rebounds before Sunday's game, down from his 2007-08 averages of 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds.

"I'm not taking easy or not trusting the leg," the 7-foot Bynum said. "It feels fine. It feels like it's good."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Saturday he noticed that Bynum was not playing with the same efficiency he displayed last season. He said Bynum's endurance was evident, but that he had difficulty sustaining his energy. Bynum decided several days ago that it was time to go to the video.

"I got some tapes from last year before I got injured and I've just been looking through them to see where I can improve," he said. "I'm just going to go out there and play harder (Sunday against the Trail Blazers).

"Basically, I'm encouraged. You see you're able to do it. You just have to go out there and make it happen. It's a combination of things, but I believe it's more effort."

Nenad Krstic is officially a member of the Thunder after having his work visa approved Monday.

And with a new team comes a new nickname.

Krstic, the 7-foot center who was signed Dec. 30, is no longer affectionately referred to as "Curly” as he was during his four seasons with the New Jersey Nets. Thunder players have taken to the nickname "Krispy.”

While the nickname is more of a play off Krstic’s last name, it could carry a double meaning for how crisp Krstic has been in his first week of practice.

"He’s looking good,” Desmond Mason said of Krstic, who could make his Thunder debut tonight against the New York Knicks.

"He’s a skilled basketball player. I’ve played him before, and he can definitely shoot the heck out of the ball and has some great moves around the basket. So I’m excited for him to get on the floor and see what he’s going to bring to us. I think he’s going to be an asset to this team.”

Thunder coach Scott Brooks did not say whether he would use Krstic tonight against New York at the Ford Center. Brooks has said since last Tuesday that he wants to ease in Krstic and allow him to learn the playbook and adapt to his new teammates.

"He’s still blending in,” Brooks said. "He’s doing a good job of fitting in, and the guys are doing a good job of accepting the way he plays. He’s a good piece for us. He knows how to play...He’s a smart player. He makes good decisions with the ball. He’s not just a shooter, he can be a playmaker at his spot.”

Kevin Durant said Monday he shouldn’t be in this year’s All-Star game despite ranking sixth in the league in scoring with a 23.8-point average.

"No, I don’t think so,” Durant said when asked if he feels he should be an all-star. "Because one of the requirements is that the team’s got to win. That’s a big part of being an all-star, leading your team to victories. Hopefully, before I’m done in this league I can be one of those, but right now I’m just trying to help this team turn it around and get better.”

The Thunder is a league-worst 4-30 entering tonight’s game against the New York Knicks.

"I definitely would trade (being a top 10 scorer) for being 30-4 right now,” Durant said. "But it feels good to come in and get better as the year goes on, get better as the summer went on and try to show it in this league.”

The criticism, Tracy McGrady said, never bothered him. This was different.

He heard he did not play hard against the Raptors, with far less effort than he thought. He was censured for playing badly all season, for falling far from his previous level of play.

He had heard it before, but this time, he could not ignore the critic. This time, he was the one talking.

“I criticize myself,” McGrady said Monday. “I can take it from anybody, from everybody. I know my ability. And when I do get right, all that … is put to rest. So kick me when I’m down, because I swear to you, I’ll be back up. And when I get back up, I’m going to sit back, and I’m going to laugh, man, because I’m going to have the last laugh.

“Right now, I’m down. I’m physically down.”

Sometimes contrite, other times defiant, McGrady, 29, said he has been shaken by poor play he believes to be brought on by his struggles to get over knee surgery eight months ago today.

He said he thought he had played harder against the Raptors than what he saw when he reviewed video of the game and that he did not realize the scoring opportunities he ignored.

Though McGrady said “I haven’t played well all year” and that it was “crazy” that he is second among Western Conference guards in the All-Star voting, he said his particularly poor play in a 94-73 loss to Toronto on Friday came from the frustration over his physical limitations.

“Without a doubt,” McGrady said. “It’s a matter of trying to come out and trying to compete physically. I look back at some of the tapes of some of my games, and in those games, I feel like I’m trying to go hard, but I look, and I’m not. I don’t have it. In my mind, I think I’m going hard. But physically, I don’t have it.”

If you put a label on the Dallas Mavericks, they would be a jump-shooting team.

Perhaps the words "limited range" should precede that tagline.

Shooting 3-pointers is a strong weapon in the NBA, but making them is even stronger. The Mavericks this season have been mediocre, at best, hitting barely one-third of their tries. The league average is 36 percent.

There are three ways for a team to generate jump shots: off their motion offense, in transition and the traditional spot-up style. Actually, there's a fourth way to get a jump shot, but it's the worst of all – settling for a well-covered hoist with the shot clock running down.

The Mavericks have two players who can hit the stand-still jumper with relative consistency – Jason Terry and Jason Kidd. Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard also can catch-and-shoot, but they are at their best when they are stepping into a shot in rhythm or off the dribble.

Terry believes there is only one way to get the 3-point percentage closer to the league average: "Get hot."

He then added that that's probably not going to happen, given that the season is churning toward the midpoint and statistics tend to stay pretty level this far into the season.

But there is another alternative, Terry said.

"It is what it is," he said. "We're just going to have to ride it out and find ways to win, knowing that we're not going to shoot a high percentage. The only way you can get it back up – and I like this – is to be aggressive, taking higher-percentage shots. Points in the paint, that's how you get the percentage up."

In other words, maybe put the 3-point love fest on hold. The Mavericks shoot nearly 21 per game. Only three teams with a winning record (Atlanta, Orlando, San Antonio) shoot more.

Blazers' GM Kevin Pritchard said he would not address today's trade rumors linking the Blazers in trade talks with New York and the Clippers. However, I have been told by multiple people, multiple times that this talk has zero legs to it. Zero. This summer a deal with David Lee was offered to the Blazers, but ultimately the Blazers rejected the deal, which involved Jarrett Jack and the Blazers' first round pick.

Channing Frye, who has practically disappeared from the Blazers' playing rotation, said on Monday night that he hasn't asked Pritchard for a trade from the Blazers. "The only thing me and KP talk about is what's best for the Blazers,'' Frye wrote in an email. "I'm just trying to do the best I can in a difficult situation.''

Pritchard said the two have had conversations in the past month, but the subject of those talks were private.

The Warriors signed 6-foot-10 power forward Jermareo Davidson - who was leading the NBA Development League in double-doubles (10) and third in rebounding (10.8) - to a 10-day contract.

"We're looking for a '4.' Need some help rebounding, and he's got a little experience," said Nelson, who didn't anticipate any more roster moves before all contracts become guaranteed for the rest of the season Saturday.

Davidson was drafted by the Warriors in 2007 and sent to Charlotte as part of the Jason Richardson trade. He played 38 games for the Bobcats.

Oakland native DeMarcus Nelson, who started the first five games at point guard for Golden State, was waived to make room on the roster.

Their season fast approaching the halfway mark, the Washington Wizards went through drills on their practice court at Verizon Center yesterday, preparing for tonight's game against Orlando and looking for ways to improve on a woeful record that has them planted at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

As the practice was winding down, the teammate who might best help the Wizards salvage their season grabbed three of the team's youngest members -- Nick Young, Oleksiy Pecherov and Dominic McGuire -- and challenged them to a game of two-on-two upstairs on the arena's main court. Gilbert Arenas, the three-time all-star who has yet to practice or play this season on a knee that has undergone three surgical procedures since April 2007, was working out.

Arenas's appearance was not a full-fledged workout. Even so, word that he was on hand shooting a basketball in a game of pickup was enough to subject interim head coach Ed Tapscott to a barrage of questions about the status of the Wizards guard, who has not played since he decided to end his 2007-08 season following Game 4 of last spring's playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"When the training staff thinks he's at the right point to begin workouts, we will," Tapscott said. "Obviously, we're going to be conservative because he's a critical member of this franchise. So when they tell us it's time to go to work, we'll go to work."

Thing is, nobody seems to know when that will be, including Arenas, who has traveled with the team this season and does rehabilitation workouts with the team's athletic training staff.

Arenas, who declined an interview yesterday, saying he wants to "keep a low profile," has not set a timetable for a possible return after initially hoping to be back in early December.

"The main thing is just making sure that when I do come back, I can come back right," Arenas said last week, echoing comments he's repeatedly made. "I don't want any more setbacks."

Despite the dismal start and consecutives losses to the two worst teams in the NBA this week, Warriors President Robert Rowell reiterated Monday that coach Don Nelson's job in not in jeopardy.

"No, I've not given it an ounce of thought," Rowell said before the game at Utah. "Nellie's a great coach. I think he's done his job as a coach. I think Nellie has done everything he's done his last 30 years in the business. ...

"Unfortunately, we've had Corey (Maggette) out 15 games, we've had Monta (Ellis) out, we're banged up. It's still not an excuse - it's the NBA - but we knew when Monta went down that this would be a tough start to the year."

Rowell's official support follows what has been understood since he awarded Nelson a two-year, $12 million extension this summer: Ownership wants the 68-year-old architect of its 2007 playoff team around, and to feel comfortable coaching in spite of his injury- and youth-filled roster.

Golden State is on track to finish with 24 wins this season, its lowest total since the 2001-02 season.

The Wizards won Sunday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in part because referee Bill Spooner whistled LeBron James for traveling on a key play down the stretch. After the game, James defended the move by saying he had used a "crab dribble" before taking two steps towards the basket.

"I watched it 10 times after the game and it was clearly a good play, so you live with it," James said.

What's a crab dribble?

Wizards forward Caron Butler, who was defending James on the play, thinks he knows.

"Yeah, a crab dribble is when you travel," Butler said with a grin yesterday. "That's my boy and that's the hottest thing on the market now, the crab dribble travel. . . . I couldn't do it in AAU, couldn't do it in college and obviously I can't do it now."

Before Spooner even made the call, Wizards forward Antawn Jamison was rolling his arms asking for a traveling call. Does he know what a crab dribble is?

"I don't know, but I know what traveling is," Jamison said. "He said he's seen the play a couple of times and didn't think he traveled, but we all know what traveling is. They got tape to prove the history of that signature move that he has, but it was a travel, hands down. When he beats us on end-of-game situations or finds a way to get it done, we give him credit, but it didn't happen [Sunday] and the right call was called."

When you've banked well over $100million during a 14-year NBA career, you don't need a job for the paycheck.

Why, then, did forward Juwan Howard become a Charlotte Bobcat?

“When Michael (Jordan, the team's managing partner) told my agent they were interested, I was flattered,” Howard recalled. “They're not a lock to be a playoff team, but they're very talented. They have enough talent to win ball games and the right coach.

“I call him, ‘The fixer-upper.'”

Howard meant Larry Brown. Despite all their mutual travels – Howard has played for six NBA franchises and Brown has coached nine – they'd never worked together. Howard was curious what he could learn from Brown.

Brown was just as interested what his young players could learn from Howard.

“The value of a Juwan Howard and a Nazr Mohammed? You can't even put a percentage on that,” Brown said of this young team's need for mentors. “They're so smart, there's nothing they can experience in a game that they haven't already been through.

“I love guys who can give you input on how to do things better.”

Brown said during training camp he's never coached such a young team in the pros. He hoped Mohammed, a 10th-season veteran, would compensate for that, serving as a conduit between the players and the coaches.

Mohammed doesn't play much, so there's only so much he can do as conduit. Howard is getting steady, if limited, minutes, and he's accepted Brown's charge to offer candid feedback to both coaches and players.

With the coaches, that might be suggesting an alternative way to guard a particular opponent during a pregame shootaround. With the players, it means reminding the young guys how you practice is just as important as how you play.

While the Orlando Magic were busy hanging their Southeast Division banner on opening night of the NBA season, the Hawks were hard at work trying to snatch it away this season.

The Hawks’ 99-85 win on Oct. 29 served as motivation for both teams.

Stung by the defeat on what was to be a night of celebration, the Magic are 26-7 since. The Hawks, 22-11, used that win as part of a 6-0 start that began the best two-month start to a season the franchise has seen in more than a decade.

They meet again this week for a two-game series, at Philips Arena Wednesday and in Orlando Friday. Orlando leads by just 3.5 games in the division standings. The stakes will be high, which is just the way the Hawks like it.

“There’s no doubt these two games are huge for us, for both teams really,” Hawks forward Josh Smith said. “We have to go into them with a playoff mentality, because this week can either put us back two losses on the division leader or we can win and keep moving on up that ladder to catch them and everybody else down the road.”

That the Hawks are even speaking this way this late in the season is a testament to their fabulous start, one that began with a monster effort in Orlando.

“We played with so much energy,” Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson said. “We were so enthused about getting back out there on the court and playing basketball together again after that playoff run. Knowing the success we had against [Orlando] last year, we wanted to come out and show we were a good team.

“Come Wednesday, we know that’ll be in the back of their minds as well. So we have to come a little harder than we did the first time because they’re going to be ready for us and they know we’re hunting for their spot.”

The Detroit Pistons subscribe to the "one game at a time" mantra, which is why their goal is to focus on Wednesday's opponent, Portland.

But there are some matchups, no matter how far down the schedule, in which this strategy is put to the test.

Friday's game against Denver and former Piston Chauncey Billups, is one of those.

It will be the first time since the November trade that Detroit will face its former point guard and team captain.

Antonio McDyess, who was included in the trade with Denver but returned to Detroit after agreeing to a buyout, said he talked with Billups, a good friend, on New Year's Day.

"We didn't talk about (Friday's) game or playing in it," McDyess said. "But I know him. He's looking to have a good game against us."

Pistons forward Amir Johnson added: " It's probably going to be like when Ben (Wallace) left -- just say, 'What's up,' and then play the game and battle it out, try and beat him."

Allen Iverson, who came to Detroit via the Nov. 3 trade with the Nuggets, said, "It'll be different, but I've been in this league for a while. And I've seen Chauncey in a bunch of uniforms. So it'll just be another thing to me."

Not so for Joe Dumars, the Pistons' president of basketball operations.

Detroit's unprecedented run of six consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference finals or NBA Finals began with the 2002-2003 season.

Dumars' first transaction leading to that season was signing Billups, a free-agent point guard who had played for five teams in five NBA seasons.

A journeyman up to that point, Billups went on to have six successful seasons as a Piston.

Many factors have contributed to the Pistons' seven-game winning streak. The return to a bigger lineup, the emergence of Rodney Stuckey and the cold-blooded assuredness of Allen Iverson late in games are at the top of that list.

But as important as any of the above factors has been the unsung, but brilliant, play of Tayshaun Prince.

"Tay's been our best player," coach Michael Curry has said repeatedly. "And to be competing at the level we are right now, that wouldn't be possible if he hadn't expanded his game like he has."

Consider all Prince did in the Pistons' 88-87 win against the Clippers on Sunday. He had 20 points, seven rebounds and three blocks -- and that doesn't even begin to measure his impact.

He energized the team early with a power dunk over Al Thornton in the first quarter, and converted that into a three-point play.

He bothered the offensively explosive Thornton all game, holding him to 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting.

Over the last seven games, since moving back to his natural small-forward position in the big lineup, Prince has averaged 40 minutes, 17.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor.

There was a time this season when no team in the NBA rebounded as well as the Cavaliers. That is no longer the case.

A strong rebounding team for most of the past decade, especially at the offensive end with one of the best offensive rebounders in the game in Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavs dominated the league in the first six weeks of the season.

They led the NBA in total rebounding and, in the most accurate telltale, rebounding differential.

Much of this could be attributed to Ben Wallace and Anderson Varejao being healthy and teaming up with Ilgauskas and Le Bron James for a powerhouse re bounding front line.

For the past several weeks, however, the team's been showing slippage in this area.

Then came Sunday against the Wizards, who battered the Cavs around chasing missed shots. With their starting center, Brendan Haywood, on the sidelines with a wrist injury and backup Andray Blatche dealing with a sprained ankle, one of the league's worst rebounding teams still whipped the Cavs to a tune of 52-35.

Some of the Bulls' physical ailments appeared closer to getting better Monday.

Forward Drew Gooden, who has missed eight games with a sprained right ankle, believes he will play tonight when the Bulls host the Sacramento Kings. And guard Kirk Hinrich, who has been out since Nov. 7 with a torn ligament in his right thumb, said he could be participating in full practices by the end of the week.

''If I feel like I did in practice [Monday], I'm going to play,'' Gooden said after an MRI exam showed no further damage. ''I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that there's no extra swelling or added pain when I wake up. I didn't overexert it or make it any worse. Hopefully I loosened it up a little bit.

''I'll see where it is in pregame warm-up. It's tough. I twisted it twice in a month. It's something I'm going to be really cautious of -- extra tape, strengthening, doing a lot of preventative measures to try and not let this happen again.''

Healing the scarred psyche of a team that has lost six of its last seven will take more than the training staff.

''We've kind of lost our focus on what we need to do,'' Gooden said. ''We have to find our identity. Are we going to be a defensive team? We've got to find something before it gets too late. Right now, we're letting teams score on us too easily.

''It's frustrating when you're losing. You're not a competitor if you're not frustrated when you lose. I'm frustrated watching from the sideline, can't do anything about it. Frustrated being injured. Guys have their frustrations on this team. Once we start winning, it'll become contagious and more positive things will come out of that and it will continue to do some good.''

Phoenix Suns guard Jason Richardson was accused by police of driving under the influence of alcohol when he was stopped Dec. 21 by a Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community officer.

Richardson was stopped at 2:48 a.m. at the Loop 101 freeway and Thomas Road, according to citation filed at West Mesa Justice Court. He also was accused of failure to drive in one lane and speeding.

The ticket said the officer clocked Richardson traveling 65 mph in a 55 mph zone as he headed south on the freeway in a white 2008 Mercedes Benz.

Richardson, 26, was cited and released pending a preliminary appearance that is yet to be scheduled. Larry Kazan, a defense attorney who specializes in DUI cases, has notified the court that he will represent Richardson.

Groggily, the Sixers staggered off their plane back in Philadelphia at 3:30 a.m. Sunday, just hours after losing to the Spurs in San Antonio on a last-second bucket by Tony Parker. It was a fitting conclusion to what was an altogether dismal road trip, a less than cheerful holiday swing through Boston and points west. By the end of it, they won just one of six games and found themselves buried at the bottom of Atlantic Division with 13-20 record. If you have the feeling that the Sixers have been this way before, no, you are no hallucinating. It was only a year ago that the Sixers fell to 18-30 before winning 22 of their last 34 to secure an unlikely playoff berth under coach Maurice Cheeks. A big move was expected of the team this year with the acquisition of free agent Elton Brand, but when that did not happen in a timely fashion, Cheeks was replaced in December by erstwhile senior vice president and assistant general manager Tony DiLeo.

DiLeo says he has seen some progress.

But what he has not seen enough of are W's.

"From a win standpoint, we are disappointed because we definitely thought we could get more than one win [on the road trip]," said DiLeo, whose team takes the floor this evening at the Wachovia Center against Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets. "From a basketball standpoint, we improved in several areas."

Such as?

"Executing in halfcourt, we are doing a better job at that," DiLeo said. "We are doing a better job at not turning it over. And our fastbreak is good and maybe better than before. Defensively, we are sticking to our principles. But that is an ongoing process. We just have to continue to work on those areas."

Nathan Jawai is shooting for the end of January to make his Raptors debut, a moment more than three months in the making since concerns were raised about a heart ailment.

"The workouts are going great and I'm getting into shape quicker than I expected," the jumbo-sized centre said yesterday in Milwaukee.

"Probably it's the end of the month, but who knows?"

Jawai was given clearance to resume workouts a few weeks ago with no restrictions, except not to push himself too much or too soon.

"I haven't been doing anything for three months," Jawai said of the difficulty in getting back into game shape. "I'm probably over-doing it a bit, but I can't help myself. I'm too excited that I'm back."

The Denver Nuggets toyed with the Indiana Pacers on Monday night at Pepsi Center en route to a 135-115 blowout victory. However, after the game there was a somewhat uncertain mood in the Nuggets' locker room as a result of the injury Carmelo Anthony suffered in the third quarter. The team is officially calling the injury a third metacarpal probable non-displaced fracture of Anthony's right hand. Anthony will be examined by noted hand specialist Dr. Carlton Clinkscales tomorrow.

"Right now you've got to be concerned because you don't really know what exactly is going on until tomorrow," said Anthony. "I'm going to go see a hand specialist tomorrow probably before practice or after practice and see what happens."

When asked to describe what he felt on the court when the injury happened in the third quarter, Anthony replied: "Out there I didn't have any feeling whatsoever. It was just numb. As you can tell, I shot that free throw and it was an air ball. It was just numb out there."

X-rays were taken after the game but the results were not known directly after the game.

"I won't know the results until tomorrow," said Anthony. "It's sore and stiff right now. I'm pretty sure it's going to hurt like hell tomorrow."

"I am a little concerned about the injury to Carmelo's hand," admitted George Karl. "There's a possibility of a fracture, but it will be evaluated tomorrow."

When asked if he thought he would play on Wednesday against the Miami HEAT, Anthony replied: "If I could say right now, probably not. I'll talk to you tomorrow about it."

After saying in the fall there was a chance, Karl doesn't expect son Coby Karl to a sign a 10-day deal with the Nuggets.

"I don't think so," said Karl, with the 10-day contract period starting Monday.

One difference is the Nuggets have three point guards. Karl said his son, averaging 15.9 points for Idaho of the NBADL, is getting NBA "feelers."

The Nuggets potentially moved slightly under the $71.15 million luxury-tax threshold by trading raw center Cheikh Samb and about $420,000 to the Clippers for a 2015 conditional second-round pick. The Nuggets get the pick if it's one of that draft's last five.

But the Nuggets likely must make another move to assure being under the tax line because there are some possible player bonuses that could push them back over it. If they get under the tax line, they would receive about $3 million from a league pool.

Samb was assigned to the NBA Development League's Colorado 14ers but joins the Clippers and won't return to the NBADL.

"This move gives us flexibility moving forward," said executive Mark Warkentien, who likes the versatility of two open roster spots.

The Nuggets sent cash to cover Samb's remaining seasonal $711,517 salary.

"We didn't see (Samb) having a chance here," coach George Karl said. "It might open up a window for (another move)."

Devin Harris had just received the opening tip from Brook Lopez, when his right leg started tugging at him again. He knew it was going to be a short night.

But he played 19 minutes of the Nets' 98-90 victory over Sacramento before surrendering to his cranky right hamstring at halftime Monday night.

"Just kind of felt a little twinge," Harris said. "I was pretty much out there on one leg. So I didn't want to risk hurting it more."

"You kind of saw him limping in the early part of (the game), and even when he came back he didn't look like he had the speed," said coach Lawrence Frank. "So it was time to call it a night."

The Nets had a terrific second-half comeback with Harris in the trainer's room, but they don't want to make a habit of this. He took an injection to settle his leg down, and he's listed as day-to-day again. But he's not going to make any predictions about suiting up tomorrow against Memphis.

Friday? He'll probably play on one leg. That one is in his hometown of Milwaukee.

Former NBA player Antoine Walker was charged with suspicion of drunk driving in Miami Beach early Monday morning, further hurting his chances of playing again this season.

Walker was driving a black Mercedes without the lights on when he was pulled over at 5:39 a.m., according to the arrest report. Officers detected a strong odor of alcohol and wrote in the report that Walker had a sleepy look on his face. He refused a breathalyzer test.

Walker was a three-time All-Star forward for the Boston Celtics and helped the Miami Heat win the NBA championship in 2006. He was also a starting forward on Kentucky's 1996 national title team.

His up-and-down career has often been just as tumultuous off the court.

In July 2007, Walker and a relative were bound at gunpoint while multiple robbers took a car, cash and jewelry from his suburban-Chicago residence. He also was the victim of an armed robbery in 2000 along with center Nazr Mohammed as the two sat in a vehicle waiting for a restaurant to open on Chicago's South Side.

And his once prominent career has since faded.

Walker struggled in 46 games with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. His contract was bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies in December, making him a free agent.

The 32-year-old Chicago native was selected sixth overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Celtics, earning All-Star honors in 1998, 2002 and 2003. He ranks 10th in league history for 3-point field goals made (1,386) and second (sixth all-time) in 3-point field goal attempts (4,264).

He played a key role off the bench in Miami's championship run in 2006. But he was often dogged by fans late in his career for his poor conditioning, briefly being suspended by then-Heat coach Pat Riley in the 2006-07 season over his body-fat level.

The 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward has not played this season but has indicated he wants to sign with another NBA team.

Walker was being held Monday on a $1,000 bond and jail officials said they did not immediately know if he has attorney.

Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo is ready to shake things up in Toronto. He's tried to move forward/center Jermaine O'Neal to at least half a dozen teams. Scouts say O'Neal doesn't have any lift in his legs. That could be one reason the Cavs turned down a possible deal with Indiana. O'Neal can still defend and score. Forward Andrea Bargnani could also be had.

Sharp-shooting forward James Jones, who has been out all season with a torn tendon in his right (shooting) wrist, said he could be ready to play within a week.

"I'm less than two weeks away," Jones said before Monday's game. "Hopefully, it's more like one week."

Jones said his wrist is healed, now it's how it responds to workouts. Monday was Jones' first full-contact practice.

Starting point guard Kevin Ollie is expected to miss at least three weeks because of a dislocated shoulder sustained early in Saturday's victory at Chicago. He will be evaluated by doctors again then. The Wolves' options until then: Waive or buy out a player (Calvin Booth?) and sign D-Leaguer Blake Ahearn or another guard, trade for a guard or go with Sebastian Telfair and Randy Foye there exclusively. The first option is the best bet.

Mikki Moore, one of the most popular Nets in recent years, hugged about 25 people before taking the court for warmups Monday night. But he's not feeling particularly good about life in the Kingdom lately, either.

"It's hard -- especially when you're not being used like you want to be used," said Moore, who starts at power forward but plays only 20 minutes per night. "Being a starter, I guess, doesn't really mean too much when it's crunch time. I don't know if it's because (Natt wants to try) other lineups, or the organization's decision.

"I have to play my role, and whatever they ask I'll do, because I have to earn my check. But everybody's frustrated right now."

Baron Davis (tailbone) did not travel with the team on Monday for its three-game road trip and could miss additional time after that. Rookie Mike Taylor (broken thumb) is out at least another six weeks. And Jason Hart (elbow) is day-to-day, but doubtful, for today's game in Dallas.

When Mike Miller arrived in Minneapolis' Target Center about a week ago, it took several minutes for him to appear at home.

That's because he spent so much time near the visiting Grizzlies' locker room.

The veteran swingman now is an integral part of the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Miller didn't just breeze by the chance to reunite with the likes of Rudy Gay and Kyle Lowry, a couple of the Grizzlies' young guns he helped mentor.

In some ways Miller wishes he could have remained their big brother on the court as part of the Grizzlies' rebuilding process.

But Miller knows the deal as he arrives in FedExForum tonight for the first time since being traded on draft night so that the Griz could acquire guard O. J. Mayo.

The Griz were looking to start over from the ground up, and Miller represented that last face associated with the franchise's playoff qualifiers. Miller accepts that he was a valuable chip the Griz had to cash in on a gamble with youth.

"When you're a young team you've got to shoot for the moon," Miller said. "(The Griz) knew what I was, and they wanted to take a chance on O.J. He's going to be a good player. Hopefully, it works out for them. In rebuilding situations, you'd like to be part of it. But I had six great years there. I can't complain about any of it. It was time to move on, I guess."

Turning the page was about finances, too.

Miller privately sought a contract extension from the Griz. The organization balked because of Miller's history with injuries, specifically recurring back trouble. He'll earn $9 million this season and $9.75 million for the final year of his deal in 2009-10.

"Yeah, I think that had something to do with (the trade)," said Miller, who averages 10.3 points. "I'm sure there were a lot of things involved. O.J. Mayo probably made it easier, too."

For once, it wasn't an injury that took another player from the Clippers roster.

Monday afternoon, the club waived forward Paul Davis and recently-signed point guard Fred Jones in an effort to create some roster flexibility before Wednesday, the date on which all players on the roster have their contracts guaranteed for the rest of the season.

After signing Jones last Sunday, the Clippers were at the maximum of 15 players, meaning all 15 contracts would've become guaranteed Wednesday. With a rapidly ballooning injury list - seven players are currently out with injuries - Clippers coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy said the club could not assume such risk.

"Had we not had all these injuries, we might've done nothing," Dunleavy said. "But with all the guys out, we just figured this would put us in better position, buy us some time, to figure out schedules and such."

There is a chance one or both of the players waived Monday could be re-signed once they clear waivers on Wednesday afternoon. Of the two, a club source indicated Jones was most likely to return because of the team's multitude of injuries in the back court.

An hour after waiving Davis and Jones, the club traded a conditional draft pick in the 2015 draft for Denver center Cheikh Samb and cash considerations.

The Nuggets will pay the remaining $418,000 of Samb's contract this season, meaning the Clippers essentially get a free look at a 7-foot-1 player with good shot-blocking ability and shooting touch.

Samb, 24, was originally drafted by the Lakers in 2006 (51 st overall). He was traded to the Pistons, with whom he appeared in four games. In November, he was sent to the Nuggets as part of the Chauncey Billups-Allen Iverson trade.

Donnie Walsh flew out with the Knicks Monday to Oklahoma City, but left town without talking to Stephon Marbury's union-appointed representative about a buyout. "Nothing new, nothing new," Walsh said, walking off the practice floor at the team's facility in Greenburgh.

Starting Tuesday against the Thunder, the Knicks are playing every other day during the four-game trip that ends Monday in New Orleans. For a team that has lost 11 of 16 road games, that's a big break not to have to play any back-to-back games. And it works out perfectly for Walsh. "I'm sure we'll talk, but there's nothing formal set up, which is the way we've been handling this," Walsh said, referring to talks with Marbury's rep, union attorney Hal Biagas. "We don't have a specific day ... But being on the road with the team allows me to see how we play. I want to do that, but I also can get a lot of other work done, since we've got some days off."

The two sides did not talk Monday.

As Marbury sits idly, Walsh is in no hurry to cut ties with his exiled point guard, and still holds all the cards in the stalemate. Although he gave permission to Biagus to find a team that wants to deal for Marbury, the Knicks' president said he has not heard from Marbury's side.

Given Marbury's $20.9 million salary, there are few teams that would want to trade for him, even with his contract expiring on July 1. But Walsh sounded open to waiting until the trading deadline on Feb. 19, to see if any takers surface at the 11th hour. If Marbury and the Knicks reach a buyout, the Celtics have what has been described privately by team officials as limited interest.

One team that may go after Eddy Curry, now that the Knick center appears ready to resume playing, is the Blazers.

Portland president Kevin Pritchard, who's been after David Lee for years, quietly scouted a Knick preseason game.

"They'll do anything for a big man," a league source said.

Obviously, Curry is trade bait because his contract runs past 2010. His removal could allow the Knicks to sign two players to maximum contracts that summer.

An absurd trade rumor hit the Knick locker room Sunday. It said the Knicks, Clippers and Blazers were involved in a three-team, 12-player trade that would be consummated next week. A newspaper referred to it as a "report," but it actually was a posted comment on a Knick blog by a person claiming to have ties with the Clippers.

The deal had the Knicks getting Marcus Camby, Channing Frye, rookie DeAndre Jordan, Jerryd Bayless and Jason Hart. The Knicks would give up Quentin Richardson, Lee, Anthony Roberson and Malik Rose.

Knick president Donnie Walsh said yesterday, "It is a fabrication. I have not had any discussions on this at all."

The Clippers have shopped Camby.

The Shaun Livingston comeback is over. At least for now. At least with the Miami Heat.

Livingston was informed of his release after Monday night's 91-84 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at AmericanAirlines Arena, with the team expected to make a formal announcement later this morning.

The former Los Angeles Clippers point guard was signed as a free agent on Oct. 3. He had been attempting a comeback from a gruesome Feb. 26, 2007 knee injury that left him with a dislocated left kneecap and three torn ligaments.

While the comeback had been limited to four appearances totaling 41 minutes this season -- his first NBA action since the injury -- his release was based more on the salary cap that fitness.

The contract Livingston signed with the Heat guaranteed only $370,000 for this season, a figure that keeps the team below the punitive dollar-for-dollar luxury tax on excessive payrolls.

With all NBA contracts becoming guaranteed for the season by week's end, the Heat had to make a decision on Livingston in advance of its upcoming seven-game trip. Livingston's contract also called for a partial contract guarantee for next season, at the Heat's option.

Coach Erik Spoelstra had spoken nebulously in recent days about Livingston's ability to contend for game minutes. Livingston's last action was a 12-minute Dec. 6 stint against Oklahoma City. He appeared stiff-legged in his appearances with reduced mobility.

Since signing Livingston, the Heat had spoken of a long-term approach, of how the No. 4 overall selection in the 2004 NBA Draft could provide a nucleus of the future at point guard alongside 2008 second-round pick Mario Chalmers. The Heat also has Marcus Banks and Chris Quinn under guaranteed contracts at point guard.

Once Livingston clears the 48-hour waiver period, the Heat could re-sign the 23-year-old to up to two 10-day contracts without impacting its luxury-tax position.

"No, that wasn't a showcase."

Those were the words of Sacramento Kings coach Kenny Natt, though it should be noted that Natt emitted a hearty belly laugh before providing that answer when the subject was raised whether Kenny Thomas had been showcased in Monday night's 98-90 loss to the New Jersey Nets.

But since Thomas sightings are about as rare as full solar eclipses, and with the 6-foot-7 forward logging 24 minutes -- playing the entire second and fourth quarters -- the showcasing radar was on full tilt.

"It felt weird," said Thomas, who converted his only field goal attempt, thereby making it onto the scoreboard for the first time since Dec. 14, 2007. "I've always had good relationship with Kenny Natt, and right now he's trying to find something that'll click."

Asked whether he felt he was being showcased, Thomas replied: "I don't know, to be honest. I can't look at it like that. Maybe they are, maybe they're not. There have been times when teams have tried to call, from my understanding, but I really don't know what [the Kings] are thinking.

"I haven't played in a year, so I was just happy to play."

In terms of getting the most bang for the buck, Thomas might be the absolute worst value in the NBA. In the next-to-last year of a seven-year, $49 million contract he signed with Philadelphia before being shipped to Sacramento in the Chris Webber trade, Thomas is earning $8.6 million this season and will make $8.8 next season.

Sacramento general manager Geoff Petrie has repeatedly tried to include Thomas in deals he has discussed over the past three seasons with various NBA teams, but Thomas' contract was always a deal-breaker.

But is that still the case?

With Brad Miller considered the most obtainable player on the Kings roster (he makes $11.3M this season and $12.2M next season), it would be reasonable to believe that Petrie might be trying to move Miller and Thomas as a package.