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In ESPN.COM, the Associated Press reports "Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas had his surgically repaired left knee drained for the second time in three weeks Wednesday and missed a third consecutive practice.”

In ESPN.COM, the Associated Press reports "Indiana Pacers forward Ike Diogu tore his left calf muscle during practice and the team expects he'll be out four to six weeks. Diogu, who started the season-opener for injured Jermaine O'Neal, averaged 13.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in the Pacers' first three wins. He hurt his calf during practice Tuesday.”

In the COMMERCIAL APPEAL, Marlon W. Morgan writes “Having grown up in Baltimore, Rudy Gay has known Kevin Durant, who hails from the Washington, D.C., area, for years. They've even played on the same summer-league teams. Over time, Gay became a big brother-type to Durant, much like Carmelo Anthony was to Gay. After Gay, 21, left for the University of Connecticut, and eventually for the NBA's Grizzlies, he wanted to make sure he would always be there for the younger Durant.”

Guildford Heat lost their first ever European match, going down 84-68 to fellow ULEB Cup debutants KK Bosna in Sarajevo.
BASKETBALL 2006-2007 ULEB Cup Guildford Heat logo - 0

The Bosnians ran out convincing winners at the Zetra Olympic Sports Hall, with six of their players scoring ten or more points.

Daniel Gilbert scored 22 for the Heat, while Brian Dux added 15 and Tony Dorsey pitched in with ten.

Bosna raced into an 18-point lead in the first quarter and, despite a fightback in the second by the Surrey side, they never looked back.

Dorsey and Gilbert sparked a surge before half time, and the game reached the midway point 47-37.

But thanks to a late eight-point run by Lance Williams, who scored 23 overall, it was the Bosnians who secured their first ever ULEB Cup win.

Group A

Siauliai 90-97 Turk Telekom

KK Bosna 84-68 Guildford Heat

DKV Joventut 79-67 Alba Berlin

Group B

FMP 89-79 Ovarense Aerosoles

Ventspils 79-87 Besiktas ColaTurka

Köln 99ers94-84. Elan Chalon

Group C

Galatasaray C. Crown 71-69 Akasvayu

Hemofarm Stada 73-71 Spirou Charleroi

CSU Asesoft 80-73 Hanzevast Capitals

Group D

Khimki 90-81 SLUC Nancy

Anwil 66-70 Azovmash Mariupol

Pamesa vs. D. Bank Skyliners to be played November 7th

Group E

Hapoel Galil Elyon 74-79 Swans Gmunden

Buducnost 66-75 Triumph Lyubertsy

Benetton Fribourg 106-102 Antwerp Giants

Group F

Panellinios GS 84-77 Telindus Oostende

CEZ Nymburk 87-94 Red Star

Dynamo Moscow 91-66 Beguelli Bologna

Group G

BC Kalev/Cramo 81-68 Panionios

Asco Slask 71-63 G. Canarias G. Dunas

Ludwigsburg 72-90 Adecco Asvel

Group H

ASK Riga 77-58 Lukoil Academic

Artland Dragons 85-74 EB Pau-Orthez

Benetton Treviso 73-77 BC Kyiv

Group I

Unics Kazan 90-87 Zadar

Hapoel Jerusalem 74-73 Strasbourg

PGE Turow 80-65 EiffelTowers

In the LOS ANGELES TIMES, Mike Bresnahan writes “Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a sophomore at UCLA when he was 20 years old, so forgive him if he drops his typically stoic nature and becomes animated when talking about his protégée.Abdul-Jabbar, now in his third season as a Lakers special assistant coach, has a two-word job description: Andrew Bynum.”

Marty Burns of CNNSI.com explains why Cleveland had no interest in Anderson Varejao’s one eyar, five million dollar offer:

But the Cavs apparently have no interest. By signing Varejao to a one-year deal now, he would have the right to walk away as an unrestricted free agent next summer and leave Cleveland with nothing to show for it. The Cavs were burned by Carlos Boozer a few years ago, and might be fearful of a repeat of that situation.

In addition, if the Cavs sign Varejao to a one-year deal, they would lose the ability to trade him this season.

My Quick Take: Win the battle, lose the war. That’s how things could shape up for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Eastern Conference champs are trying to outwait Anderson Varejao, hoping he’ll fold and sign a multi-year deal. He is a restricted free agent and an indefinite holdout won’t change his status as Cleveland’s property.

The Cavs hold all the cards. They’ll win the battle and eventually ink their pesky forward to a new contract.

LeBron James, Cleveland’s superstar, has been following negotiations. A few weeks back, he even complained publicly about Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic being unsigned.

"We are missing two key guys right now and we can’t afford to waste much time," he said. "They’re very important to our team."

Pavlovic, of course, recently scored a new contract. But the real issue is James’ future. Can the Cavaliers win the war and convince him to stay in Cleveland long-term?

In this negotiation, the shoe is very much on the other foot. James not only holds all the cards, but the game, deck, dealer, and casino are all stacked in his favor.

Following the 2009-2010 season, the King can exercise an early opt-out clause and become an unrestricted free agent. He could then sign with any NBA team. The Cavaliers would get nothing in return.

This will become an issue. Consider how Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant’s opt-out clauses have changed the NBA landscape.

James’ situation is no different. Surrounding him with a poor supporting cast could force him to bolt town. The Cavaliers must be careful. Varejao is one of James’ favorite teammates, so a prolonged negotiation would leave a bad taste in their superstar’s mouth.

Winning the battle against Varejao could contribute to losing the war for James. Is it worth it?

Should the Cavs appease James and sign Varejao long-term? Get at us in the comment below with your thoughts.

In the MIAMI HERALD, Michael Wallace writes “Heat guard Dwyane Wade has taken the final stages of his recovery on the road. Wade traveled with the Heat for Wednesday's game against the Spurs but is not expected to play, coach Pat Riley said Tuesday. Wade will work out with the team during its morning shootaround at AT&T Center, taking another step toward his return from offseason shoulder and knee surgeries.”

In THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR, Mark Montieth writes “Mike Dunleavy Jr. and his father are one of 25 father-son playing combinations in the NBA, if fathers who played in the NBL and ABA are included. They are one of just five examples of a head coach-player combination, however. Dolph Schayes, who coached Philadelphia from 1963-66 and Danny, who played 18 seasons. Before the Dunleavys, there had been just one game in NBA history where a player competed against a team coached by his father.”

In the MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE, Jerry Zgoda writes “the Timberwolves' bothersome relationship with too many turned ankles and too many personal fouls continued Tuesday night. So, too, did their season-opening losing streak, which reached three games with a 111-103 loss to Orlando at Target Center. The Wolves lost needed scorer Rashad McCants because of a sprained ankle 11 minutes into the game, never to return on the night.”

In the BOSTON GLOBE, Peter May writes “two days after the death of his father, Celtics coach Doc Rivers was back at practice yesterday. He'll be courtside tonight for the game against the Nuggets and also for Friday's game against Atlanta. In between, he said, he will try to get back to his family in Chicago before Saturday's funeral. Rivers missed the Celtics' overtime victory against Toronto Sunday. Rivers said he would charter a plane to Chicago after the Atlanta game so he can attend the funeral service.”

OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 6 (AP) -- The water-saturated stat sheet floated between LeBron James' shins as he soaked his feet in the ice bath. Lifting one swollen eyelid, he could just make out his numbers: 24 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and three big blocked shots.

Yet the most eye-popping parts of James' all-out effort in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 108-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night weren't reflected in that soggy box score.

For starters, James took an accidental blow to the face in the first quarter, but barely missed 90 seconds before returning. He barked orders at his teammates with authority, and he demanded a fourth-quarter defensive assignment on Baron Davis.

And when the Warriors triple-teamed him with the game on the line, James got what coach Mike Brown termed "the big hockey assist,'' making the pass that led to the pass that set up the shot that won it for Cleveland.

James already has a place among the NBA's elite, yet he's still growing - and his latest sublime performance was a sight for a sore eye.

"It bothered me some, and it's bothering me now, but I had to be there for my teammates,'' said James, who fell just shy of his 11th career triple-double. "If I could barely see, I still had to be out there.''

Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the short-handed Eastern Conference champions, who kept the Warriors winless with a calm finish on their third victory in their last four trips to Golden State.

Cleveland went up 103-98 with 1:03 left after Damon Jones' 3-pointer and Ilgauskas' free throws, but Golden State trimmed the lead to one point on Davis' free throws and Andris Biedrins' hook shot.

James drew three defenders on the Cavs' next possession. He passed to Ilgauskas, who quickly rotated the ball to Daniel Gibson - and the playoff hero's 3-pointer with 19 seconds left sealed Cleveland's second win of the season. Gibson finished with 22 points.

"That's the way I envision our team eventually playing every day,'' Brown said. "Our guys did a great job driving and kicking the basketball. ... I take my hat off to our guys. It was absolutely fun basketball down the stretch.''

Davis, who sat out both of the Cavaliers' last two visits to Oakland because of suspensions, had 29 points and 10 assists. Monta Ellis scored 22 points and Al Harrington added 19 for the Warriors, who fell to 0-4 in their tough early season schedule without suspended swingman Stephen Jackson.

"I felt we were playing good basketball, and at one point we had the game under control,'' Davis said. "Then we had a couple of bad breaks defensively. It's a tough loss, but it was a great NBA game. We're young, and we keep trying to figure it out. (James) dominated the game. He's a great player.''

The Cavaliers played without guard Larry Hughes, who bruised his left knee in a collision with Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa on Sunday in the opening game of their six-stop road trip. Sasha Pavlovic scored just six points on 2-of-11 shooting in Hughes' starting spot, and only seven players scored for the Cavs.

"It's a challenge for me, but I'm trying to do more things in my game,'' James said. "We're not as deep as they are, but we're experienced, and we know how to play basketball.''

James left the court after Biedrins accidentally hit him in the face while reaching for a rebound. James walked gingerly to the locker room with a towel over his left eye, but returned moments later.

This wasn't James' first big night in Oakland. He got the second triple-double of his career against the Warriors nearly three years ago - a feat that occurred just three nights after he became the youngest player in NBA history with a triple-double.

Davis and James dueled down the stretch this time, with James sometimes guarding the Warriors' smaller star when Golden State had the ball. James made his biggest defensive plays on Golden State's fast breaks, roaring from behind to swat away layup attempts three times.

"The key plays were the three blocks by James in the open court,'' Golden State coach Don Nelson said. "All three blocks were sensational, just phenomenal. ... We played our best game of the year. We had a chance to win.''

Ellis scored 14 points in the second quarter as the Warriors erased Cleveland's 10-point lead. Golden State closed the third quarter on a 13-2 run, taking the lead entering the fourth on Ellis' buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Notes: Cleveland also played without F Donyell Marshall (sprained right wrist) and G Eric Snow (sprained left knee). ... Harrington dunked on James in the third quarter, earning a standing ovation from the Oakland crowd. ... Ellis, who made just 27 percent of his 3-point attempts last season, was 3-for-4 after missing every 3-pointer he shot in the Warriors' first three games.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 6 (AP) -- Peja Stojakovic made a franchise-record 10 3-pointers, and Chris Paul established another Hornets team mark with 21 assists Tuesday night in New Orleans' 118-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Stojakovic missed just three of 13 shots from behind the arc and finished with 36 points. He was just 2-of-8 shooting two-pointers. The Hornets went 14-of-25 on 3-pointers.

Paul had 19 points to go with his assists. David West added 22 points for the Hornets as they ran their record to 4-0 to tie their best start, set last season.

Kobe Bryant had 28 points for Los Angeles, taking just 20 shots and making 11 of them. He also had seven assists and six rebounds. Ronny Turiaf had 15 points and seven rebounds, and Andrew Bynum had 13 rebounds.

Stojakovic's 3-point bonanza rewrote the Hornets' record of eight, set by David Wesley in 2002. The former team mark for assists was 19 by Muggsy Bogues in 1989.

Stojakovic hit three consecutive 3-pointers to close out the third quarter as New Orleans opened an 89-80 lead and stayed in front the rest of the way. He scored 17 in the period, including going 5-of-7 from behind the arc.

Bryant took as many shots in the third quarter, seven, as he had in the entire first half, making four of them and scoring 10 points.

Los Angeles was without Kwame Brown, who sat out the game with bursitis in his right heel. Brown, averaging 5.7 points and 7.3 rebounds this season, said he expects to be able to play on Friday when the Lakers host Minnesota.

New Orleans never trailed in the first half, although Bryant made three free throws to draw the Lakers even at 55 with 9 seconds remaining in the second quarter after they trailed by 12 early in the period.

But Paul responded with a short jumper with 1.1 seconds before halftime left to give the Hornets a 57-55 lead at the break.

Notes: Los Angeles F Lamar Odom, who has been recuperating from shoulder surgery, is slated to make his season debut on Friday. ... The average price of a Lakers season ticket is $89.24, an increase of 4.5 percent from last season and the highest in the NBA, according to Team Marketing Report's survey. The average ticket in the NBA is $48.83, and the Hornets, in their first season in New Orleans, charge a league-low $24.58. ... New Orleans coach Byron Scott was a guard for the Lakers when Bryant came straight out of high school to join them. "Kobe was the one who was in the back of the bus reading Time Magazine,'' Scott said. "He wasn't reading the sports pages. So you could tell from a mental standpoint that he was a little bit farther ahead than an 18-year-old, and he already had goals and knew what he wanted to do. He point-blank told be one day when I asked him `How do you want to be perceived in this league?' he said, `I want to be the best player in this league.' I think he's been able to accomplish that goal.''

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 6 (AP) -- Francisco Garcia's timely 3-pointer saved the Sacramento Kings from what would have been quite the double whammy in their home opener.

Garcia hit a go-ahead baseline 3 with 29 seconds to play, lifting Sacramento to a 104-98 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics and a win for new coach Reggie Theus in his Arco Arena debut.

Seattle rookie Kevin Durant shot an airball with about 7 seconds left, but still finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Sonics, who are 0-4 for the first time in 30 years.

It hardly mattered that the Kings also saw their sellout streak end at 354 games: The team avoided its first 0-4 start since 1997-98. The game drew 14,908 fans - 2,409 below capacity at one of the NBA's most imposing road venues.

Kevin Martin had 31 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Sacramento, which will have another tough test on its home floor Friday with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Theus, dressed to the nines with a navy blue pinstripe suit for big the occasion, had his high school coach, Mike Sterling, in the stands to cheer him on after Sterling made the trip from Southern California.

Wally Szczerbiak scored 32 points for the Sonics and Nick Collison added 12 points and seven rebounds. Szczerbiak scored 18 of his points in the second quarter as Seattle built a 61-48 halftime lead before shooting 7-for-20 in the third quarter.

John Salmons added 23 points for a Kings' lineup missing point guard Mike Bibby, forward Ron Artest and rookie center Spencer Hawes. Salmons' driving layin with 1:02 to play pulled the Kings within 98-97.

"They're twice as athletic as we are,'' Theus said.

Bibby is expected to be sidelined for at least the first six weeks of the season with a torn ligament in his left thumb, while Hawes is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Artest is suspended for the first seven games.

Sacramento opened the third period with a 7-0 spurt to get back in the game as the Sonics came out cold. The Kings tied it on Martin's layin with 3:02 left, then went ahead on Quincy Douby's basket the next time down before a three-point play by Szczerbiak.

Theus wasn't worried about whether the game sold out.

"Every team goes through periods of time when things are not great,'' said Theus, who took over after Eric Musselman was fired following only one season as coach. "What you do in the interim determines how long that lasts. .. We have a lot of die-hard fans.''

Robert Swift earned his first start for the Sonics, playing for the second time this season after recovering from ACL surgery on his right knee that caused him to miss all of last season. First-year Seattle coach P.J. Carlesimo was considering playing Swift in back-to-back games if all went well.

Notes: Hawes, the Kings' top draft pick selected 10th overall out of Washington, was scheduled to begin practicing Wednesday. "He's so excited,'' Theus said. "He was bouncing around. He was on a pogo stick today.'' ... Durant and Hawes are good friends and got together Monday night in Sacramento. ... New Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker attended the game and sat courtside with wife, Melissa, and 8-year-old son, Darren. Baker, who recently built a home in the area, received a warm reception when introduced and shook hands with referee Ron Olesiak during a second-quarter timeout. Darren got to dribble the game ball during that break and later had a jersey signed by Bibby.

CHICAGO, Nov. 6 (AP) -- Cuttino Mobley showed Kirk Hinrich and the Chicago Bulls that he's ready to play physical again.

Mobley scored 33 points and Corey Maggette added 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 97-91 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.

"I told the referees the first game, I've told y'all, I'll tell everyone I'm going back to my first five years,'' said Mobley. "I'm just going back to my old aggressive self. I'm only 32.''

Mobley was 10-for-10 from the floor in the first half. He used his size advantage against Kirk Hinrich to create room for his jumper.

"It's tough,'' said Hinrich. "When I got off a good jump to challenge a shot I felt like I would make him miss, but a lot of times, down the stretch he would bang me and knock me back and I couldn't get the lift to challenge his shot the way I wanted to.''

The Clippers improved to 3-0 despite missing Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston with injuries. The Bulls are 0-4 to start the season for the first time since 2004-05.

"We need to stick with it as a team,'' said Luol Deng, who scored 22 points for Chicago. "We're not finishing game and I know the fans are disappointed, but we'll keep battling and get better. Coach (Scott) Skiles' message is to keep battling and get better.''

Trailing 89-85 with 4:08 left, Ben Wallace was called for goaltending on a shot by Mobley and Chris Kaman blocked Ben Gordon's layup attempt that led to Maggette's dunk to tie the game. Then Maggette followed with a 3-pointer to break the tie and gave the Clippers a 92-89 lead with 2:12 left.

Tim Thomas, waived by the Bulls two seasons ago, saved the ball after a Clippers miss which led to Mobley's jumper that gave the Clippers 94-89 lead with 1:20 left. Thomas finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

Kaman had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.

Joe Smith scored 17 for the Bulls, who fought back from a 13-point deficit and tied it late in the third quarter on Gordon's free throw after Mobley was issued a technical for arguing a no-call.

The Bulls held the Clippers to 27.3 percent shooting in the period after Los Angeles shot 60 percent in the second quarter. They also denied Mobley the ball and held him to two points on 0-for-3 shooting from the floor.

The Clippers broke a 31-all tie in the second quarter with a 13-0 run. Mobley scored eight points during the span. He hit a 3 to break the tie and hit another 3 over Kirk Hinrich to make it 42-31. Ruben Patterson's putback gave the Clippers a 44-31 advantage with 7:33 left in the second quarter.

"We couldn't stop him (Mobley) tonight. He had one of those nights where he made everything,'' said Deng.

The Clippers shot 59.5 percent in the half and converted 7-of-11 3-point attempts and led 57-52.

The frustration continues for the Bulls, who came into the season with high expectations. Ben Wallace missed an open layup in transition in the second quarter that led to Sam Cassell's jumper.

Bulls general manager John Paxson put to rest the Kobe Bryant trade rumors less than a week ago, but some fans continue to chant "Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!'' in the final minutes.

Notes: Bulls rookie forward Joakim Noah made his regular season debut off the bench in the first quarter after missing the first three games with a sprained ankle. He finished with two points and four rebounds.

HOUSTON, Nov. 6(AP) -- Late in the first quarter against San Antonio, Yao Ming was already exhausted.

He focused on simple thoughts to keep going and ended up with his best game of the young season.

Yao had 28 points and 13 rebounds to help the Houston Rockets snap a four-game, home-court losing streak to San Antonio with a 89-81 win over the Spurs on Tuesday night.

After playing 38 minutes in Dallas on Monday, Yao often struggled to catch his breath against the Spurs. The Rockets led 64-56 after three quarters and Yao started the fourth, trying to put his fatigue out of his mind.

"I don't have time to think about that,'' Yao said. "I'm just telling myself, pick up my leg and run to the next step.''

Yao scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds in the final quarter. He flipped in two shots over Tim Duncan, then hit two free throws in the final 2:37 to keep the Rockets in control.

"Every year, Yao is getting better,'' said Duncan. "The Rockets showed their confidence in him, when they go through him at the end of the game like they did tonight. He made some big shots and was tough to stop.''

Yao hit 12 of 24 shots and also had six assists, his most complete game under new coach Rick Adelman. He's reached 20 points and 10 rebounds in three of Houston's four games.

Bonzi Wells added 14 points and 15 rebounds for Houston, which controlled Duncan and outrebounded the sluggish Spurs 55-28. Duncan scored 14 and grabbed 10 rebounds, but went only 5-for-15 from the field.

The Rockets had a 25-4 edge in offensive rebounds and took 17 more shots than the Spurs.

"That's about how hungry we were to win the game,'' Yao said.

Tracy McGrady struggled with his shooting, too, going 4-of-14 and scoring only 12. McGrady had nine rebounds and dished out six of the Rockets' season-high 25 assists. McGrady was treating a huge blister on the bottom of his right foot after the game.

Manu Ginobili scored 23 and Tony Parker added 21 for the Spurs. Beyond Duncan, no other Spur had more than six rebounds.

"It was a huge advantage that we gave up,'' Ginobili said. "It's pretty hard to win like that.''

The Rockets built a 45-32 lead in the first half, frustrating Duncan and outrebounding San Antonio 35-15. Guarded well by the 7-foot-6 Yao for most of the half, Duncan missed 8 of 9 shots.

Yao only matched up with Duncan after Chuck Hayes got cut over his right eye a minute into the game and backup forward Luis Scola picked up three quick fouls.

The Rockets took an 18-11 lead when 41-year-old Dikembe Mutombo drove down the lane for an unlikely dunk.

Hayes got six stitches and returned with a bandage over his eye, but the Spurs finished the first quarter with an 8-0 run.

Houston missed 25 of its first 37 shots, then finished the half with a 9-0 run. The Spurs' halftime point total was only four better than the franchise record low for a first half (28), set in Houston in 2005.

With the 6-6 Hayes guarding him again to start the third quarter, Duncan dropped in a hook shot and sank two free throws as San Antonio pulled to within seven. Yao kept Houston ahead, dropping in soft jumpers or drawing fouls and sinking free throws.

"I have always admired his game since he came into the league,'' Ginobili said of Yao. "He's an unbelievable player. He can do everything. He was inspired tonight.''

The Rockets led 61-52 when Yao went to the bench for a rest with 1:56 left in the third quarter. McGrady, shadowed all night by defensive specialist Bruce Bowen, hit a 3-pointer in last minute of the quarter to put Houston up 64-55.

Yao was back at the start of the fourth quarter and the Rockets stayed in control. Luther Head shot an airball from 3-point range, but Yao caught it underneath and dunked with 8:48 remaining for a 72-61 lead.

Ginobili intercepted a pass and drove for a dunk over Yao with 4:31 left to cut Houston's lead to 77-68. Brent Barry scored on San Antonio's next possession, but Mike James sank a pull-up jumper with 3:28 left to restore the 9-point lead.

Ginobili picked off another pass near the 3-minute mark and Ginobili sank two free throws. Yao answered with consecutive turnarounds over Duncan. He added two free throws on the Rockets' next trip down the floor.

Shane Battier put the game away with a 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining to put the Rockets up 87-75.

Notes: The Rockets went 9-for-21 from 3-point range (43 percent). ... Former Rocket Robert Horry was on the Spurs inactive list. ... Wells earned his 29th career double-double. ... Duncan has double-doubles in three of four games this season.

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 6 (AP) -- A pair of young beasts on the low block are coming into their own, and it's going to be awfully fun to watch these two go at each other for the next 10 years.

Give the latest, and best head-to-head to date, to Dwight Howard - barely.

In a matchup of two of the best young power forwards in the game, Howard edged his classmate Al Jefferson, scoring 28 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in Orlando's 111-103 victory over winless Minnesota on Tuesday night.

"Oh yeah, its fun,'' Howard said of playing against Jefferson, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds. "He's a great low post player. He works with the guy (Wolves coach Randy Wittman) who taught me almost everything I know.

"His game is getting better. Has gotten better since he got in the league. He's always been a great scorer, but he's more potent now than he was back in the day.''

Carlos Arroyo had 18 points and six assists in place of an injured Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis scored nine of his 27 points in the fourth quarter for the Magic to stave off the hard-charging Timberwolves.

Jefferson was quiet for the first three quarters, managing just 13 points and four rebounds, but he scored 12 points in the fourth to help the Timberwolves make things interesting.

The Wolves trailed 92-76 with 10:32 to play in the game before Jefferson took over, scoring eight points in a 14-0 run that cut Orlando's lead to 92-90.

But Lewis came right back, hitting three straight 3-pointers to push the lead back to 101-95 and Minnesota never got closer than four the rest of the way.

"Rashard Lewis hit some big shots,'' Jefferson said. "I knew he was a great player, but he really showed us that tonight.''

Marko Jaric had 10 points and 10 assists and Greg Buckner scored 18 points for the Timberwolves, who missed Rashad McCants' offensive skills down the stretch. McCants went out in the first quarter with a sprained ankle.

Jefferson and Howard have quite a history, and they went at each other hard all night.

"Me and Dwight Howard, we're great friends,'' Jefferson said. "But when we're on the court, we hate each other. He says to me in the game, 'Man stop doing all those ball fakes.'

"And I said, 'Well, stop jumping.' It's always fun to go against him. But when we're out there on the court we're battling.''

Howard dominated Jefferson for the first three quarters, scoring 26 points and grabbing 14 points to give the Magic a 14-point cushion.

But he managed just two points in the fourth, and got plenty of help from Lewis to keep his buddy Jefferson down.

Both were high school All-Americans from the South - Howard from Atlanta and Jefferson from Mississippi - who decided to skip college in 2004 and go straight for the pros. Howard was the No. 1 overall pick who signed a five-year, $80 million contract extension in July after being an All Star last year.

Jefferson was picked 15th by the Celtics and came to Minnesota in the Kevin Garnett trade at the end of July. He signed a five year, $65 million extension last week.

After signing that deal, Jefferson shocked the local media in attendance at the press conference when he said he didn't feel like he had proven himself to deserve the max contract just yet.

"I just felt like I had more work to do,'' Jefferson said again on Tuesday night. "Dwight Howard got max and I think he proved himself to get max because all three years he's been in the league, he's proved himself to be a max player. I just had a great year last year.''

Jefferson is 22 and Howard will turn 22 in December. They have played against each other in the NBA for four years now, but it's clear this rivalry is just beginning.

"It's all good fun out there,'' Jefferson said. "But we know it's a game and we all try to win.''

Notes: Nelson missed the game with a slight concussion and J.J. Redick was out with back spasms. ... Wolves C Theo Ratliff missed the game with the flu. ... Wittman served as an assistant for one year in Orlando and exchanged pleasantries with several players after coming out of the locker room for warmups at halftime. ... Vikings free safety Darren Sharper was at the game. In the "Don't quit your day job'' department: He shot 5-for-26 from 3-point range before the game.

Fenerbahce registered their first win of the Euroleague season by stuttering to an 85-66 win over Lottomatica Roma at the Abdi Ipecki in Istanbul.
BASKETBALL 2007-2008 Serie A Roma-Varese Stefansson - 0

The win moved the Turkish side out of the bottom two in Group C and left basement club Roma with a 0-3 win-loss record for the season so far although they have all seven of their home games still to come.

Will Solomon led the winners with 21 points, while Ibrahim Kutluay added 17 points off the bench. Mirsad Turkan lead the Fenerbahce attack with 12 points and 17 rebounds, while Damir Kaan also had a good night notching up 14 points.

For the visitors, the one highlight was Jon Stefansson's (pictured) seven free throws from seven attempts. Stefansson also added 13 points, while Erazem Lorbek had 15 points to his name.

A successful first period for the home side left them leading 20-10 after 10 minutes and having taken the lead they managed to retain it throughout despite a late rally from Roma seeing them increase their errors as the nerves began to jangle.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.(AP) -- After a couple of injury-plagued seasons, a healthy Richard Jefferson is now carrying the New Jersey Nets.

Jefferson scored 25 points and Antoine Wright added 15 to lead the New Jersey Nets to an 87-82 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.

It marked the fourth time in as many games that Jefferson has led the Nets in scoring and stolen the spotlight from Jason Kidd and Vince Carter.

"He is playing at an All-Star level,'' Carter said of Jefferson. "He is definitely All-Star caliber and this year is no different. He is playing some of his best basketball. We're going to keep pushing him to keep playing that style and ride it out.''

Jefferson, who missed a big chunk of last season because of right ankle surgery, is averaging 25.8 points while shooting 51.6 percent from the field.

Jefferson credited much of his success to a new offensive approach that stresses more ball movement in the half court and a fewer fastbreaks.

"Our offense isn't anything different,'' Jefferson said. "Were not reinventing the wheel. Were not putting in the Princeton offense. Were just changing our style offensively. Were not scoring a ton of points, but were just executing at the right times.''

Kidd had nine points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in nearly collecting his second straight triple-double and helping New Jersey win for the third time in four games.

Carter had 12 points with another miserable shooting effort from the field (6-of-16), but he made two clutch baskets late to hold off the Hawks.

"We were right there at the end of the game,'' coach Mike Woodson said after a Hawks' rally fell just short for the second straight road game. "We had our chances, but we can't keep putting ourselves in this position.''

Josh Smith and backup forward Josh Childress had 18 points apiece to lead the Hawks, who were limited to 38 percent shooting from the field. All-Star guard Joe Johnson added 15 points and Marvin Williams had 13, all in the first half.

The Nets broke a 53-all tie and took control with a 16-4 spurt in the final 5:07 of the third quarter. Seven different players scored during the run as New Jersey limited the Hawks to one basket.

"We've had two solid defensive performances in a row,'' Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "As we know last year, our biggest disappointment was being a selective defensive team. But now, we've had three of four games where we were good defensively. We want to build an identity as a team that guards every night.''

New Jersey built the lead to 14 points early in the fourth quarter, before Smith, Childress and Johnson got the Hawks back in the game by combining for all the points in a 16-4 spurt. Smith's 3-pointer with about five minutes to play got Atlanta to within two at 77-75.

Carter then drove the baseline for a jam and Wright hit a layup after Hawks rookie Al Horford missed two free throws to push the lead to 81-75 with 4:14 to go.

The Hawks never got closer than three points the rest of the way, but the Nets couldn't put them away.

Kidd missed two free throws with 49.4 seconds to play and Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 39.3 seconds to go to cut the Nets lead to 85-82.

New Jersey then held the ball and Wright drove the left side of the lane for a layup with one second on the shot clock, giving New Jersey a five-point lead.

"I knew the clock was going down and I knew it was very low,'' said Wright. "I knew I didn't have enough time to dunk it. I just had to get it up there. I think it's just having poise.''

Johnson then missed another 3-pointer and New Jersey's Darrell Armstrong was fouled. He also missed two free throws with 4.6 seconds to play.

Notes: After making his first 25 free throws this season, Jefferson banged his first off the rim. ... G Speedy Claxton (knee), C Zaza Pachulia (knee) and C Lorenzen Wright (foot) were inactive for the third straight game for the Hawks with injuries. ... It took 82 minutes over four games but Nets F Jason Collins scored his first basket on a putback with 2:45 left in the third quarter. ... New Jersey has won 11 of the last 12 games at the Meadowlands against Atlanta. ... The Hawks were 23-of-32 from the free throw line. ... Carter has hit 18-of-55 from the field this season, or 32.7 percent.

NEW YORK, Nov. 6 (AP) -- Zach Randolph had 22 points and 17 rebounds, three other players scored more than 20 points, and New York erased a series of double-digit deficits to beat the Denver Nuggets, 119-112, Tuesday night.

"Coming in, you knew it was a big game,'' Randolph said.

Seemingly on the verge of being run off the floor, the Knicks instead blew by the Nuggets with a fourth-quarter rally, then held on behind huge plays from Randolph and Eddy Curry in their best outing since being paired together.

"I think that's what Isiah had in mind when he brought Zach in here,'' Curry said. "I had a lot of fun tonight. This is probably the most fun I had in a basketball game.''

Jamal Crawford led the Knicks with 25 points and Curry added 24, nine in the fourth quarter. Stephon Marbury had 21 points and nine assists, and Renaldo Balkman led a spirited bench effort with 11 points.

"Our whole team, I like the tenacity that we played with. I like the intensity that we played with,'' Knicks coach Isiah Thomas said.

Allen Iverson scored 32 points and Carmelo Anthony had 24 for the Nuggets, who led by as many as 15 and were still ahead by 10 going to the fourth quarter before dropping their second straight.

"It's early in the season and we did a lot of good stuff, but not good enough to beat a team that was hungrier than us in the fourth quarter,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said.

Iverson briefly had to leave the floor after bloodying his lip defending Marbury with under 2 minutes left.

Down 92-82 to start the fourth, the Knicks tied it at 102 on Curry's bucket with about 5 minutes left. After a final tie at 108, Marbury put New York ahead for good with two free throws with 2:32 remaining, then Curry blocked Marcus Camby's shot on the other end and the Knicks stayed ahead from there.

"We had this game and we just gave it away tonight,'' Anthony said. "We had it in our hands and we couldn't maintain the lead. That was a team that played hard every possession. Maybe we took a couple of possessions off and they capitalized off that.''

New York outscored Denver 37-20 in the final 12 minutes.

Robinson and Smith entered during the same stoppage with 3:56 left in the first quarter, with Smith making his season debut to loud boos following a three-game team suspension for an incident at a nightclub.

The Knicks shot 70 percent in a fast-paced first quarter, and still trailed 37-32. Linas Kleiza made all five shots and scored 12 points, Iverson had 11 in his first action at Madison Square Garden since late in the 2005-06 season, and the Nuggets shot 67 percent.

The lead grew to 50-35 when Eduardo Najera dribbled the length of the floor for a layup, bringing out the first boos directed toward the Knicks at home this season. But New York fought back to tie it at 60 before Denver ran off the final six points of the half.

"Last year we would have lost this game by 15 points,'' Knicks reserve David Lee said.

The Nuggets quickly restored the double-digit lead in the third, and again back came the Knicks, tying it at 82 behind a flurry from Crawford during an 11-1 spurt. The Nuggets then scored 10 straight to take a 92-82 cushion into the final period.

Notes: Denver F Kenyon Martin sat out so he could play Wednesday at Boston. The Nuggets aren't using him in back-to-back games while he works his way back from knee surgery. ... The game featured three of the top four picks from the deep 1996 NBA draft: Iverson (No. 1), Marcus Camby (No. 2) and Marbury (No. 4). Thomas drafted Camby while he was an executive in Toronto. ... Randolph is the first Knicks player to open a season with three straight double-doubles in points and rebounds since Patrick Ewing 15 years ago. ... The Knicks have sold out their first two games at MSG for the first time since the 2001-02 season.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 6 (AP) -- The Phoenix Suns' offense returned to form the same night the Charlotte Bobcats received a scare with their playmaker crumpled in pain.

Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell and Shawn Marion led eight players in double figures with 16 points apiece Tuesday night in the Suns' 115-83 win over the Bobcats, who lost point guard Raymond Felton to a left knee injury.

The Suns, who had been concerned with their high-octane offense in a 2-1 start that included a blowout home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, shot 50 percent, committed only 10 turnovers and led by as many as 34 points in their highest-scoring game of the season.

"It was pretty good,'' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We're still not clicking all the way, but we definitely did some good things tonight.''

The Bobcats, who had been 2-0 for the first time in their four-year history, learned better news later in the evening, when an MRI determined Felton suffered no ligament damage.

"He's the main guy that runs the offense. He's the guy that gets all of us going,'' forward Gerald Wallace said. "He's the one guy, of any guy on this team, that we can't afford to lose. ... We can't even afford to have him banged up. That's how important he is to this team.''

Felton was still in the game with Charlotte trailing by 33 points late in the third quarter when he drove the lane and made a spin move on Steve Nash, who fell down. Felton then came down awkwardly on his left leg next to Nash, who was called for a foul.

Felton got up to take the free throws. But after missing the second shot, Felton fell to the floor and clutched his knee.

"He felt some sort of, I don't know if he said a pop or a twinge,'' coach Sam Vincent said.

Initial X-rays were negative, but Felton was taken to the hospital for further tests, which also were negative. The team's flight to Philadelphia late Tuesday was held up for Felton, who is listed as a game-time decision for Wednesday's game against the 76ers.

It provided some good news on an awful night for Vincent, who lost his first game as an NBA coach as the Bobcats dropped to 0-7 all-time against the Suns. Rookie Jared Dudley scored 16 points, most coming after the game was long decided.

"That Phoenix team is a tough team. They play well together,'' Vincent said. "They just kind of overmatched us tonight.

Felton and Wallace added 12 points apiece and Jason Richardson scored 11, but they combined to shoot 12-for-34. The Bobcats shot 37 percent and committed 24 turnovers.

"We always play defense,'' said Marion, who had 11 rebounds. "It just gets overshadowed because our offense is so exhilarating.''

Boris Diaw, starting in place of Amare Stoudemire, added 15 points and 11 assists for Phoenix, which has won 15 of its last 16 road games against Eastern teams dating to last season.

They did it by running and attacking the inside. Phoenix had 52 points in the paint despite Stoudemire missing his second straight game with pain in his right knee.

Grant Hill led the Suns' dominant front line early. He had nine points in the first quarter as the Suns built a 29-21 lead.

Barbosa's reverse layup on a bullet pass from Nash made it 49-31. Bell's 3-pointer gave Phoenix its first 20-point lead with 2:10 left in the second quarter.

It was 59-37 at halftime after Sean Marks' thunderous dunk. The lead reached 30 midway through the third quarter.

Notes: Before the game, Stoudemire seemed confident he'll play Wednesday in Atlanta. "No doubt. I feel better about playing (Wednesday) night,'' Stoudemire said. "I just don't want to jump out there too soon.'' ... The Bobcats have also never beaten Dallas, the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis. ... The Suns have scored at least 110 points in all seven games against the Bobcats. ... The Suns wrap up their road trip with three more games against East teams.

SECAUCUS, N.J., Nov. 6, 2007 -- The NBA season just tipped off a week ago, but here are some observations that may or may not hold up for the entire six-month grind.

# Houston's Tracy McGrady is going to wrestle the scoring title away from Kobe Bryant.

# Dallas' Jason Terry is a shoo-in to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award. He is providing instant offense off the bench, scoring at a 23-points per game clip, while connecting on 60 percent of his shot attempts.

# Chicago and Golden State, last year's playoff darlings, are a combined 0-6, while the Bobcats are two games above .500 for the first time in franchise history.

# Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are just as good in Boston as they were in Minnesota and Seattle.

Line of the Week
Jason Kidd, Nets
Win vs. Sixers, November 3
16 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists

# Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire is not 100 percent.

# Kobe Bryant was born to wear purple and gold and should stay a Laker.

# From Washington's Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas to San Antonio's Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, the term, "Big Three" is getting played out.

# The Spurs are still the best team in the league.

# With a little luck, New Jersey's Jason Kidd could probably average a triple-double in a season.

# Rashard Lewis is a good fit in Orlando.

# Kevin Durant is already the best player in Seattle.

# Danny Granger, not Jermaine O'Neal is leading the way for the undefeated Pacers.

# The Bucks' Yi Jianlian is going to be a player.

# Cleveland's LeBron James needs help.

# New Orleans' Tyson Chandler is a better version of the old Ben Wallace.

In the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, Steve Hummer writes, " With a dozen children to raise, Chester Woodson never could say no to work. As his son Mike, the fourth-year Hawks head coach, recalls it, his father performed odd-jobs all the time. He even oversaw a couple of coin Laundromats in the neighborhood. And then there was his steady work with a piano moving company, rearranging Steinways around the state of Indiana. Surely Chester Woodson rested sometime, but not so that his son can remember. "He worked all the time. That's all I ever knew him to do," Mike said."