Shawne Williams, a first-round NBA draft pick in 2006, was arrested on drug charges late Thursday after an officer patrolling a parking lot at a suburban Memphis mall smelled marijuana coming from a car, authorities said.
The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal reports the officer asked Williams to get out of a Porsche. Police reported finding a partially smoked marijuana cigar, another blunt and a bottle of codeine cough syrup not prescribed to Williams.
Online jail records show Williams, 26 was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, deliver or sell. The newspaper reports that he was not charged with cocaine possession, as was originally reported due to a clerical error in a Shelby County Jail database.
Online records indicate he was released on bond Friday. He has a Monday court appearance.
Williams was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 2006 after spending a season at Memphis. He has played 215 career games, including 25 with the then-New Jersey Nets last season.
Shawne Williams, ex-NBA player, arrested on drug charges
As their 18-5 record would lead you to believe, the New York Knicks are serious about bringing a championship to Manhattan in 2013. General manager Glen Grunwald made a series of widely criticized moves last summer that catapulted the roster's mean age from 26.9 in 2011-12 to 32.1 in just one offseason.
While retaining the core of Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, the Knicks shed plenty of young talent in favor of aging but experienced veterans, carrying out a decidedly "win-now" strategy. Out were Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields and Josh Harrellson; enter Ray Felton, Jason Kidd and Rasheed Wallace.
The team has smoked the majority of the Eastern Conference, including two 20-point thrashings of the Miami Heat. Led by incredible ball movement, Mike Woodson's offense just barely trumps that of the Heat in points per game for the East lead. New York scores at a rate of 103.2 per contest, compared to Miami's 103.1.
The defense hasn't been as effective early on, as the team is 13th league-wide in defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions). But with only five losses on the board, it's not exactly a cause for concern just yet.
With great success, however, comes great expectations. Through the season's first quarter, there's been no shortage of NBA analysts who are convinced that New York is finally for real.
Let's run through some of the names that are responsible for hyping the Knicks through the ceiling (with good reason) early on.
5 NBA Sources Who Are Buying the NY Knicks' Contender Status | Bleacher Report
Jim Cavan, KnickerBlogger: Fiction. Hanging 38 on the Lakers might seem an NBA lifetime ago, but let's not forget that Jeremy Lin is 24 years old. Assuming he can still improve and become a productive player on a playoff-caliber team, there should be ample opportunity for Lin to show that those halcyon Garden days merely sparked, rather than defined, his unique story.
Danny Chau, Hardwood Paroxysm: Fact. In any other context for any other person, it'd be foolish to declare a two-month span at age 23 to be the peak of anything. His ascent was so remarkable, and so much had to go wrong for the phenomenon to go right, the idea that Lin might be able to recreate or surpass that moment in time is unfathomable.
Danny Nowell, Portland Roundball Society: Fiction. Lin had what will likely be his best stretch of scoring games, and the effect was magnified because of the New York market, but I feel confident he'll contribute to postseason wins some day -- a trade I'm sure he'll be happy with.
Michael Pina, Red94: Faction. While a repeat of last year's magical run seems impossible, he's still only 24 years old, with fewer than 50 career starts under his belt. There's no reason to believe he won't replicate the efficiency and statistical production we saw in New York last season (see: Lin's 38-point outburst against San Antonio last week), but the chances of him ever doing it on a larger stage feel slim to none.
Brian Windhorst, ESPN.com: Fiction. He's way too young to say that. Now, if you say interest in his career peaked in New York, that I can go along with. Timing, they say, is everything, and it seemed to me that he happened to catch perhaps the hottest streak of his life at a time when there was a massive amount of attention on him. It's made him millions, and also set an impossible standard.
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2. Fact or Fiction: Raymond Felton is better than Lin.
Cavan: Fact. As someone with skin in saying otherwise, it's time all of Knicks Knation come to terms with Felton being the better fit for New York's win-now model. Ray's solid perimeter D, ability to get to the rim and fast-blossoming chemistry with Tyson Chandler are pretty much where the Knicks need them to be.
Chau: Fact, though player comparisons like these rely on circumstance. Felton, as motivated as he's been since his last stint in New York, is a perfect fit for the framework in play for the Knicks. In that sense, he is better than Lin, who is still finding his way on a team he can't truly call his own.
Nowell: Fiction. Felton's not as bad as many Portland fans would believe, but for whatever renaissance he might be enjoying after last season's catastrophe, he's still got 375 points on 372 shots this season. Lin's the better player.
Pina: Fact. Based on almost every statistical metric used to measure a basketball player's offensive impact, Felton is blatantly outplaying Lin right now. He's also leading one of basketball's finest offenses with confidence and sound decision-making -- so much so that it almost feels like those disappointing career detours to Denver and Portland never happened.
Windhorst: Fact. He's a more polished and experienced point guard. It isn't totally fair to compare point guards when one of them has eight years of experience and one of them basically has a year of experience. Down the line, Lin could develop his skills more and get a better handle on the position. Today, however, that is not the case.
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3. Fact or Fiction: Lin should come off the bench for Houston.
Cavan: Fiction. Given Houston's dearth of backcourt depth, it's tempting to see James Harden and Lin's somewhat duplicative skill set as reason to spread the offensive capital across lineups. The time may soon come to roll the dice -- and perhaps risk PR backlash -- by moving Lin to the bench, but 23 games does not a two-man machine make. I still think they can make it work.
Chau: Faction. Obviously Lin is most effective when given complete control over the offense, which would only happen when he isn't splitting duties with Harden. Bringing Lin off the bench is a chance to recapture some of last season's magic in stints, but as a cornerstone of a young team, it might be wiser to let him work out the kinks.
Nowell: Fact. Eventually. On a team whose best player is Harden, Lin is an ideal third guard and frequent closer, because his ability as a ball-dominant scorer better supports that arrangement. For now, Lin is the rightful starter, but I believe the idealized version of these Rockets would feature Lin coming off the bench.
Pina: Fiction. The Rockets play better when Lin is on the bench, but at this point, all sitting him will do is stunt development and damage his trade value. Houston has no shot at a championship this season, and benching an $8 million player in the first year of his contract wouldn't foreshadow a successful future for either party.
Windhorst: Fiction. The reason this question is being asked, I would assume, is because the stats show that Lin and Harden are better when they are not playing together. When the Rockets signed Lin, they had no idea they'd be getting Harden, and both players do seem to need to dominate the ball to be effective. They may eventually have to go in this direction, or even trade Lin (though I'm sure those things are on the back burner). But for now, I think they need to give them a little more time.
4. Fact or Fiction: The Rockets will make the playoffs.
Cavan: Fiction. They'll be in the hunt, but there are simply too many pleasant surprises (Timberwolves, Warriors) and potential turnarounds (Lakers, Mavericks) in the middle of the Western pack for Houston -- the Association's youngest team -- to have anything better than an outside shot. Make no mistake, though: This is a team with the requisite foundational tools for success. It just mi
Lin's first trip back to New York since signing with the Houston Rockets resulted in MSG Network's highest-rated Knicks game of the season, according to the network.
The Rockets' 109-96 victory Monday drew a 4.77 rating, MSG said Tuesday. That's well above the 3.41 average rating for the first 18 games of the season.
Lin had 22 points and eight assists. The undrafted guard from Harvard helped the Knicks earn huge ratings locally and in Asia last season during his memorable first few weeks as a starting point.
Lin's return produces highest-rated Knicks game | NBA-com
Thomas will make his debut as a studio analyst for NBA TV on Friday, during a pregame show at 7 p.m. He will not be a regular contributor but will make several appearances a month on the network and will contribute to NBA-com, according to a statement.
The hiring brings an informal end to Thomas’s four-and-a-half-year absence from the N.B.A. after his dismissal by the Knicks in 2008. It is the longest he has been out of the league since he was drafted in 1981.
From 1994, when he retired as a player, through 2008, Thomas stayed attached to the N.B.A. as either a team executive, a coach or a television commentator, with a two-year break to run the Continental Basketball Association from 1998 to 2000.
The Knicks fired Thomas as president and coach in the spring of 2008 after a disastrous four-and-a-half-year tenure. The owner, James L. Dolan, tried to rehire Thomas as a consultant in 2010, but the N.B.A. nullified the deal because Thomas was coaching at Florida International University. The university fired him in April.
On a night when the Denver Nuggets took down Portland's short-lived NBA record for 3-point futility, the Trail Blazers survived.
The Nuggets went 0-for-22 from beyond the 3-point arc, shattering the mark the Blazers set 10 days earlier when they finished 0-for-20 in a win over Toronto.
Even so, Denver pushed Portland to the wire before falling 101-93 Thursday at the Rose Garden.
Nicolas Batum scored 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, and Portland (12-12) held off a Denver rally to record its fourth straight win, all in the midst of a six-game homestand.
The Blazers prevailed despite shooting 35.9 percent from the field and losing the battle in rebounds (59-50), points in the paint (74-28) and fast-break points (31-7).
"Weird. Ugly," Batum said, offering a description of the game. "We got the job done, but it was ... interesting tonight."
"Sometimes you throw the stats out," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "It's not how well we play, but how we play."
Portland -- which led the entire way -- played hard, if not always effectively. J.J. Hickson collected 18 points and 18 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double and 14th of the season. The Blazers also got 20 points from Wesley Matthews, plus 12 points and 10 assists from rookie point guard Damian Lillard.
The Blazers enjoyed a 42-point advantage in 3-point shots, making 14 of 36 from long distance.
"The best thing about tonight was (the Nuggets) beat our record of 0-for-20," Batum said with a smile. "We're almost as happy about that as the win itself."
Andre Iguodala was 0-for-6, Ty Lawson 0-for-4 and Corey Brewer and Jordan Hamilton 0-for-3 apiece from beyond the arc for the Nuggets. Leading scorer Danilo Gallinari was 0-for-2 on 3-point tries and 1-for-10 overall, scoring six points in 27 minutes.
"If you make 3s, it's a different game -- a totally different game," Denver coach George Karl said. "I don't think anybody took a bad 3. ... If you're going to have that line out there, you have to use it. ... You need to shoot around 33 percent, and we were far from that tonight."
Portland got the win without the services of its top scorer, LaMarcus Aldridge. The All-Star power forward sat out the game after spraining his ankle in Monday's 95-94 win over New Orleans.
"We all took it upon ourselves individually to step up -- not to do anything out of the ordinary, but just do a little bit more and it'll make up for (Aldridge) not playing," Hickson said. "We did a great job of that."
Iguodala, Lawson and Brewer scored 13 points apiece, and Andre Miller came off the bench to contribute 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Denver (14-13), which saw its three-game winning streak end.
Denver shot 38.8 percent from the field and made only one basket from outside the paint -- believed to be an NBA record, too.
"We played through a lot of misery," Karl said. "The rhythm of the game was not in our favor, and our guys seemed to be worn out a little bit."
The Nuggets trimmed what was an 18-point deficit in the second quarter to 78-75 with 6:16 remaining.
Then Lillard -- 1-for-11 from the field at that point -- drained a 3-pointer. After a Javale McGee dunk at the other end, Batum sank another trey to make it 84-79. Miller's driving layup cut the Blazers' advantage to 84-81 with four minutes to play.
Portland's edge was 87-83 with three minutes to play, but the Blazers scored the next six points -- four of them by Batum -- to seal the verdict.
Luke Babbitt came off the bench to play a key role for the Blazers. The third-year forward notched season highs in points (14) and rebounds (eight), sinking four of seven from 3-point range before fouling out late in the game with his third straight game scoring in double digits.
"His ability to make shots gives us an extra dimension," Stotts said. "Denver went small a lot, so it was a game where Luke was able to have an impact. With (Aldridge) being out, that's 38 minutes somebody was going to get, and Luke took advantage of it."
Portland led 50-40 at halftime despite both teams shooting 37.5 percent from the field. The difference: The Blazers were 7-for-16 from 3-point range, the Nuggets 0-for-8.
Hickson had 12 points and nine rebounds at the break, but Lillard -- who finished 3-for-14 -- was 0 for 6 from the field through intermission.
NOTES: Matthews, who missed all but 3 1/2 minutes of the last three games with a hip injury, was back in the Blazers' starting lineup. ... Karl has 49 wins as a head coach against the Trail Blazers -- more than any other active coach. Karl, seventh on the NBA career list with 1,088 wins, is still feeling the effects of a flu bug that hit the Nuggets the last week. "I'm feeling better, but I'm still not 100 percent," Karl said before the game, adding with a smile, "Hopefully my voice will last. (The players) probably hope it won't last."
Nuggets set NBA record with 0-for-22 3-point shooting - Yahoo! Sports
Being selected by the fans as an NBA All-Star Game starter is certainly a nice honor, even if the voting process doesn't always result in the right selections.
So, how will the fans do during the 2012-13 season? Who will be the 10 starters? Will there be any new names announced in Houston as first-time All-Stars?
I'll give you a hint: You're not going to agree with everything here if you're basing the selections solely on merit.
That's an important concept to be aware of going in. These are not based on who actually deserves the 10 spots, but rather who the fans will vote into them.
Let's read on and find out who we're choosing. Early Predictions for the NBA All-Star Game Starters | Bleacher Report
Steve Nash sliced through the lane, broke down the defense, and created shots for Kobe Bryant time and again, just the way he has for teammates throughout his brilliant 17-year NBA career.
So much for an adjustment period.
Bryant had 34 points and 10 rebounds, Nash finished with 12 points and nine assists in his first game in almost two months, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Golden State Warriors 118-115 in overtime on Saturday night.
``It's easy. It's very easy. It's beyond easy,'' Bryant said about playing with Nash, who had missed 24 straight games while recovering from a small fracture in his lower left leg. ``You put two guys together who can do opposite things and it fits extremely well. When I get a rebound, I look to get the ball in his hands because I know I will be getting an easy shot.''
While defense remains an issue for the Lakers, the offense had no problems in Nash's return.
Metta World Peace and Nash each made a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minutes of regulation before the Warriors came back. World Peace scored 20 points, and Nash converted a step-back shot for the final basket in overtime to lift Los Angeles to its fourth straight victory.
This one had 20 lead changes, eight ties, and a sellout crowd of 19,596 cheering every possession as if it was the last one.
``To play 40 minutes after seven weeks was more than I could ask for,'' Nash said. ``I felt in a decent rhythm. I feel positive about it. We'll see (Sunday). I'll have to keep working on it. I know it will be sore and painful but I'm used to that.''
As well as the Lakers looked at times, the Warriors seemingly had the game in their hands.
Jarrett Jack scored 29 points and David Lee had 20 points and 11 rebounds in a disappointing collapse for Golden State, which had won 11 of 14 to get off to its best start in 20 years. As so often has happened in this one-sided California rivalry, though, the Lakers took over when it mattered most.
``This will not put a damper on our Christmas spirits,'' Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. ``We're excited about where we're at, and we're excited about where we're headed.''
For the first time in a long time, the Lakers and Warriors share that sentiment.
The 38-year-old Nash was injured in the second game of the season, the former Phoenix star's first with the Lakers, who have struggled for most of this season without their point guard. Nash showed no signs of rust throughout the game, and not in the crucial moments, either.
Nash's 3-pointer gave the Lakers a 103-102 lead with a little less than 2 minutes left in regulation. Festus Ezeli answered with an alley-oop from Jack to put the Warriors back ahead, only to watch Bryant swish a pull-up jumper from 20 feet on the other end.
After Lee's jumper gave Golden State the lead again, World Peace made a corner 3 to put Los Angeles ahead 108-106 with 24.1 seconds remaining. Jack followed with a tying, step-back shot, and the Lakers took over with 14.9 seconds left before Bryant missed a jumper over two defenders at the buzzer.
Bryant made three quick jumpers in overtime, including a fadeaway that left him pumping his fist near the Warriors bench, to put Los Angeles ahead by four. He sank 16 of 41 shots and has scored at least 30 points in eight straight games.
After Stephen Curry's 3-pointer trimmed the Lakers' lead to one, Nash's step-back shot in the paint over Curry extended Los Angeles' cushion again. Curry missed a potential tying 3-pointer before Los Angeles grabbed the rebound - and the game.
``The guy is a winner,'' Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said of Nash, who he also coached with the Suns. ``There was a difference before the game. He changes everything. He changes the whole perspective.''
The Lakers handed Golden State its most lopsided-loss of the season on Nov. 9, a 101-77 rout in Los Angeles. In the past two months, the Lakers had continued to slide while the Warriors had become surprising winners.
The matchup Saturday marked the first time the Warriors faced the Lakers with a better record through at least 25 games since April 23, 1994.
D'Antoni said before the game that Nash's return could be a fresh start for the franchise, especially with more difficult matchups looming, including one against the New York Knicks (19-7) on Christmas. He said the lineup with Nash is what he envisioned when the Lakers called him in November to replace Mike Brown, who was fired after a 1-4 start to his second season.
With Nash anchoring D'Antoni's fast-paced system, the Lakers had no problem settling in offensively.
They scored 15 points off 10 turnovers in the opening quarter to take a 31-27 lead. Dwight Howard was in foul trouble throughout, and the center's absence hurt Los Angeles on the other end, with the Warriors moving in and around the paint almost unchallenged.
At one point, Jack juked Nash and every other defender Los Angeles threw his way. He scored 15 points in the second quarter, sparking a 14-0 run that helped put Golden State ahead 61-53 at halftime.
The up-and-down pace had everybody winded. Curry had to ask Jackson to come out for a moment in the third quarter as Golden State played its fourth game in five nights. After a brief rest, Curry keyed another surge to give the Warriors an 88-74 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Bryant practically willed the Lakers back by himself - with Nash's help, this time - as he has done so often in his illustrious career. He finished an alley-oop from Nash on the next play with two hands, sliced Golden State's lead to 90-88 when he dunked after a give-and-go bounce pass from Howard midway through the fourth, and tied the game at 95 with a 3-pointer in the face of Harrison Barnes minutes later to set up the frantic finish.
``It was the collective energy we're playing with, and that's the most important thing,'' Bryant said, ``the fact we're fighting togethe
Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez has mapped out his day on Christmas. He will wake up – not time for presents yet – and begin preparing for the Nets' noon ET game against the Boston Celtics.
Afterward, he will return home and join his brother Chris, who lives with him, for Christmas dinner and gift opening. Their mom, Deborah Ledford, sent a package of wrapped gifts, and Lopez claims he has not opened a gift prematurely.
"I've been a good boy," Lopez said.
And just as much as he is looking forward to presents from the family, he is excited about working on Christmas Day.
"Growing up, we always watched Christmas Day games. It was a big day for us," said Lopez, whose twin brother Robin plays for the New Orleans Hornets. "To finally get a chance to be a part of it, it's really special for me."
In the NBA's second season, 1947, the New York Knicks beat the Providence Steamrollers at Madison Square Garden 89–75 on Christmas Day and a tradition was born.
With the exception of the lockout season of 1998, the NBA has been as much a part of Christmas as Santa Claus. And with no college bowl games on Christmas – there hasn't been a Christmas bowl game since 2003 – NBA games have become the premier sporting events to watch that day, save for the occasional NFL games.
Players mostly buy into Christmas games because of the significant exposure and cachet.
"Christmas Day was special because everybody is watching at home," ABC/ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer Magic Johnson said. "That's what I loved about Christmas Day because it shined the spotlight on the Lakers, on our team, and we knew that all of the other leagues were at home and millions of people were watching. So it made it a special day to play on Christmas."
In the early days, games were televised locally and began receiving national TV exposure in the late 1960s. But the NBA really made Christmas its version of the NFL and Thanksgiving in the past 30 years when the league's TV partners made Christmas games a major part of its programming. It didn't hurt when New York Knicks forward Bernard King scored 60 points against the New Jersey Nets on Dec. 25, 1984. And folks are still watching.
The NBA generally draws some of its highest TV ratings for Christmas games. Last year, the Chicago Bulls vs. the Los Angeles Lakers drew 6.5% of U.S. households, ABC's third-highest-rated regular-season game ever. And the Boston Celtics vs. the New York Knicks on TNT drew 4% of U.S. households, the highest-ever rating for an NBA regular-season game on cable TV and more than double the network's regular-season average.
Johnson said Christmas games never created a family issue. If it were a home game, he would exchange gifts with family and friends the day before and if it were road game, after he returned.
Over the years, some players and coaches have complained about playing on Christmas. Former Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said the NBA fined the Magic for his anti-NBA on Christmas Day comments in 2009, and former Lakers coach Phil Jackson once said games shouldn't be played on Christmas.
Lakers guard Steve Nash understands both sides – as the father of three children and a pro basketball player who makes a considerable salary.
"I make the most of it. I look forward to it," said Nash who had 24 points and 14 assists on Dec. 25, 2007. "Of course it throws a wrench in everything, but it's still a great opportunity to play the game we love."
Nuggets coach George Karl, whose team will play the game on the road Tuesday, was wistful.
"I like it, except I don't like doing it every year," he said. "I think now it's three years in a row. (actually three times in fours seasons)… You know, there's a part of me where I'm getting old and I'm more into the nostalgia about being with my family and hanging out. I'm not saying it's one way or another."
Lakers forward Metta World Peace said his youngest daughter, Diamond, doesn't like it when he isn't around for the holiday.
"I just buy presents and I'm never home, so I totally forget about Christmas to be honest," he said.
But leave it to World Peace to find joy in the season.
"I love Christmas music – I do. I love Christmas music," he said. "Like I love when it's like Nov. 28 and you hear that first Christmas song. That's the best feeling ever. I enjoy the whole time, but I know I'm not going to be there on Christmas."
In their first matchup since June, the Heat once again proved to be too much for the Thunder to handle.
Behind 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds from LeBron James, the Miami Heat outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder, 103-97, in a rematch of last season's NBA Finals.
Dwyane Wade chipped in 21 points and Mario Chalmers poured in 20 for the Heat, who captured their fifth straight win.
"Regardless of what our script is coming into the game, when you play this team, its not going to go according to script," said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. "They are too good, they make great plays and keep coming at you. At the end of the day, you just have to find a way."
After having their 12-game win streak snapped by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, the Thunder have now dropped two in a row.
"We fight and we play through everything, and that's what we did tonight," said Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks. "I'm proud of our guys, we put ourselves in position to give us a chance with our good execution."
Kevin Durant paced Oklahoma City with 33 points and seven rebounds while Russell Westbrook posted 21 points and 11 boards for the Thunder, who dropped their fifth straight contest to the Heat dating back to the 2012 NBA Finals.
The Heat defeated the Thunder in five games during last season's championship round.
Oklahoma City came out slow and fell behind 15-3 just over four minutes in, but rallied late in the opening period to pull within 27-24 by quarters end.
James scored 19 of his points in the first half -- with 13 of them coming in the second quarter on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field -- to help Miami out to a 54-48 halftime advantage.
After scoring just eight points over the first two quarters, Durant came alive in the third.
He scored 11 during the period and gave the Thunder their first lead of the game at the 7:05 mark, when he drew a foul and drained a jumper while falling out of bounds. He completed the three-point play to cap a 10-0 run and put Oklahoma City on top 58-56.
From there, the lead changed hands nine times in the third, but James sank a pair of free throws with 21.5 ticks left to send the Heat into the final stanza with a 74-72 advantage.
Durant hit two from the line to tie the game at 79-79, but Chalmers knocked down back-to-back shots, including his fourth triple of the game, to cap a 7-0 spurt for the Heat.
Oklahoma City continued to chip away and Durant pulled them within one at 96-95 after splitting a pair from the line and capitalizing off a Wade turnover with a dunk at the other end.
However, James was able to find an open Chris Bosh underneath the basket for an uncontested dunk, giving the Heat a 98-95 edge with 25.5 seconds remaining.
Durant answered with a foul line jumper to bring the Thunder back to within one, but after a pair of Ray Allen free throws, he and Westbrook both misfired on triples to tie the game, sealing the win for the Heat.
Game Notes
Dating back to their days in Seattle, the Oklahoma City Thunder fell to 2-12 in Christmas day contests and 0-10 when they play as the visiting team ... In their last nine regular season contests, the Heat have been victorious five times ... Heat forward Mike Miller scored six points and eclipsed the 10,000- point plateau for his career in the second quarter ... James has scored at least 20 points in each of the Heat's first 25 games this season.
Read more: James, Heat best Thunder in NBA Finals rematch | Fox News
Corey Brewer came off the bench and drained six three-pointers Wednesday as the Denver Nuggets defeated Los Angeles 126-114 and snapped the Lakers' NBA winning streak at five games.
Brewer led the Nuggets with 27 points. Kenneth Faried added 21 points and 15 rebounds and Ty Lawson chipped in 17 points and 14 assists for the Nuggets, who bounced back from a 112-100 Christmas Day loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
To do so, the Nuggets had to overcome 40 points from Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. Pau Gasol added 19 points for the Lakers - who were coming off a 100-94 victory over the New York Knicks in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Dwight Howard scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Lakers before he was ejected in the third quarter when he was whistled for a flagrant foul after making contact with the head of a driving Faried.
Howard clearly felt the ejection was an over-reaction.
"It was a hard foul, that's all I know," Howard said. "I've been fouled harder than that before and nobody ever got kicked out of the game for it, but I get penalized for fouling people hard."
Leading by just one point early in the second half, Denver used a 14-2 scoring run to establish a double-digit lead.
Faried's three-point play sparked the surge, and Danilo Gallinari capped it with a three-pointer that made it 73-60 with 7:51 remaining in the third quarter.
Gallinari finished the game with 19 points and Andre Iguodala added 17 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals for Denver.
The Lakers answered with a 12-5 run to trim the deficit to six points, but Howard's ejection inspired Denver to a 6-0 spurt.
The Lakers pulled within four points late in the third, but Denver scored the final five points of the period - including Brewer's three-pointer as the quarter ended - to take a 96-87 lead into the fourth.
Brewer drained another three-pointer early in the fourth to stretch Denver's lead to 14 points, and the Lakers didn't get closer than seven the rest of the way as Denver posted their seventh straight win at home.
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni was reluctant to call the defeat a setback for a team that had point guard Steve Nash back for just the third game since he missed 24 contests with a broken leg.
But Gasol, who was sidelined himself for several games with tendinitis in his knees, admitted the loss was "a little bit of a setback" for a Lakers team that had appeared to be rounding into form after the slow start to the season that lead to the departure of former coach Mike Brown.
"We've got to think about the next one, which is Portland on Friday, and go from there," Gasol said. "We have to analyze our losses and understand why it happened so we can prevent it from happening again."
In 2012, some NBA players reached heights they will never reach again.
Careers inevitably decline. It's sometimes due to injuries, sometimes due to team situations and sometimes just due to age.
The five players featured in this slideshow have all gone downhill since the end of the 2012 season for one of those three reasons or a combination of the factors.
Lakers fans will not be pleased to see that two of the big four on their team made it into this slide show, while Dallas Mavericks fans may have seen the decline of their marquee talent coming for quite some time now.
Read More: 5 NBA Stars Who Peaked in 2012 | Bleacher Report
LeBron James has been chosen USA Basketball's male athlete of the year for 2012 after equaling Michael Jordan's feat while leading the Americans to a gold medal.
James was also the NBA's MVP and NBA Finals MVP in helping the Miami Heat win the championship. Jordan is the only other player to accomplish that in a calendar year, winning the NBA title, both MVP awards and Olympic gold in 1992.
James averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and a team-high 5.6 assists for the Americans in London, where he became one of three U.S. men to compete in three Olympics. He also won gold in 2008 and bronze in 2004.
U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski says Wednesday in a statement that James was "the central figure on this team," calling him "our leader, our best player, our playmaker."
James wins men's USA Basketball award for 2012 | NBA-com
Buy your tickets for Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks at The o2 Arena from Tickets on Seatwave | Concerts, Theatre & Sport 100% Guaranteed This year sees the Detroit Pistons match up against the New York Knicks for what is becoming an annual regular season game at The o2 Arena on January 17th.
Three-time NBA champions Detroit Pistons and the two-time champions New York Knicks are packed with stars. The Knicks are led by Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler with the younger Pistons headed up by Brandon Knight and Greg Monroe. Don’t miss your chance to see these stars and more up close at this great event.
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Ty Lawson had 21 points and 10 assists, Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points and hit a big 3-pointer with 13.8 seconds left, and the visiting Denver Nuggets beat the struggling Los Angeles Lakers 112-105 Sunday night for their fifth win in seven games.
JaVale McGee scored 17 points for the Nuggets, who showed no signs of weariness after a home win over Utah one night earlier. Despite two last-minute 3-pointers by Kobe Bryant, Denver maintained a lead throughout the fourth quarter of its second win in 12 days over the Lakers.
Bryant scored 29 points and Dwight Howard had 14 points and a career-high-tying 26 rebounds for the Lakers, who have lost three straight and four of five.
Los Angeles' star-studded roster dropped to 15-18 with another mediocre performance featuring 18 turnovers, intermittent defense and little structured offense down the stretch.
Grizzlies 92, Suns 81: Zach Randolph scored 21 points and Rudy Gay added 20 to lead Memphis past host Phoenix.
"Zach got going in the post and so we had a few options to run with," said Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins. "It was a solid win."
Randolph had been dominant in the team's first two meetings, averaging 16 rebounds and 28 points on 66.7 percent shooting. Though his numbers were slightly lower this time around -- he had only eight rebounds, none on the offensive end -- they were more than enough.
"It was a good game for us from both ends," Randolph said. "We got stops, and everybody chipped in."
The Grizzlies, who have won three of their last five games, visit the Warriors on Wednesday night.
Phoenix has lost eight of nine and 15 of 20.
"We're in a bad spot right now," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. "Number one, we've got to stay together. We can't fragment right now. That's the easiest thing to do."
Thunder 104, Raptors 92: Russell Westbrook scored 23 points, Kevin Durant had 22 and Oklahoma City beat host Toronto. Serge Ibaka had 19 points and eight rebounds and Kevin Martin scored 16 as the Thunder enjoyed a winning start to a stretch that sees them play 11 of 13 on the road.
Oklahoma City came in having played an NBA-low 12 road games this season and improved to 9-4 as visitors.
Heat 99, Wizards 71: LeBron James scored 24 points and host Miami had a rebounding edge for a change to beat woeful Washington.
The Heat, beaten on the boards by a total of 38 rebounds over the previous three games, this time enjoyed a 50-39 advantage. Miami scored the game's final 21 points and held Washington scoreless over the last 7:07.
Bobcats 108, Pistons 101: Kemba Walker had 20 points and seven assists, Ben Gordon scored 18 points and Charlotte beat host Detroit in overtime for just its second win in 21 games. Ramon Sessions added 15 points and Bismack Biyombo had 10 points and 17 rebounds for the Bobcats.
Rockets: The team suspended first-round pick Royce White without pay for "refusing to provide services" required by his contract. General manager Daryl Morey said the Rockets will continue to work with White in hopes of finding a resolution.
White refused his assignment to Houston's D-League affiliate a week ago. The 16th overall pick in the June draft, White has spent most of the season on Houston's inactive list while he and the team figure out how to handle his anxiety disorder and overall mental health.
NBA: Denver Nuggets hand Los Angeles Lakers their fourth loss in five games - San Jose Mercury News
Bradley Beal didn't have a plan. What he had was a good move.
Beal made a jumper with 0.3 seconds left Monday night, lifting the short-handed Washington Wizards to a 101-99 win over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder, which missed 16 straight shots at one stretch.
Beal used a pump fake to get open for the 16-footer that gave the Wizards (5-28) their second win this season over last year's NBA finalists.
"I didn't know what I was going to do to be honest with you," Beal said. "Coach just said go make a play."
Once Beal sent the Thunder (26-8) to the showers, its players were doused with cold water in the away arena.
The Wizards, playing without their top two scorers, had lost 13 of their previous 14, but they also beat the Miami Heat earlier in the season. Beal and Martell Webster led Washington with 22 points each.
"We let them stick around, because we're not taking them serious enough," said the Thunder's Kevin Durant, who scored 29 points. "We can't do that, man. We can't do that."
Nene (right knee tendinitis) and Jordan Crawford (sore left ankle) missed the game with injuries for the Wizards. With John Wall, Trevor Booker and Cartier Martin also out, Washington had just nine players available.
Said Thunder coach Scott Brooks: "Truthfully, there is no way around it. The better team tonight won."
Hornets 95, Spurs 88: Eric Gordon scored six straight points in a key fourth-quarter spurt and had 24 overall to lead host New Orleans over San Antonio.
Anthony Davis added 17 points, Greivis Vasquez 14 and Ryan Anderson 13 for the Hornets, who have won two consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 2-3.
Manu Ginobili scored 21 points to lead the Spurs, who had won eight of their previous nine, dating to a 99-94 home victory over the Hornets on Dec. 21.
Celtics 102, Knicks 96: Paul Pierce scored 23 points, and Boston beat host New York in a heated first meeting of the season between the Atlantic Division rivals.
Kevin Garnett added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who even without the suspended Rajon Rondo won their third straight and finally are playing like the team that has ruled the division for the last half-decade.
The Knicks' Carmelo Anthony had 20 points but shot 6 of 26 while battling his temper, Garnett and foul trouble. J.R. Smith led the Knicks with 24 points.
Rondo was suspended Monday for making contact with a referee in a game against Atlanta on Saturday and failure to cooperate with an NBA investigation.
Jazz 100, Mavericks 94: Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 27 points, including four 3-pointers, and Utah defeated Dallas in Salt Lake City.
Lakers: Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill all will miss Los Angeles' upcoming trip with injuries, leaving the struggling club without its top three big men indefinitely.
Howard has a torn labrum in his right shoulder, and Gasol has a concussion after taking an elbow in the face late in Sunday night's loss to Denver. Hill has a right hip injury.
Pacers: Indiana has signed coach Frank Vogel to a contract extension. Terms were not disclosed.
Timberwolves: Minnesota forward Kevin Love met with doctors in the Twin Cities to evaluate his right hand, which is broken for the second time this season. Love also will consult with a hand specialist in New York this week before determining a course of action, president of basketball operations David Kahn said. There is no timetable for his return.
Hawks: General manager Danny Ferry has been fined $15,000 by the NBA for inappropriate interaction with game officials after Saturday night's game against Boston.
NBA: Washington Wizards shock Oklahoma City Thunder - San Jose Mercury News
Steve Nash accomplished one of his most impressive individual feats while in the midst of one of the most frustrating stretches of his 17-year career.
Nash became just the fifth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career assists Tuesday, reaching the milestone late in the first half of the Los Angeles Lakers' 125-112 loss to the Houston Rockets.
"If I take a step back, it's another example of a fairy-tale career but it's really hard to enjoy it right now," Nash said following the Lakers' fourth straight loss, which dropped their overall record to 15-19. "I don't want to discredit it, I don't want to not appreciate the company I share in this milestone. But right now, that's the farthest thing from my mind. I'm just trying to find a way to win one game."
The 38-year-old Nash also admitted that he has seriously considered the possibility that the Lakers, despite all their preseason hype and championship aspirations, may not even make the playoffs this season.
"That motivates me every day," Nash said. "There's no guarantee (that the Lakers make the playoffs). I think three or four weeks ago people would have said, 'Ah, it will get better.' Now I definitely don't think there's a guarantee it will, so the only remedy is continue to work hard and give yourself a chance for it to get better.
"I obviously think with time, and that might mean through the summer, we can get better. But for this season, it's definitely going to be a challenge to turn this around. ... We got a number of things we got to try to improve on to get better, but one thing that we can't accept is to take our foot off the gas and accept things. We got to continue to fight."
Kobe Bryant, who entered the NBA in the same 1996 draft class as Nash, can commiserate.
"We were walking around at shootaround and we just kind of looked at each other and I said to him, 'We thought it was going to be easier this year for once,'" Bryant said with a laugh.
Bryant refused to succumb to the circumstances, however.
"(Nash) is a little more reasonable than I am," Bryant said. "That's how we kind of bounce off of each other. I'm as stubborn as a mule. I'm going to keep driving this thing forward and so is he, but he tends to have more perspective than I do."
Bryant, who last month became just the fifth player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points, still took time to reflect on Nash's accomplishment despite the Lakers' predicament.
"That's incredible," Bryant said. "You should kind of step back and look at the big picture of what he's done. What, five players have done that? That's amazing to come where he's come from and to be able to accomplish that. You can't lose sight of what that number means." Bryant later tweeted, "I have to step outside of this frustration and say congrats to @SteveNash 10,000. Amazing accomplishment Wish we could have gotten u the W."
Nash joined John Stockton (15,806), the New York Knicks' Jason Kidd (11,969 and counting), Mark Jackson (10,334) and Magic Johnson (10,141) in the exclusive club.
After the game, Nash was asked if he planned to catch any of the players ahead of him on the list.
"I'm honestly telling you, I don't know what the numbers are next," the two-time MVP said.
When informed Stockton had more than 15,000 assists, Nash replied with a smile, "So, that's no."
How about Jackson or Johnson?
"I guess I'll probably climb a couple spots then if those guys aren't playing," Nash said. "If they come out of retirement, it might make it hard on me."
Nash recorded his 10,000th assist with a pass to Antawn Jamison, who made a layup with 29.1 seconds left in the second quarter.
Jamison, who is approaching the 20,000-point milestone, was honored to be the recipient of the record-setting pass.
"That's not bad at all," Jamison said. "He's definitely a Hall of Famer and one of the best point guards to ever play, especially in my generation."
Lakers equipment manager Carlos Maples secured the game ball from Nash's historic assist and planned to present it to the point guard after the game.
What will Nash do with the ball?
"Usually my 2-year old ends up dribbling it around the house," Nash said.
Steve Nash of Los Angeles Lakers becomes fifth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career assists - ESPN Los Angeles
The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal reports the officer asked Williams to get out of a Porsche. Police reported finding a partially smoked marijuana cigar, another blunt and a bottle of codeine cough syrup not prescribed to Williams.
Online jail records show Williams, 26 was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, deliver or sell. The newspaper reports that he was not charged with cocaine possession, as was originally reported due to a clerical error in a Shelby County Jail database.
Online records indicate he was released on bond Friday. He has a Monday court appearance.
Williams was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 2006 after spending a season at Memphis. He has played 215 career games, including 25 with the then-New Jersey Nets last season.
Shawne Williams, ex-NBA player, arrested on drug charges