Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem will miss Game 6 of their series against the Pacers. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem has been suspended for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals between the Heat and the Pacers, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

The suspension stems from Haslem’s hard foul on Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough in Game 5, which was ruled a flagrant foul at the time. The foul occurred just minutes after Hansbrough’s hard foul on Miami’s Dwayne Wade that resulted in a flagrant foul for Hansbrough. Hansbrough’s foul opened a cut over Wade’s eye.

Hansbrough’s foul was upgraded to a flagrant-2 Wednesday but he did not receive a suspension.

“It’s very disappointing, obviously,” said Miami forward Shane Battier. “But we’re a resilient group.”

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Stan Van Gundy (R) and Dwight Howard (L) led the Magic to the playoffs in all five seasons of their pairing. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

On Monday night came the inevitable announcement that Orlando had parted ways with head coach Stan Van Gundy and GM/President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith.

Similar to LeBron James’s exodus from Cleveland two years ago, speculation has been swirling around this move for months as a way to please franchise center Dwight Howard, so that the NBA’s three-time Defensive Player of the Year will sign an extension with the Magic. He hasn’t yet.

Howard, 26, will enter the final year of his contract next season, and if he hasn’t signed an extension before the season ends he’ll be the most sought after free agent on the market since LeBron, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh flooded the market two summers ago.

So the question becomes, what does this matter for the Nets’ chances of obtaining the big man? Not much. Here’s four reasons why:

1. Any new GM Orlando brings in, short of Hall-of-Famer Jerry West, will not be able to shake up the roster and turn things around in less than a year’s time to convince Howard that this team will compete for titles in the very near future. A chance to play for a contender is what every star wants and right now, with its roster, Orlando is not headed in that direction any time soon.

There have been problems for several years with Orlando’s roster that Howard’s mere presence on the court has masked. The biggest one currently is how the Magic is still on the hook for nearly $24 million to the over the next two years. Turkoglu, now 33, is a decent player but his contract pays him like an All-Star (which he’s never been) and because of it the Magic have little wiggle room in signing other players to come in make this team a true contender.

The frustrating thing for Orlando is that it has a franchise center, in Howard, that most guards and forwards would love to play with. They just haven’t drafted or traded wisely around Howard and since signing free agent forward Rashard Lewis to a huge contract in 2007 (that hasn’t worked out for them) they’ve had little cap space to work with in free agency.

Furthermore with a loaded NBA draft this summer Orlando, which was just bounced from the playoffs, does not have a lottery pick to work with.

2. Any new coach Orlando brings in, short of Phil Jackson (who’s not going to Orlando) would be unlikely to sway Howard to stay.

Jackson is the biggest coaching fish in the pond but it’s unlikely he’s taking any team’s bait these days, especially one with such a murky future.

Even hiring a coach as good as Jackson doesn’t guarantee anything. During his first two seasons (2005–2007) in his second stint as head coach of the then Shaq-less Lakers Jackson’s teams lost in the first round of the playoffs both years. It wasn’t until Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak somehow convinced Memphis to trade them star forward Pau Gasol (for 50 cents on the dollar) and young center Andrew Bynum developed that the Lakers jumped back into contender-status.

Besides, does any player really want to be the reason a coach loses his job? If Howard was afraid of becoming a villain for leaving the team via free agency, the removal of Van Gundy did nothing to quell that fear.

3. Nets biggest dominoes have yet to fall.

The aforementioned lottery, which takes place May 30 is the first domino. The now-Brooklyn Nets need to land a top-three selection so they can keep their pick, which otherwise goes to Portland to complete the trade for forward Gerald Wallace.

Naturally the biggest prize in the lottery is getting the top pick so that the Nets can grab Kentucky’s Anthony Davis. The 6-foot-10-inch, long-armed Davis looks like the next great center/power forward in this league and is a difference-maker at both ends of the court.

All-Stars Deron Williams (L) and Dwight Howard (R) would make any team an instant contender. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Should the Nets get Davis, luring Howard and resigning point guard Deron Williams would be much easier and would turn the franchise into the Eastern Conference’s biggest contender.

Signing Williams this summer is the next big domino that would need to fall to get Howard but recent signs are good that Williams will be back. Most notably, the New York Post reported earlier this month that Williams spent time in Istanbul, Turkey, with Nets GM Billy King and owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

Howard likely won’t come via free agency to Brooklyn if Williams signs elsewhere (like Dallas). He wants to play alongside a star, which is what the Nets were correctly gambling on when they went all-in with the trade for Williams in 2011.

4. Howard still hasn’t signed with Orlando. The Magic still can’t afford to let him go for nothing.

This is still the biggest news. If Howard wanted to be a member of the Magic for the next five years, there’s been a big, fat contract that’s been waiting for him to sign sitting in the Magic’s front offices everyday for the past couple of years. But he hasn’t.

Furthermore, the LeBron James situation (where he was booed mercilessly after leaving the Cavs) may have put a scare into Howard doing the same, but the team should be scared as well.

Cleveland gambled that LeBron would resign with them two summers ago so they didn’t trade him away beforehand. After he abruptly took his talents to South Beach the Cavs became a mess posting a 40–108 record the past two seasons. Previous to his departure the team had averaged 63.5 wins a year in 2008–10.

With center Brook Lopez, guard MarShon Brooks, and a willingness to surrender a number of future first-round draft picks the Nets have the means to give Orlando a decent return for Howard, should the Magic realize that this is their best option.

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“We can turn this dream into a goal by giving it urgency,” said Warriors co-owner Peter Guber, Mandalay Entertainment’s chief executive. “We will play here in 2017. Take that as a promise that we will fulfill. There will be a world-class entertainment venue. We’re all-in.”

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Former head coach Stan Van Gundy of the Orlando Magic shown here after the team's loss to the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center on April 22, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

After a five-year tenure with the Orlando Magic, head coach Stan Van Gundy has been fired on Monday, the NBA team’s CEO Alex Martins announced. In addition, the organization and its General Manager Otis Smith have mutually agreed to part ways. 

“They both brought die-hard dedication and an unmatched work ethic on a daily basis,” Martins said in a press release. “Their success is well documented, as the Orlando Magic has had the fourth best record in the NBA over the last five years, and entering the playoffs this year the third most playoff wins over that period of time.”

Yet Orlando’s elimination in the first round of the playoffs in the past two seasons led to the organization’s decisions, Martins said. “These are the days you dread in this business, but we feel it’s time for new leadership and new voices.”

The 52-year-old Van Gundy was named head coach on June 7, 2007, becoming the team’s ninth head coach. He led Orlando to five post-season berths, three Southeast Division titles, and the 2009 Eastern Conference crown. Prior to taking up Orlando, Van Gundy had served as the head coach of the Miami Heat before resigning in 2005 mid-season after two and a half seasons. 

Van Gundy, the brother of former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, as head coach has a career regular season record of 371-208 (0.641), including 259-135 (0.657) in five seasons in Orlando. 

Smith has played for the Orlando Magic from 1989 to 1992. He has worked on and off for Orlando from 1996 to this Monday. He had served as a general manager for six years.

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Stan Van Gundy led Orlando to the playoffs all five years as a head coach. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Orlando Magic have parted ways with coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith, the team announced Monday, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

“On behalf of the DeVos family, we sincerely appreciate and thank Otis and Stan for all that they have done on and off the floor for the Orlando Magic,” said Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins. “These are the days you dread in this business, but we feel it’s time for new leadership and new voices.”

Van Gundy had been head coach since 2007, compiling a 259-135 record in five seasons at the helm. His high point was a trip to the NBA Finals in 2009 where the Magic lost to the Lakers.

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A flu-ridden Jordan somehow put up 38 points in a 90–88 win over Utah in Game 5 of the 1997 Finals. (Jeff Haynes/AFP/Getty Images)

LeBron James’s incredible performance Sunday night in Indiana—40 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists while playing out-of-position to make up for the loss the injured Chris Bosh—was one of the best playoff performances in recent history. Had it taken place in the finals or against a more feared opponent it would probably be rated at or near the top of the list of best playoff performances in NBA history.

As it is, it’s a very impressive performance, but a closer look over the past 30-some years reveals several performances that can top it. With all due respect to a number of Shaquille O’Neal performances that came up just short, here are the NBA’s best playoff performances since 1980:

10. Akeem Olajuwon; 1986 NBA Finals, Game 5—“The Dream” proved to be one of the greatest clutch players in NBA history and is most noted for his domination of fellow centers Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Shaquille O’Neal in the 1994 and ’95 playoffs. It was in ’86 though when the Olajuwon-led Rockets shocked the Lakers to play the Celtics in the finals that gave the world a preview of what “The Dream” could do. In Game 5, with Houston down three games to one, Olajuwon was at his best. Needing a win to extend the series Akeem (later known as “Hakeem”) put on an incredible performance scoring 32 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and blocking 8 shots against Boston’s vaunted-frontline to lead the Rockets to a 111–96 win.

9. Tim Duncan; 2003 NBA Finals, Game 6—The 2003 NBA Finals, between defensive-minded foes San Antonio and New Jersey, was not a made-for-TV matchup. But those who saw it, witnessed Tim Duncan at his finest. With the Spurs leading the series three games to two but trailing in Game 6 by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter, Duncan’s three blocked shots down the stretch ignited their comeback that resulted in their second title in five years. Duncan nearly threw down a quadruple-double finishing with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocked shots against the likes of Dikembe Mutumbo, Jason Collins, and Kenyon Martin.

8. Larry Bird; 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5—Three-time NBA Champion Larry Bird had a number of incredible performances and game-winning shots in the postseason. It was one incredible defensive play that single-handedly reversed this series and held off the soon-to-be-great Pistons for one more year. Here was the scene: The series was tied at two games apiece, the Celtics were down a point with seven seconds left when Bird drove to the hoop only to be rejected at the rim and the ball, which went out of bounds, was awarded to Detroit. Detroit guard Isiah Thomas quickly took the ball out of bounds, hoping to catch the Celtics in a state of shock. Instead Bird came out of nowhere to steal Thomas’s inbounds pass and passed to a driving Dennis Johnson for a game-winning layup with one second remaining to win the game. Bird finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists, and one incredible steal.

In 2007, LeBron (R) torched the Pistons for 48 points, including all 18 in the two overtime periods to lead Cleveland to the win. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

7. James Worthy; 1988 NBA Finals, Game 7—“Big Game James”’ Worthy punctuated one of the greatest finals ever with one of the greatest Game 7 performances ever by burning Detroit for 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Lakers 108–105 series-clinching win. Often overshadowed by Hall-of-Fame teammates Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Worthy’s hot hand throughout the playoffs that season was a boon to the Lakers, which no longer ran its offense through the 41-year-old Abdul Jabbar. Worthy, who led all playoff scorers that year in total points, was named Finals MVP.

6. Michael Jordan; 1986 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Game 2—Jordan burst on the scene with an impressive rookie campaign in ’85 but it was his performance against the heavily favored Celtics in ’86 that catapulted him into the category of all-time greats. Boston was 40–1 in the regular season at home that year and would go on to win the title, but not before a scare from Jordan. The 23-year-old hit 22 of 41 shots from all over the Celtic’s home floor, torching Boston defenders with fade away jumpers, mesmerizing dunks, and knee-buckling crossovers. All in all, he scored a still-playoff record 63 points, while garnering praise from the Celtics afterward, in the 135–131 double-overtime classic that Boston ultimately won.

5. Reggie Miller…

LeBron James scored 40 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, and dished out 9 assists in the Heat's 101–93 win over the Pacers Sunday. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The NBA’s regular season MVP LeBron James had game-highs of 40 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists to lead the Miami Heat to a second-half comeback win, 101–93, over the Indiana Pacers to tie the series up at two games a piece.

Minus Chris Bosh, who may be out for the series with an abdomen injury, the bigger two-thirds of the Heat’s Big Three of James and Dwayne Wade were on fire—especially in the second half. The duo combined for 70 of the team’s 101 points overall, including 28 of the team’s 30 third-quarter points as the Heat quickly erased an eight-point halftime deficit.

Wade, who finished with 30 points on the day after having a horrible Game 3 in which he hit just two of 13 shots while scoring 5 points in the Heat’s 94–75 loss, got off to a slow start Sunday. The 30-year-old shooting guard missed seven of his first eight shots before hitting a 3-pointer and then a dunk just before halftime to cut an 11-point lead down to 8.

The makes were the first 2 of 12 straight shots hit by Wade from the floor from the second quarter to the fourth quarter.

James and Wade combined to score 39 points in a row at one point for Miami from late in the first half to near the end of the third quarter. And until Udonis Haslem hit back-to-back jumpers with five minutes left in the game, extending the Heat’s lead to seven points, no Miami players other than Wade or James had even hit a field goal since the first half.

Haslem finished with 14 points in 25 minutes while Wade, in addition to his 30 points grabbed 9 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists in a performance that could only be outdone by the versatile LeBron James.

Dwayne Wade (L) missed seven of his first eight shots before hitting 12 in a row as Miami dominated the second half Sunday to tie the series at two games apiece. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Having to play power forward in the 6-foot-11-inch Bosh’s absence and match up against Indiana’s taller front line, the 6-foot-8-inch small forward hit 14 of 27 shots and 12 of 16 free throws while blocking two shots and coming up with a pair of steals at the other end. His 18 rebounds helped the Heat to a surprising 47–38 rebounding advantage over the taller Pacers.

The defensive pressure put on by James and Wade frustrated the Pacers’ shooting, especially in the second half. Indiana scored just 39 points after halftime and looked uncomfortable at times on offense, while being slow-footbed on defense despite Bosh’s absence.

Game 5 of this series will be played Tuesday night in Miami.

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Nineteen-year old phenomenon Bryce Harper hit his first two home runs in back-to-back games this past week for the offense-starved Nationals. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

With just a week and a half until Memorial Day the baseball universe still seems upside down. The Baltimore Orioles, who’ve finish in last place four straight seasons, are currently in first-place in the AL East, while the once-mighty Red Sox are occupying the Orioles’ customary spot in the basement.

After hits in seven of his last eight games new Angel Albert Pujols’ average is finally above .200, while his home run pace (three so far and two in his last two games) puts him on pace for a whopping 12 this season—far below his career-worst of 32 set in 2007.

Heading into the first round of interleague play (starting Friday) here are the Epoch Times Power Rankings:

10. Cincinnati Reds: 19-18 record; 3.9 runs scored, 3.9 runs allowed—The thus-far consistently mild Reds have yet to win or lose more than three games in a row this season and have allowed as many runs (144) as they’ve scored. The good news for the team is that slugger Joey Votto has found his power stroke again. Votto, who has hit an average of 29 home runs the last four seasons, has hit four out this week alone to triple his season total to six. In Votto’s defense the hard-hitting first baseman already has an NL-high 35 walks thus far as pitchers have had success pitching around him this season. Previous: 8

9. New York Yankees: 20-17 record; 4.8 runs scored, 4.5 runs allowed*—Although the Yankees’ record doesn’t quite reflect it, the team is playing well, despite their circumstances. Andy Pettitte has returned to the rotation to counter for the loss of injured starter Michael Pineda. Slow-starting Robinson Cano is hitting .357 in May to move his average past .300 for the season. And despite injuries to the team’s first two closer options (Mariano Rivera and David Robertson) the Yankees still have Rafael Soriano, who had 45 saves in 2010, to close out games. Previous: 6

8. Cleveland Indians: 22-16 record; 4.5 runs scored, 4.6 runs allowed—The only team on this list that’s actually allowed more runs than they’ve scored for the season, the Indians are an astounding 9-1 in one-run games on the season. Even more amazing is the performance of their top starter Derek Lowe. The 39-year old veteran is 6-1 with a 2.05 ERA in 8 starts thus far. Previous: 10

The gamble of investing more than $100 million in unproven starter Yu Darvish has paid off thus far as Darvish is 6-1 with a 2.60 ERA through 8 starts. (Layne Murdoch/Getty Images)

7. Baltimore Orioles: 25-14 record; 4.7 runs scored, 4.2 runs allowed—The first-place Orioles continue to surprise the baseball world with their unexpected start. Though Tampa Bay came out of nowhere to become contenders in the same division in 2008, the young Rays had a talented young pitching staff and the organization itself was lauded for their incredible minor-league system the year prior to that. Baltimore, now a respectable 8-6 against Boston, New York, and Tampa Bay has scored the third-most runs in the American League despite the slow start by right fielder Nick Markakis (.247 average). Previous: 9

6. Atlanta Braves: 23-15 record; 5.3 runs scored, 4.4 runs allowed*—After a 0-4 start to the season the young Braves have quietly been one of the hottest teams in baseball. Atlanta boasts four starting pitchers with an ERA under 4.00—and three of those starters (Tommy Hanson, Brandon Beachy, and Randall Delgado) are under the age of 26. Thirty-six year-old starter Tim Hudson is still going strong (2-1 3.96 ERA) on the mound while 40-year old Chipper Jones (.298, 5 home runs, 23 RBIs) is having his best season since 2008. Previous: 4

The Nets immediate future hinges greatly on whether they can keep point guard Deron Williams, who averaged 21.0 points and 8.7 assists per game last year. (Chris Chambers/Getty Images)

The New Jersey Nets ended out their last season in the Garden State with a 22–44 record, good for last place in the Atlantic Division, while finishing their fifth straight season without a playoff appearance.

Not much went right for the team that will be calling Brooklyn’s Barclays Center its home next season.

To start things off their dreams of pairing star guard Deron Williams with Orlando’s center Dwight Howard had to be put on hold for now, and maybe forever, with Howard extending his stay in Orlando by a year. The team’s varied attempts at acquiring the NBA’s best big man were repeatedly rebuffed this past season and now that Williams is set to become a free agent this offseason, just keeping him will be a chore in and of itself.

Reports had the Nets offering anyone and everyone on their roster, outside of guard Deron Williams, plus as many as five future first-round picks for Orlando’s Howard. But the Magic ultimately said no as Howard, clearly torn over wanting to come to New York and play with Williams versus becoming the perceived villain (as LeBron James turned into after taking his talent to South Beach) that forced his way, eventually decided not to opt out of his contract after this season.

Injuries were another problem for Avery Johnson’s team.

Center Brook Lopez, who had not missed a game in his three-year career heading into the 2011–2012 season, played just five games all year due to an assortment of injuries. His lack of good health not only hurt the team on the court, but also in the front office, as the 24-year-old was the on-again, off-again centerpiece of the failed Dwight Howard offering. With him on the shelf, the Nets offer for Howard were clearly weakened, yet might have still failed had Howard refused to drop his opt-out right for this season.

Another important piece to the Howard-deal was rookie shooting guard MarShon Brooks. The 6-foot-5-inch Providence grad looked like a draft-day steal after averaging better than 15 points per game through the first month of the season, but injuries took a toll on him as well, limiting him to 56 games on the year.

All in all, the Nets have some good players, but aren’t yet a good team. Here are three keys to them competing next year

1. Win the NBA draft lottery

The May 30 drawing this season is huge for the Nets in a couple of ways, the biggest of which is just acquiring Kentucky forward/center Anthony Davis.

The addition of shot-blocking forward/center Anthony Davis (L) would be huge for the Nets and their defense, which gave up the third most points in the Eastern Conference this past season. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The 6-foot-10-inch shot-blocking post presence is the most coveted prospect since Greg Oden and Kevin Durant left school for the 2007 draft and Davis will undoubtedly be drafted first overall.

The 19-year-old, who led the National Champion Wildcats in almost every statistical category, looks like a cross between Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan and should soon become a franchise-type player in the very near future.

The Nets, tied for the fifth worst record in the league, have a 7.5 percent chance of getting the first pick and just a 25 percent chance of getting a top-three pick. Getting just a top-three pick would itself be a big help, because if they don’t, the pick then goes to Portland to complete the trade for forward Gerald Wallace. In that case, the Nets would only have their second-round pick to build with.

The 29-year-old Wallace was actually acquired by the all-in Nets in March as more trade bait to throw at Orlando, which reportedly was very high on the 6-foot-7-inch forward.

The 29-year-old Wallace…

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle has led Dallas to the playoffs in all four seasons as head coach. CHRISTIAN PETERSON/GETTY IMAGES

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle signed a new four-year contract Tuesday with an option for a fifth year.

In Carlisle’s four seasons at the helm of the Mavs, he has compiled a record of 198-114—good for a .635 winning percentage. In those four years Carlisle took the Mavs to the postseason all four years, winning the NBA championship title in the 2010-11 season.

Owner Mark Cuban indicated he was glad to have him back. “He is a proven winner, a great teacher and a coach that will help the Mavericks improve as a team and as an organization,” said Cuban.

The amount of money the Mavs will pay Carlisle was not disclosed, though he earned $4.5 million this season and will certainly receive a salary increase in the extension. Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers is thought to be the highest paid NBA coach with a $7 million annual pay check.

The deal will certainly go over well with the players.

Maverick superstar Dirk Nowitzki has continually praised Carlisle and believes he is the right man to again take the team to the ‘Promised Land’.

Time will tell for Carlisle as he starts his new four year contract. He must move quickly as 10 of his 15 players potentially could become free agents. Cuban and Carlisle are going to be very busy in this offseason.

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New York’s offense may not be big enough for both Amar’e Stoudemire (L) and Carmelo Anthony’s shooting prowess. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Now that another Knicks season has come and gone without a title, the question remains: how to fix these Knicks?

The good news is that they’re improving, as a whole. Former general manager Donnie Walsh did an incredible job in rescuing them from the salary-cap trap they were in under the previous regime. Now that former interim general manager Glen Grunwald has been given permanent status the Knicks seem like they’ll continue in good hands.

Under Grunwald’s watch they’ve made several good moves, including waiving point guard Chauncey Billups under the NBA’s amnesty rule so that they could then sign center Tyson Chandler. Chandler’s infectious energy on defense changed the team’s whole look on that end of the floor (especially when D’Antoni left) and led to him winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Signing Jeremy Lin was another great call by Grunwald. Every NBA team has had a chance to either draft or sign him over the last couple of years but few saw his potential as an above-average point guard that could be an All-Star starter in the near future.

Finally, naming Mike Woodson as interim head coach worked out well, maybe even better than Grunwald had imagined. After D’Antoni resigned following an 18–24 start to the season, Woodson won 18 of 24 regular season games, emphasizing defense first, and then became the first Knicks coach to win a playoff game since 2001.

So the point is, the Knicks look to be in good hands with Grunwald. Now, to the future. What about this offseason and what moves should they do?

1. Don’t wait too long on Phil Jackson.

Mike Woodson did a tremendous job after D’Antoni left. He saw a way to win with defense, as the Knicks just happen to have one of the NBA’s best defensive centers (Tyson Chandler) and guards (Iman Shumpert) in the league.

In addition, he has a good track record. He did a tremendous resurrection job in Atlanta going from 13–69 in his first season in 2005 to 53–29 in 2010, his final season, so his permanent hire would seem a no-brainer if it weren’t for the rumored-possibility of hiring coaching legend Phil Jackson.

Jackson, a former Knick who learned his craft from Knicks’ coaching great Red Holzman, takes a back seat to no one. The 66-year-old’s resume is well-known—11 titles in 19 seasons as head coach—and has no problems with high expectations that come with coaching at Madison Square Garden in New York.

This may be the only job he would come out of retirement for, but there’s no guarantee he would take it.

The Knicks will have to set a cutoff date soon to have either Jackson or Woodson as head coach. If they wait until after the playoffs end it may be too late and both might be out as options.

The rest of the NBA witnessed Woodson’s success and he would probably be near the top of most team’s wish lists of coaches for hire come June, while Jackson’s hire is no certainty at all.

2. Find a taker for Amar’e Stoudemire’s contract.

Stoudemire is one of the game’s best offensive big men. Don’t let this year’s down numbers fool you. He put up 17.5 points (worst since his rookie season) and 7.8 rebounds per contest this season despite a back injury and an unsure role alongside Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.

If he’s healthy and has room to roam on offense, he looks like he’s still good for 20–23 points and 8–10 rebounds a night.

It’s uncertainty about his role that seems to be the biggest hindrance to making this work for the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony is the biggest talent on the team and the offense runs through him. Unless point guard Jeremy Lin, who is currently unsigned for next year, can come back next year and find a way to include everyone in the offense, much like Steve Nash does with the Suns, it doesn’t make sense to keep Stoudemire.

Trading him and…

James Harden averaged 16.8 points per game this past season for the Thunder. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Oklahoma City guard James Harden was named the NBA’s sixth Man of the Year Thursday, according to a report on the league’s website.

The 6-foot-5-inch Harden, who was third on the team in scoring at 16.8 points per game, received 115 of possible 119 first-place votes, easily outdistancing runner-up Louis Williams of Philadelphia.

Harden was the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He scored in double figures in 58 of 62 games. The former Arizona State star came off the bench in 60 of those 62 games, making him eligible for the award, which requires players to come off the bench more times than they start in order to qualify.

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The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Clippers 92-80 in Game 5 on Wednesday evening, forcing a Game 6 to take place at Staples Center in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET on Friday night. If needed, Game 7 will take place on Sunday in Memphis.

After losing 97-101 to the Clippers on Monday in Game 4, the Grizzlies made a comeback by building a double-digit lead of home victory, leading by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter, and leaving the Clippers hurting.

Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol scored 23 points and Zack Randolph tossed in another 19, while Clippers’ Blake Griffin sprang his left knee, and Chris Paul had to spend the final minute of the game on the bench after suffering from a sore right hip.

“I had talked to them earlier, yesterday and today about them needing to play better,” said Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, as quoted by NBA’s website. “They needed to work harder to get the ball in the post, and we needed to make sure we threw it to them when they were open. And, they got off to a good start. Marc really got us off and then it just carried forward through the whole first half.”

“There’s no point leaving home if we don’t know our way back,” Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo told The Associated Press. “We can’t look at Sunday because we have to make sure we get back home after Friday night.”

Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire had just 14 points and 4 rebounds in the team's 106 -- 94 season-ending loss. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)

LeBron James scored a team-high 29 points Wednesday as the Miami Heat closed out the New York Knicks’ season with a slow, deliberate 106–94 knockout of a team which had a roller-coaster of a season finally come crashing to an end.

Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony put up a game-high 35 points on 15-for-31 shooting and the Knicks actually shot a higher percent (47.4 to 43.6) for the game but never looked in sync on either end of the court. The Heat outrebounded the Knicks, committed fewer turnovers, and went to the free-throw line 13 more times than Mike Woodson’s club.

Consequently the Heat, after trailing by as many as six points in the first quarter, took the lead 10 minutes into the game and never relinquished it.

Veteran guard Mike Bibby, who started in place of the injured Baron Davis and was instrumental in the quick start by New York, scored eight points in the first seven-and-a-half-minutes but would score just two more the rest of the way. In 36 minutes he finished with 10 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds while committing just 1 turnover.

His solid performance wasn’t enough to sway the momentum, though.

The Heat, who looked fluid on offense while playing a swarming defense on Carmelo Anthony, seemed to toy with the Knicks, who came within 45–42 with 2:42 left until halftime before Miami unleashed a half-ending 10–2 run to take an 11-point lead into halftime.

Knicks guard J.R. Smith had an especially tough night hitting just three of 15 shots on the evening, and missed all four three-point attempts. Sharpshooting forward Steve Novak was unable to get off any long-range shots in his 12 minutes of play and finished with no points, while Amar’e Stoudemire had just 14 points and 4 rebounds in his 32 minutes on the court.

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With Baron Davis out the Knicks may ask either Jeremy Lin (L) or Carmelo Anthony to play a few minutes at point guard. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

The Knicks are in a bit of a quandary for Wednesday’s Game 5 against Miami. Not only are they facing their second straight elimination game, down 3–1 in the series; they’ll be without the services of injured point guard Baron Davis. Davis left Sunday’s game with a dislocated right patella.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson has already announced that veteran guard Mike Bibby will get the start in Davis’s absence, but Bibby certainly can’t play the whole game.

During the regular season the soon-to-be 34-year-old broke the 30-minute barrier just twice during the regular season in averaging just 2.6 points and 2.1 assists per game—far and away career lows for someone who was one of the best in the league at his position a decade ago.

Fortunately for the Knicks, Bibby is at his best in the clutch. The Arizona-alum led the underdog Wildcats to the National Championship in 1997, as a freshman. Five years later his fearless play against the vaunted Lakers in the conference finals officially put him on the map of the NBA’s best point guards.

When he’s not on the floor though, or if he can’t turn back the clock against the Heat, here are the Knicks’ options:

1. Play Toney Douglas, if healthy. Douglas has not played at all this series, partly because of an unspecified illness and partly because Davis, Bibby, and Jeremy Lin had passed him on the depth chart.
Pros: Douglas is quicker and a better defensive player than the slower Bibby. If healthy he should be well-rested since he hasn’t seen the court since April 20.

Cons: Douglas is not a great offensive player. He hit just 32.4 percent of his field goal attempts on the season, and that includes playing meaningful minutes in December and January. Also his prolonged absence from the court might mean he’s fresh, but there should be plenty of rust as well.

2. Rush Jeremy Lin back into action. Lin has been out since March 24 and is recovering from knee surgery.
Pros: When healthy he’s the best point guard on the roster after his breakout season this year. His play-making skills especially would come in handy in a series where the Knicks offense has often looked stale. In addition, the energy he brings to the court would nice change of pace for Mike Woodson’s club.

Cons: There is a school of thought that says anytime you bring a player from a prolonged absence back into a team’s regular rotation—no matter how good they are—it requires an adjustment period before the team gels together again. Lin, who has missed 21 of the 28 games that Mike Woodson has been coach would definitely require an adjustment period. In addition, with the team just one loss away from a first-round playoff exit, it may not be wise to test his surgically repaired knee at this time. If they were in the finals, that would be another thing.

3. Put Carmelo Anthony at the point.
Pros: Woodson already wants the ball in Anthony’s hands as the offense goes through him anyway. Plus his height (6’8”) at the position would create matchup problems for the Heat defensively. The Knicks could put him alongside J.R. Smith (6’6”) or Landry Fields (6’7”) at shooting guard with Steve Novak (6’10”) and Amar’e Stoudemire (6’10”) at the forward positions and Tyson Chandler (7’1”) at center. The lack of quickness would be mitigated by their rebounding advantage and the likelihood to be able find a favorable post-up opportunity at nearly every individual matchup on the floor.

What will happen: Bibby will go for about 35 minutes, Douglas will give him a 5-minute breather, and Mike Woodson will try Carmelo (and maybe even J.R. Smith) at the point the rest of the time, while Lin continues to rehab.

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Anthony (R) and Stoudemire worked well together Sunday, scoring a combined 61 of the Knicks 89 points themselves. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 41 points, including a final-minute three-pointer that put the Knicks in front for good, as New York staved off elimination in Game 4 Sunday with an 89–87 win at Madison Square Garden.

The three-pointer by Anthony was part of an exciting last two minutes of play.

After the two teams combined to miss their first 22 three-pointers of the game, three were hit in back-to-back-to-back possessions in the final 90 seconds.

First, veteran point guard Mike Bibby broke open an tie game (81–81) with a a three-pointer from the wing with 1:23 left to put the Knicks up three.

Bibby, who developed a reputation as a clutch playoff shooter some 10 years ago when he was with Sacramento, finished with six points on a pair of threes in 23 minutes of play. Bibby might not have gotten such an opportunity if it weren’t for the third-quarter injury to starting point guard Baron Davis.

Davis was leading a fast break, at the time, when all of a sudden his knee buckled; he fell to the floor in obvious pain and had to be removed on a stretcher. The injury has been described as a right kneecap dislocation. His availability for the rest of the series is unknown.

The Heat, who took a timeout following Bibby’s three, immediately ran a play to free up LeBron James who connected for a three-pointer himself to tie the game up at 84 with 1:15 remaining.

James, who nearly beat the Knicks by himself in the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s game, had nine in the fourth quarter Sunday and a team-high 27 for the game.

Following James’ game-tying three, Anthony took over for the Knicks hitting a three at the top of the circle to put New York up three again. Then after a Miami turnover Anthony ran down the shot clock before drawing a foul on a three-point attempt.

Inexplicably though, Anthony missed two of the three free throws that could have iced the game.

With the Knicks up 88–84, the Heat’s LeBron James drove to the hoop and made an acrobatic layup that went just over the outstretched arms of Tyson Chandler, who was called for his sixth foul on the play.

After James hit his free throw to pull the Heat within one point, Miami purposely fouled Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire with 14 ticks remaining.

For Wade the three-point miss was his third of the game in as many tries, though he finished with 22 points and a team-high six assists. Heat forward Chris Bosh was the only other Miami player to score in double figures as he finished with 17 points and a team-leading 9 rebounds.

On the other side, a determined Stoudemire finished with 20 points and a team-best 10 rebounds in 34 minutes of play with a cast on his badly cut left hand. Stoudemire, who missed Game 3 with the accidental self-inflicted injury finally looked comfortable playing with fellow star forward Carmelo Anthony as both players made more shots than they missed while flowing with the offense.

Game 5 of this best-of-seven series will be Wednesday night Miami.

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Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks saw their lead and their season slip away in a matter of minutes. RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES

The Mavs last chance for continued postseason play ended unceremoniously Saturday night before the home crowd in Dallas.

Leading by 13 at the start of the fourth quarter it took the Thunder, under the tutelage of shooting guard James Harden who would score 15 fourth quarter points, just a few short minutes to tie it up at 88—then it got nasty for Dallas. The Mavericks went without a field goal for the final 5:47 of the game as Oklahoma City blew past them. With their season on the line, the defending-champions were outscored 35 – 16 in the final quarter by the Thunder as they were swept off their own floor.

Mavs post-player Dirk Nowitzki finished the game with 34 points on 10-of-25 shooting. While that was impressive as a whole, Nowitzki missed seven of his eight fourth quarter shots as the Mavs lost lead and their season.

On the other side, Harden and Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 24 and 27 points respectfully.

These four straight post-season losses by the Mavs maybe team owner Mark Cuban’s secondary problem though. Cuban has some tough executive decisions to make this offseason. Maverick Coach Rick Carlisle is in his final year of his contract, and Cuban has refused to talk about Carlisle’s future.

Meanwhile his starting point guard, Jason Kidd, is 39-years old. What role, if any, will he play in their lineup next season?

This July 1st is decision-day for Cuban. In all, eight players and a coach are eligible to become free agents.

In response to the many questions about everyone’s future Cuban quickly responded that the team’s staff put together the best team it could while keeping financial flexibility for the future.

We’ll see what that future holds.

Durhl Caussey is a Dallas-based writer covering sports, cars, and life in general.

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The Knicks lost Thursday night for the 13th straight time in the NBA Playoffs, dating back to 2001. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat, after scoring just 58 points through three quarters, broke out in the final period outscoring the Knicks 29–14 to win an ugly Game 3 in New York and take a 3-0 series lead.

LeBron James, who seems a certain bet to win league MVP this season, scored eight points in the first 83 seconds of the fourth and ended up scoring 17 in the quarter and 32 overall in the game.

On the other side, the Knicks who led 40–36 at the half and trailed just 58–56 went cold in the fourth quarter as defensive stalwarts Dwayne Wade and LeBron James harassed the Amare Stoudemire-less team into 5-for-18 (28%) shooting in the final period and.

Stoudemire put up 18 points and 7 rebounds against Miami in Game 2. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire is out for Game 3, Thursday night, in the team’s first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat with a cut hand, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

According to the report Stoudemire cut the hand by hitting a fire extinguisher case in a hallway of American Airlines Arena following the Knicks 104–94 loss to Miami Monday night.

The cut is on the left hand of the right-handed shooting Stoudemire and required stitches afterward. Stoudemire, who had 18 points and 7 rebounds in the loss, left the arena with his arm in a sling and his availability for Game 4 on Sunday is doubtful.

The Coach of the Year Award is the second for Popovich. Andy Lyons/Getty Images

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was named the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2011-12 NBA Coach of the Year, the NBA announced Tuesday on the league’s website.

Popovich, in his 16th season as coach in the NBA—all with San Antonio—led the aging Spurs to a 50-16 record and their second straight division title. The 50 wins marks the 13th straight season the Spurs have reach the half-century mark.

Popovich, who has won four NBA titles with the Spurs, also won the award in 2002-03. The 63-year old received 77 of the 119 first-place votes while Chicago’s Tom Thibodeau placed second after receiving 27 first-place votes.

Currently, Popovich’s Spurs lead the Jazz 1-0 in the best-of-seven opening round series.

Carmelo Anthony (L) scored 30 points but it wasn't enough as LeBron James (R) and the Heat turned up their defense in the second half. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat sent the Knicks to their 12th-straight playoff loss with a 104–94 defeat in Miami Monday night that put the Knicks in a 2-0 hole in the best-of-seven series.

LeBron James, who will most likely win his third MVP for his performance this season, had 19 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds in the win. It was his defense on New York’s Carmelo Anthony, though, that won the game.

Anthony and the Knicks looked sharp early following their embarrassing 100–67 loss in Game One Saturday. The Knicks were able to move the ball around and find a red-hot Anthony in rhythm. Carmelo scored 15 points in the first quarter alone, while mostly guarded by Heat forward Shane Battier.

Anthony made 6 of 10 shots in the opening 12 minutes and already had more points by the beginning of the second quarter (15) than he had all of Saturday (11).

By halftime, Anthony had 21 as the Knicks trailed just 53–47 at the break.

By the third quarter though, the Heat turned up their defensive pressure and LeBron James, a member of the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team each of the past three seasons, took some turns guarding Anthony.

The result was a slowed-down Knicks offense. Meanwhile, on the other end, the Knicks were kept off-balance due to the outside shooting of role players Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, and Mike Miller, who combined for five three-pointers after halftime.

Further hurting the Knicks cause was the loss of rookie Iman Shumpert, one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, who tore his ACL in Saturday’s loss and is done for the season.

After pulling to within 72–68 late in the third quarter on a Tyson Chandler dunk, the Knicks would get no closer as the made field goal was their only one for more than seven minutes, during which time the lead swelled to double-digits.

Game Three will be Thursday night in New York.

Rondo (#9) finished Sunday's game with 20 points and 11 assists. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo will miss Game Two of his team’s first round playoff series against Atlanta after bumping an official at the end of Sunday’s 83–74 loss in Atlanta, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

Rondo’s suspension was announced Monday by NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Stu Jackson.

The incident came immediately after Rondo was called for a technical foul for arguing with an official’s call with just 41 seconds remaining. Rondo was immediately tossed from the game.

Andrew Bynum's (L) 10 blocks were the most in the playoffs since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1990. JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGES

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum blocked 10 shots while adding 13 points and 10 rebounds Sunday as the Lakers downed Denver 103–88 in Game One of their first round matchup.

The 7-foot Bynum’s 10 blocked shots tie an NBA playoff record while the triple-double is the first by a Laker in the playoffs in 21 years.

Kobe Bryant added 31 points and 7-foot forward Pau Gasol added 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists as the taller Lakers never trailed en route to taking a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-seven round matchup.

Game Two will be Tuesday night.

Glen Grunwald was behind the acquisitions of Jeremy Lin and Tyson Chandler. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Glen Grunwald was promoted to executive vice president and general manager of the New York Knicks on Tuesday, according to a release on the NBA’s website.

Grunwald had been serving as GM on an interim basis since July when Donnie Walsh vacated the position.

Grunwald was behind using the amnesty clause to release guard Chauncey Billups so that the Knicks could sign free agent center Tyson Chandler. Chandler’s defense under interim coach Mike Woodson has turned around the Knicks season and propelled them into the playoffs. In addition, Grunwald signed a little-known guard named Jeremy Lin, who became the one of the biggest sports sensations ever during a stretch in February.

Carmelo Anthony hit 14 of 32 shots and scored the Knicks final seven points of the game in their win in Atlanta. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

New York Knick superstar Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 39 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Sunday afternoon as the New York Knicks (34–30) held on for a 113–112 victory in an offensive shootout in Atlanta (38–26).

Both playoff-bound teams shot better than 50 percent from the field for the game and were even better from 3-point land—the Knicks hit 12 of their 19 attempts while the Hawks connected on 15 of their 23 tries.

The hot-shooting Anthony is now averaging 29.9 points a game over the last 15 contests and the 39-point scoring output is the fifth time in the last seven games he’s gone for more than 30 points.

The win for the Knicks puts them a half-a-game ahead of Philadelphia for the seventh spot in the east—and a likely first round matchup with Miami—with just two games remaining in the regular season.

In preparation for the playoffs center Tyson Chandler had the day off.

Without the defensive presence of Chandler the Hawks enjoyed a more open lane on offense, though they had to deal with Knicks power forward Amar’e Stoudemire more on defense. Stoudemire, who is at his best with more room to roam in the paint, scored 22 points and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds in his second game back from injury.

Stoudemire scored the first three points of the game, though the lead didn’t last long as hot-shooting Atlanta scored the next 10 points. Hawks forward Marvin Williams scored nine straight points in a 90-second span in the opening quarter. Still the Hawks, who led much of the first half, found themselves tied with New York at 31 points apiece after 12 minutes.

Williams finished with team-highs of 29 points and 11 rebounds and hit four of six 3-point attempts.

The Knicks, who trailed most of the second quarter got their last eight points of the half from Carmelo Anthony but trailed 65–60 at the intermission.

New York jumped out of the gates shooting to start the second half though hitting six 3-pointers in seven attempts through the first eight minutes. Landry Fields hit three of them and scored 12 points in the period as the Knicks had already scored 94 points through three quarters—but had just a one-point lead.

Fields, a second-round pick out of Stanford in 2010, finished with 18 points and hit all three of his 3-point attempts.

The game, once a shootout, took on a physical tone in the final quarter. After Anthony scored four points on back-to-back shots to give the Knicks a 98–93 lead with 11:03 left, Atlanta called timeout and came back more aggressive on defense.

Consequently the Knicks hit just four shots over the next eight and a half minutes, falling behind 109–108 on a 3-pointer by Atlanta guard Joe Johnson. Johnson finished with 22 points and hit all four of his 3-point attempts.

The lead would stand as the Knicks forced Atlanta into three misses down the stretch.

Next up for the Knicks is a Wednesday game against the Clippers at Madison Square Garden.

Kevin Garnett (L) and Andrew Bynum (R) each averaged a double-double the past week. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum were named the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week Monday, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

Garnett led the suddenly resurgent Celtics to a 4–1 record during that time, including three wins in the four games he played in. The 35-year-old power forward posted three double-doubles averaging 20.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in wins over Miami, Atlanta, Toronto, and New Jersey.

Boston has now won 21 of its last 29 games to move into the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.

Carmelo Anthony (L) outscored LeBron James (R) 42–29 but LeBron's Heat won 93–85. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Carmelo Anthony scored 42 points Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden but it wasn’t enough as Miami (42–17), led by the “Big Three” stars Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh, pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat the Knicks (31–29) 93–85.

Anthony, who’s averaging 30 points a game over his last 11 contests, also had team-highs of 9 rebounds and five assists but was 1 of just 2 Knicks to score in double-figures.

The loss leaves the Knicks still two games ahead of Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff spot and drops them a half a game behind Philadelphia for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference.

Miami, which has already clinched their division title, had almost as unbalanced of a scoring attack as New York did, having just their “Big Three” reach double-figures, though the Heat are built that way. Wade, James, and Bosh all average between 17 and 27 points per game for the season, while no one else puts up more than 10.

The Heat converted some early Knicks turnovers into quick transition baskets and led by as many as 11 in the first quarter before the Anthony-led Knicks came storming all the way back in the second period. Anthony, who scored 22 first-half points, scored the Knicks last 6 points of the first half and gave them a quick lead before a pair of LeBron James free throws put Miami up at the break 46–44.

James finished with a team-high 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds but turned the ball over six times.

Miami, which is an NBA-best 25-4 at home this season, came into the game with a surprisingly ordinary 16-13 mark on the road.

Anthony started off the second half for the Knicks by hitting another jumper and it appeared that New York, which had won 13 of its 17 games under new coach Mike Woodson, would run right past the seemingly vulnerable Heat.

Instead the Heat clamped down on defense, holding the Knicks scoreless for more than four and a half minutes as they built a nine-point lead late in the quarter, prompting a timeout from Knicks coach Mike Woodson.

Whatever Woodson, a defensive coach who formerly led the Atlanta Hawks to the playoffs three straight seasons, said seemed to spark the Knicks to a 15–4 run giving them a 73–71 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Knicks guard J.R. Smith hit a pair of 3-pointers in the quick spurt, while 3-point specialist Steve Novak hit another. Smith finished with 16 points in the game; Novak had six. Still, Miami’s star power was too much down the stretch.

Wade finished with 28 points and nine rebounds but turned the ball over six times, while Bosh contributed 16 points and pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds as the Heat coasted the last four minutes en route to victory.

Up next for New York is a Tuesday game against Boston at Madison Square Garden.

Lamar Odom has hit just 35.2% of his shots from the floor this season, easily the lowest of his 13-year career. RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES

The Dallas Mavericks have placed forward Lamar Odom on the inactive list, ending the underwhelming season for the reigning Sixth Man of the Year nine games early, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

“We’ve got to be able to look down that bench and count on folks to be consistent,” general manager Donnie Nelson said. “Unfortunately with him in his state right now, he’s just not capable of doing that. I say that with his best interest in mind. He’s going through a very, very tough personal time. We certainly understand that. But we’re in the thick of it in the West and we’ve got to win games.”

[Odom, in his first season in Dallas, has established career-lows in points (6.6), rebounds (4.2) and minutes per game (20.5) this season for the defending-champion Mavericks.

Carmelo Anthony (R) hit both the game-tying three-pointer in regulation and the game-winning three in overtime, finishing with 43 points. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Carmelo Anthony hit the game-tying three-pointer with 11 seconds left in regulation and then followed that with the game-winning three-pointer in overtime with just eight ticks left to lead the Knicks (29-27) to a 100–99 win over the conference-leading Bulls (43-14).

Anthony finished with a game-high 43 points on 16-for-31 shooting, including 4-for-5 from three-point land.

New York’s win is their second straight overall and the 11th in their last 14 games, keeping them ahead of Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Anthony himself has been on fire of late. The team’s leading scorer has averaged 29.9 points per contest in his last seven outings.

On the other side, Chicago point guard Derrick Rose led the team with 29 points in his first game since March 12. Rose, who had been out with an injured groin, started miserably, scoring just six points in the first half, while turning the ball over five times and missing five of his six shots from the floor.

The Knicks, in turn, took full advantage, starting the game on a 27–6 run, and led the entire first half.

Chicago, which still has the best record in the NBA, eventually caught up and tied the game late in the third quarter. By the fourth, they looked in control, leading 91–81 with 3:45 remaining.

But the Knicks clawed back, starting with a J.R. Smith three-pointer that cut the lead to seven; then Anthony converted a pair of layups to cut it to three with less than a minute left. Smith finished with 14 points but hit just six of his 22 attempts from the floor.

With 27 seconds three-point specialist Steve Novak missed a game-tying three-pointer left that rolled around the rim a few times before coming out but then Derrick Rose missed both free throws after the Knicks fouled, giving New York one more chance. Anthony took full advantage of the second opportunity hitting the three-pointer in rhythm to tie the game with 11 seconds left, bringing the crowd to its feet.

Chicago had one last chance to win it in regulation, but Rose missed a 22-footer as time ran out.

In the overtime, the Knicks fell behind again and trailed 99–95 with 2:50 remaining, but just like in regulation they got stops at the defensive end of the floor down the stretch and Carmelo Anthony provided just enough offense to win.

First, Anthony’s layup with 1:04 left cut the deficit to two points and after a steal by J.R. Smith New York got off four shot attempts, thanks to three offensive rebounds, with Anthony finally connecting with a three-pointer for the lead with just eight seconds left.

Defense won this one and has been the key for the Knicks in their resurgence under Coach Mike Woodson. In Woodson’s 14 games as coach, the Knicks are 11-3 and have allowed just one opponent more than 100 points in a game. Under former coach Mike D’Antoni New York allowed more than 100 points 13 times in his 42 games and the Knicks subsequently went 18-24.

The Knicks next game is Tuesday against these same Chicago Bulls.

Fab Melo (L) led the Orange to victory in 29 of the 30 games played for head coach Jim Boeheim (R). (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Syracuse sophomore center Fab Melo will sign with an agent and enter the NBA Draft, according to a report on the school’s website Thursday.

Said Melo, according to the report, “After meeting with my mother, my family and Coach Boeheim, I have decided to enter my name in to the 2012 NBA Draft. Being able to play professional basketball has been my dream since I first starting playing this game and now I have the opportunity to accomplish that dream.”

Reggie Miller was inducted to the Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Former Indiana Pacer guard Reggie Miller and former player and NBA coach Don Nelson were part of the class of 2012 that will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

Also gaining entry were former NBA players Ralph Sampson and Jamaal Wilkes.

“It’s a humbling experience obviously,” Miller said on the NBA TV broadcast, according to the report.

Miller played 18 seasons for the Pacers and retired as the NBA’s all-time leading three-point shooter with 2,560 makes from beyond the arc. His most famous moments came against the New York Knicks in the ’94 and ’95 playoffs where his clutch shooting and antics made him a villain in New York.

Amar’e Stoudemire may be back before the end of the regular season. EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES

The New York Knicks may get forward Amar’e Stoudemire back before the end of the season after a second doctor said he won’t need surgery on the bulging disc in his back, according to a release on the NBA’s website.

Stoudemire recently returned from Miami where he was looked at by a second doctor. Both doctors agreed on nonsurgical treatment and rehabilitation including an epidural for pain relief.

The two-to-four-week time period would allow the Knicks power forward to get back to the team before the end of the regular season, which is April 26.

Amar’e Stoudemire may be back before the end of the regular season. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks may get forward Amar’e Stoudemire back before the end of the season after a second doctor said he won’t need surgery on the bulging disc in his back, according to a release on the NBA’s website.

Stoudemire recently returned from Miami where he was looked at by a second doctor. Both doctors agreed on nonsurgical treatment and rehabilitation including an epidural for pain relief.

The two-to-four-week time period would allow the Knicks power forward to get back to the team before the end of the regular season, which is April 26.

Allen Iverson last played in the NBA in 2010 with Philadelphia. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Former NBA guard Allen Iverson has signed a one-month contract to play in a regional basketball league in the Dominican Republic, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

According to the report, Pueblo Nuevo club President Milton Nunez told The Associated Press on Thursday that Iverson will arrive on Sunday and play that same day in a game against GUG in Santiago Province. Nunez did not disclose how much he’ll be paid.
The 36-year-old Iverson last played in the NBA in 2010 with Philadelphia, his second stint with the Sixers. Iverson then spent part of that year playing in Turkey.

Derek Fisher brings his championship experience to the young but talented Thunder. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Former Laker guard Derek Fisher signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the remainder of the season Wednesday, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

Fisher, who won five NBA titles in Los Angeles, was bought out by the Houston Rockets that acquired Fisher in a trade with the Lakers last week. The Thunder is a good bet for Fisher to get his sixth ring, as it leads the Western Conference with a 35-12 record.

Wilt Chamberlain was recognized as one of the 50 greatest NBA Ppayers in 1997. One of his greatest accomplishments was scoring 100 points in a game in 1962 as told about in Gary M. Pomerantz's book "Wilt, 1962." (Matt Campbell/AFP/Getty Images)

Who would have thought about it? The Irish and their impact on the national pastime? I did in my book “Old Time Baseball.” Now along comes “The Emerald Diamond” by Charley Rosen (Harper, $25.99, 305 pages). Its subtitle says it all, “How The Irish Transformed America’s Greatest Pastime.”

Rosen, known for his writings about the NBA, is in top form here dishing out data and passing out anecdotes about many of the known and under-publicized facts and factoids, as well as another area of important Irish contributions in sports.

“The Last Great Game: Duke vs. Kentucky and the 2.1 Seconds that Changed Basketball” by Gene Wojciechowski (Blue Rider Press, $26.95) is a riveting inside look at the legendary game in 1992. The gang’s all here and we can all enjoy the flashbacked, riveting read and the talented writing of Gene Wojciechowski; especially for college hoop fans.

“Hack’s 191” by Bill Chastain (Lyons Press, $24.95) is a look back to the epic 1930 season of slugger Hack Wilson and his Chicago Cubs team. A good friend of Al Capone, an imbiber of booze and good times, Wilson was one of baseball’s most colorful all-time characters. The “Hacker” comes to life in this splendid book, as does his day-by-day RBI record exploding to a still-unbroken 191.

“Wheels of Change” by Sue Macy (National Geographic, $18.95, only 98 pages) is a slim volume that packs a lot of charm and content. It offers the point of view that before the bicycle in the 1880s, the lives of women were restricted. With “wheels,” women became emancipated. They set records cycling and explored the world. Page after page of archival images and apt observations make this tome terrific—HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Tim Wendel’s “Summer of ’68” (DaCapo, $25.00, 272 pages), like the Hack Wilson book and many others, is a look back at one specific baseball season and the events in the culture surrounding it. The year was one of tragedy, broken dreams, horrible events, and turning points—rioting in major American cities, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. It was also the “Year of the Pitcher” (Tiant, Gibson, Drysdale, McLain and others). The times today are fraught with peril. Back then, things were even worse, but baseball was a constant support for many. Full disclosure: As the author of “Remembering Fenway Park: An Oral and Narrative History of the Home of the Boston Red Sox,” I was looking ahead to read Richard A. Johnson’s “Field of Our Fathers” (Triumph, $35.00, 288 pages). It does not disappoint. Whereas my book focuses only on baseball at Fenway, the Johnson tome includes nonbaseball events. I leaned heavily on oral history with 140 individuals telling the story of the oldest MLB park. Johnson features clippings, ephemera, and mini essays from folks such as Bob Ryan and Glenn Stout.

A noted oral historian and sports journalist, Harvey Frommer has written many sports books, including timed to 2012 and the 100th anniversary, “Fenway Park: An Oral and Narrative History of the Home of the Boston Red Sox.” His work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, New York Daily News, Newsday, USA Today, Men’s Heath, The Sporting News, Bleacher Report, and of course, The Epoch Times, among other venues and publications.
Visit his website here: http://harveyfrommersports.com/remembering_fenway/

Gerald Green won the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest in 2007. (Chris Chambers/Getty Images)

The New Jersey Nets have signed forward Gerald Green for the remainder of the season, according to a report on the team’s website.

Green, who signed the first of two consecutive 10-day contracts on February 27, has played in 11 games, averaging 11.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game. The 6’8” Green has scored season-highs of 26 points in two of those games and is averaging 18.6 points in his last five contests.

The 26-year old forward was originally drafted in the first round, 18th overall, by the Boston Celtics in the 2005 draft, straight out of high school.

Dwight Howard will not opt out of his contract this summer. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard has elected to terminate his opt-out clause and will stay under contract through the 2012-13 season, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

The 6-foot-11-inch big man signed away his early termination option Thursday, and with the passing of the NBA’s trade deadline, Orlando will be able to hold onto him until at least this summer.

According to the report, Howard said: “I just love the city too much, the people here, the organization. I want to give it a shot. We have a great opportunity to do something special. But it’s going to take everyone, from the top all the way to the bottom.”

The Blazers had lost seven of their previous ten games under McMillan. (Harry How/Getty Images)

The Portland Trail Blazers have fired head coach Nate McMillan, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

The move was announced Thursday, one day after the 20-23 Trail Blazers lost by 42 points to the New York Knicks.

“Clearly the season to this point has not gone the way we had hoped it would, and after talking with Nate, we decided it was best to part ways,” Blazers President Larry Miller said in a statement issued by the team. “I want to personally acknowledge and thank Nate for his many contributions to this franchise and wish him nothing but the best for the future.”

Assistant coach Caleb Kanales will be the interim head coach.

Mike D’Antoni’s team had lost six straight games. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Mike D’Antoni is out as coach of the Knicks.

Knicks senior vice president, basketball operations and interim general manager Glen Grunwald announced Wednesday that it had been mutually decided that D’Antoni would no longer coach the Knicks, according to a release on the Knicks website.

Mike Woodson has been named interim head coach.

“After speaking with Mike this morning, we mutually agreed that it would be best for the organization if he did not continue in his role as coach of the Knicks,” said Jim Dolan, executive chairman of The Madison Square Garden Company. “Mike is a class act and true professional, and we have appreciated his honesty, commitment, and years of service to the organization.”

Lopez averaged 19.2 points per contest in five games this season. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)

New Jersey Net center Brook Lopez has a sprained right ankle and will miss three weeks, according to a report on the NBA’s website. Lopez injured the ankle Sunday in the third quarter of New Jersey’s 104–101 win over Charlotte.

Lopez, who had just returned on February 19th from a stress fracture in his foot which had sidelined him since the season started on December 25th, has averaged 19.2 points in his five games this season.

The fourth-year pro out of Stanford led the team in scoring last season and actually had not missed a game in his career until this season.

Carmelo Anthony (7) scored a team-high 25 points, while Boston's Paul Pierce (34) put up 34 in the Celtic's 115–111 win Sunday. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Boston guard Rajon Rondo scored 18 points, dished out 20 assists, and grabbed 17 rebounds for his fourth triple-double of the season as the Celtics (19-17) topped the Knicks (18-19) 115–111 in overtime Sunday afternoon in Boston.

In doing so, Rondo became just the third player in NBA history, along with Jason Kidd and Magic Johnson who both did it twice, to record better than 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in a single game.

Meanwhile New York’s sudden sensation, point guard Jeremy Lin, was saddled with foul trouble early and finished with more turnovers (six) than assists (five) while shooting 6/16 from the floor for 14 points. Lin’s two first-quarter fouls limited him to just three minutes in the opening quarter, though backup point guard Baron Davis played well in his absence, contributing eight points and seven assists in 21 minutes.

The Knicks actually were well in control of the game in the second quarter, despite Lin still being in foul trouble. New York went on a 14–4 run midway through the quarter to take a 52–40 lead and after a late Boston surge, headed into halftime ahead 56–51.

The Celtics, though, continued their surge after halftime eventually tying the score at 60 and then running right past Knicks, taking an 80–65 lead off a Chris Wilcox layup, assisted by Paul Pierce that brought the Boston faithful to their feet and forced Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni to take a timeout.

Pierce was especially deadly in the third-quarter run by Boston, scoring 17 points in the period as the Celtics outscored the Knicks 29–16 in those 12 minutes. The Knicks scored the final seven points in the quarter to cut the lead to single digits at 80–72.

Pierce would end up with a game-high 34 points, including a three-pointer with 4.9 seconds left in the game that tied it at 103, forcing overtime.

The shot came after the Lin sparked the team to a 19–8 run in the final period to retake the lead. Lin personally scored a layup and followed that up with a three-pointer to cut a 96–90 lead down to 96–95 in just 48 seconds. From there Carmelo Anthony took over, scoring six straight points, the last of which put New York up 101–100.

Anthony finished with a team-high 25 points and 7 rebounds.

Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire scored four of the Knicks eight points in the overtime period, but it wasn’t enough as Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo scored 10 of Boston’s 12 overtime points to win it.

The loss is the fourth in the last seven for New York following their seven-game winning streak. The Knicks’ next game is Tuesday night at Dallas.

Shaq (L) talks about his well-publicized feud with former teammate Kobe Bryant(R) in his book Shaq Uncut. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Way back when I was interviewing for my doctorate in sports, culture, and media at New York University, one of my professors suggested I check out Howell Cosell. The bombastic broadcaster was at the top of his game then.

I got to his office in Manhattan having arranged the interview with someone at ABC. “What is this all about?” he asked. I explained quickly, sensing that he was rushed.

He snapped back, asking why I would want to do something like that. “Why not do work on racism in sports, something important.”

I explained that I was too far along. All I wanted from him, as a designer voice was a few paragraphs to put into the thesis to satisfy the powers-that-be.

“For crying out loud,” he said, smiling, “Why didn’t you say so in the first place?”

Howard Cosell intelligently and quickly gave me what I needed, and he even spent some time chatting with me about sports. And that was that.

But I never forgot that meeting.

Now there is “Howard Cosell” by Mark Ribowsky (Norton, $29.95, 477 pages), a book that its subject would have enjoyed.

We are there with the man some called “The Mouth” from the mid-1950s into the 1980s. Cosell was medium, message, and massage. He was front stage, back stage, and off stage—a lawyer transformed into a broadcaster. A force.

Ribowsky has produced a mighty epic here, a loving, loathing, and lingering portrait of Cosell. It is a book that reveals what drove a master media showman, what devils possessed him, and how he transformed sports and media at the same time.

Sections dealing with his relationship with Ali, with “Monday Night Football,” and with his younger years are especially insightful.

As Cosell said of himself: “Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, and verbose, a showoff—I have been all of these. Of course, I am.” He was all of these, and he was something special.

A highly recommended read.

Shaq Uncut

In the same vein (sort of) as “Howard Cosell,” there is also “Shaq Uncut” by Shaquille O’Neal with Jackie MacMullan (Grand Central Publishing, $27.99, 290 pages). It’s a slam-dunk of a book.

The gang’s all here in this tome, sub-titled “My Story”—Kobe, Phil Jackson, D-Wade, LeBron, Jerry West, and Pat Riley—family members, friends and enemies. This is a page-turner filled with honest and not-so-honest observations, filled with true confessions, humor, and even philosophy.

The man called “Superman,” “Diesel,” “The Real Deal” and “The Big Shamrock”—and lots of others things—has his say here.

Most enjoyable.

One on One

John Feinstein’s “One on One: Behind the Scenes with the Greats in the Game” (Little, Brown and Company, $27.99, 533 pages) is a Niagara of a book focused on the author’s inside view of sports (in locker rooms, dugouts, clubhouses, and so on).

Unabashed and proud in its approach, “One on One” is part gossip, part stargazing, part sports history, and all John Feinstein. It’s lively and riveting reading.

A noted oral historian and sports journalist, Harvey Frommer has written many sports books, including timed to 2012 and the 100th anniversary, “Fenway Park: An Oral and Narrative History of the Home of the Boston Red Sox.” His work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, New York Daily News, Newsday, USA Today, Men’s Heath, The Sporting News, Bleacher Report, and of course, The Epoch Times, among other venues and publications.

Visit his website here: http://harveyfrommersports.com/remembering_fenway/

Kobe Bryant passed Michael Jordan Sunday to become the all-time leading scorer in all-star game history. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Lakers starter Kobe Bryant, who was injured during Sunday’s All-Star game in Orlando, had a CT scan after the game, revealing a broken nose, according to a report on the NBA’s website.

Bryant was seen bleeding at the free-throw line in the third quarter after a hard foul by Miami’s Dwayne Wade. Bryant actually made both free throws and in the process tied Michael Jordan’s record of 262 career all-star points scored. Bryant later passed the 13-time all-star Jordan with a dunk to give him 20 for the game—his 14th all-star contest—and finished with 27.

Bryant, 33, previously has won four all-star game MVPs.

Michael Jordan is still an icon. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Former NBA superstar Michael Jordan filed a suit in a Chinese court against Qiaodan Sports Company Limited, a Chinese sportswear and footwear manufacturer, for unauthorized use of his name, according to release on TheRealJordan.com, a website that is copyrighted and authorized by JumpDC. JumpDC, a division of Live Nation Entertainment, is the business office of Michael Jordan.

“It is deeply disappointing to see a company build a business off my Chinese name without my permission, use the number 23 and even attempt to use the names of my children. I am taking this action to preserve ownership of my name and my brand,” said Jordan according to the release.

“Chinese fans have always been very supportive of me, and that’s something I deeply appreciate. I think they deserve to know what they are buying.”

Rondo will be making his third straight All-Star appearance. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Boston Celtic point guard Rajon Rondo was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team Wednesday—incidentally his 26th birthday—according to report on the NBA’s website.

The All-Star appearance will be Rondo’s third consecutive. Rondo, for his part, didn’t play Wednesday night against the Thunder while serving the second of his two-game suspension. His coach Doc Rivers joked that, “When you get named to the All-star, you should take one game of suspension away.”

Jeremy Lin's sudden popularity is almost unprecedented. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin will be on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the second straight week, according to a report on NBA.com.

The feat has never been done by a New York-based team-athlete since Sports Illustrated started in 1954. Lin’s sudden emergence from virtual unknown to global star in a matter of weeks is nearly as unprecedented as his back-to-back SI cover honors for a New York athlete.

Longtime NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki (L) and Jason Kidd (R) continue to climb up the record books. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Dallas Mavericks players Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd reached career milestones Monday night as the Dallas Mavericks completely overpowered the fading Boston Celtics 89-73 at the American Airlines Center.

Nowitzki scored 26 points in the game, moving him into 20th place all-time in NBA history. Nowitzki has played in 1,022 games, averaging 22.9 points per game for a career total of 23,354 points. The only active players ahead of the seven-footer from Germany are Kevin Garnett, who ranks 19th with 23,719 points and Kobe Bryant who ranks 5th with 28,795.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar still ranks first in scoring all-time with 38,387 points in 1,560 games. Karl Malone (36,928), Michael Jordan (32,292), and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) then round out the top four.

Nowitzki’s history-making wasn’t just limited to just his scoring though. His first-quarter block of Celtic guard Avery Bradley’s shot attempt was his 1,000th of his career, making him just the third player in NBA history to block 1,000 shots and hit 1,000 three-pointers (he has 1,021). Only Clifford Robinson and Rasheed Wallace have at least this many blocks and three-pointers.

“Every week we are going to see records broken with players like Dirk and Jason on the team,” said Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle. “It’s like a legends team we have here.”

After the game Nowitzki stated that he was proud to have done this well over his career, especially since they had all been scored while playing for the Mavericks.

In addition to Nowitzki’s milestone-night, guard Jason Kidd collected three steals during to give him now 2,517 thefts in 1,290 career games, moving him into second place all-time, passing Michael Jordan. Kidd now trails only John Stockton who had 3,265 steals in 1,504 games.

“Kidd has been amazing,” said Carlisle. What he does impacts the game, and he has done it for two decades. “It’s really staggering, really,”
concluded Carlisle.

“I feel honored to be able to play long enough to have achieved this goal,” said Kidd after the game. “Especially since it was reached playing for a quality team such as the Mavericks.”

The Mavericks next game is this Wednesday night against the Lakers in Dallas.

Durhl Caussey is a Dallas-based writer covering sports, cars, and life in general.

Jeremy (with ball) scored a team-high 28 points and dished out a career-best 14 assists in the win. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Star point guard Jeremy Lin continued his amazing run on Sunday as the Knicks overcame a 12-point deficit to defeat Dallas 104-97 at Madison Square Garden. The league’s newest sensation contributed 28 points and 14 assists as the Knicks outplayed defending champs Dallas (20-12) in their best win yet.

Lin played in 46 of a possible 48 minutes, as the suddenly rejuvenated Knicks looked for him to spark the offense every possession.

The win for the Knicks (16-16) is their eighth in nine games since Lin’s arrival to the rotation, with their lone loss being Friday night against New Orleans.

Lin is more than just a rotation guy and New York was especially in need of it midway through the third quarter.

Having quickly squandered a lead they held through almost the entire first half, Mike D’Antoni’s team found themselves down 70–58 after a pair of Dirk Nowitzki free throws with 4:16 left in the third quarter.

To that point in the quarter, the Mavericks had outscored the Knicks 25–10 with the 7-foot Nowitzki accounting for 11 of those points. The star forward from Germany would finish with a game-high 34 points.

Center Tyson Chandler started the comeback with a dunk off a feed from new Knick J.R. Smith. Smith, a 6-foot-6-inch shooting guard, had been playing overseas during the lockout and just signed with New York on Friday.

Then, following a Dallas timeout, Jeremy Lin converted back-to-back driving layups—while being fouled on both of them—to close the gap to 73–65 and bring the MSG crowd to its feet.

After another Lin free throw and a pair of scores by J.R. Smith and Jared Jeffries, Jeffries turned around on defense and forced a bad pass in the backcourt that was intercepted by Lin, who quickly darted down the lane and dunked it to pull New York within 75–72 at the end of the quarter.

The comeback continued in the fourth.

Reserve forward sharpshooter Steve Novak, who was scoreless entering the final quarter, scored 14 points in the first 4:28 of play—12 of them off 3-pointers. Lin was credited with an assist on four of Novak’s five jumpers as Lin’s penetrations were collapsing the entire Dallas defense, leaving open shooters on the perimeter for him to find.

After the fourth of Novak’s threes, Lin hit one himself to push the lead to 90–81 with 6:50 remaining, putting the Mavericks into a hole they never climbed out of.

For Dallas, Shawn Marion (14 points) and Jason Terry (13 points) were the only others besides Nowitzki to score in double-figures.

Lin’s 28 points and 14 assists were team-highs, while center Tyson Chandler put up 14 points, grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.

Next up for the Knicks is a home game against New Jersey Monday night, where Carmelo Anthony may make his return after missing the previous seven games.

Red was a walking history book when it came to pro basketball. He was especially informed about league trivia. He also knew had to spin a tale.

Before his days as Knick coach, Holzman plied his trade as a pretty good scout for the team. “I was scouting a kid from Czechoslovakia,” Red said. “We decided to give him a vision test. I got hold of an eye chart and told the kid, ‘All right. Let’s hear you read the bottom line.’”

“‘Read the bottom line?’ he asked, ‘I know him.’”

If you got that joke, read on.

All kinds of team nicknames grace, deface, maim, highlight or punctuate the landscape of the National Baseball Association. Some are more interesting than others. Some have been “shortened” or “modernized” as time has gone by. Still others are no longer relevant for the franchises they represent.

Some clubs have moved from city to city and stayed with their original nicknames. That makes for some both interesting and confusing combinations—Lakers, a major case in point.

What follows is basically a pithy primer. Enjoy. Questions, comments, suggestions—all are welcomed.
 
There’s a great trivia question: Name the two original NBA teams still playing in their original cities.

The answer: the Knicks and the Celtics.

The Knicks (R) and Celtics (L) have been rivals since the beginning of the NBA. (Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)

The name Knickerbockers dates back to when New York was known as New Amsterdam, and the city’s Dutch settlers wore trousers bunched up at the knee known as “knickers.” The name Celtics originated in 1946. It was was given to Boston’s pro basketball entry by Walter Brown, the franchise’s founder.

“We’ll call them the Boston Celtics,” he said. “The name has a great basketball tradition, especially when you think of the original ‘Celtics’ team. Boston is full of Irishmen; so we’ll put the players in green uniforms and call them the Boston Celtics after their Celtic ancestors.”

The Atlanta Hawks have a long and circuitous name history. They were once the Hawks of St. Louis. Before that they were the Milwaukee Hawks. Even before that in 1948, they were the Tri-Cities Blackhawks.  Moline, Illinois; Rock Island, Illinois; and Davenport, Iowa were the “tri-cities.” All the way back in 1831, the Blackhawk War was fought in that tri-cities area. That led to the original Blackhawks nickname, later shortened to Hawks.

A nine-season member of the NBA, the Rochester Royals moved to Cincinnati and kept the name Royals. In 1972, the franchise moved to Kansas City, Missouri. To avoid confusion in the KC region because both the Kansas City and the Omaha baseball teams used the name Royals, the name was dropped. The new name for the franchise became the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, later simply the Kansas City Kings. A decade later, the team moved to California and became the Sacramento Kings.

Not many are aware that a Denver Nuggets team was a charter member of the NBA. But that franchise lasted just one season. When the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association was admitted to the NBA, they had to change their name because the Houston Rockets already existed. So the Denver franchise took the “Nuggets” name of the original franchise.

Charlotte, Miami, Minnesota and Orlando all have interesting “name” stories. Originally, the Charlotte team was named the Spirit. The name didn’t stick. Hornets was a name selected in a contest launched among fans. Runner-up choices included: the Charlotte Gold, the Charlotte Knights, and incredibly the original name, the Charlotte Spirit.

Miami also held a name-the-team event. Some of the names that didn’t make it included Palm Trees, Beaches, Suntan and Shade.

Over 6,000 entries were suggested for the Minnesota team name. The choice was Timberwolves vs. Polars. Timberwolves easily won. That animal is native to Minnesota. No other professional sports team ever thought to use the name.

The Orlando Sentinel sponsored a name-the-team contest. Magic and Juice were the finalists. Orlando general manager Pat Williams explained why Magic won. “Magic is synonymous with the Orlando area. We have the Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld, and the tourism slogan here is ‘Come to the Magic.’”  
 
Some claim that the Chicago Bulls got their name from stockyards in that Windy City. It was actually the franchise’s first owner Richard Klein who came up with the name in 1966. The rookie mogul liked “Bulls” because it suggested power and toughness. And his wish was to have a team sporting those qualities.

The Pistons came into being in 1948. They were known as the Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons. It was a case of an owner naming a team for himself and the business that he ran. Fred Zollner owned a huge piston-manufacturing company. In 1957, the team moved to Detroit, and Pistons moved right along with it.

Way back in 1925, there was a Philadelphia Warriors team in the American Basketball League. In 1946, Philadelphia joined the NBA and took its nickname from that old team. Many years and many miles later, the Golden State Warriors are a descendant of the old Philadelphia Warriors. They’ve gone through a couple of geographical shifts. Philly became the San Francisco Warriors, San Francisco became the Oakland Warriors and Oakland became the Golden State Warriors.

Some years back a newspaper guy suggested a trade of team names. The suggestion had merit, but it did not fly. The idea was that the Utah Jazz become the Utah Lakers and the Los Angeles Lakers become the Los Angeles Jazz.

Actually, both Utah and Los Angeles have names from cities both franchises vacated. Utah came into being in 1979, when the New Orleans Jazz moved there. The Utah Jazz kept their name and team colors.

The Lakers isn't a name that's fitted for a West Coast team, but there's no way it's changing now, given all the success the franchise has had. (Chris Chambers/Getty Images)

The Minneapolis Lakers made the move to L.A. before the 1960 season and took with it its nickname that comes from the state of Minnesota’s motto: “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.” There aren’t many lakes in L.A. or that much jazz in Salt Lake City—so maybe that newspaper guy really had a brainstorm.

The three Texas NBA teams got their names this way. The Houston Rockets were once the San Diego Rockets. The name has worked well for both franchises—linked to space programs and industries.

The San Antonio Spurs got their short name in a public naming contest—a name that makes you think of Texas, and the same is true of the Dallas Mavericks who originated in 1980. A Dallas radio station sorted out many suggested names in a name-the-team contest and picked Mavericks thinking it had Texas flavor.

In 1963, the old Syracuse Nats were sold and became the Philadelphia 76ers. Anybody who knows anything about American history, knows why Philly got that nickname.

In 1968, the new Phoenix franchise offered a minimal cash prize and a couple of season tickets to the winner of a name-the-team contest. “Suns” won. Runner-ups included Scorpions, Rattlers and Dust Devils.

Finally, the New Jersey Nets began as the American Basketball Association entry known as the New Jersey Americans. In 1968, the team left New Jersey and moved to Commack, Long Island and were renamed the New York Nets.   The rationale was that since the New York metropolitan area had the football Jets and the baseball Mets—why not the basketball Nets?

Just before the 1977-78 season, the franchise moved back across the Hudson River to New Jersey. There were some who thought the original name—New Jersey Americans—should be resurrected. But the name Nets moved right along with the team. Now the Nets are poised to move to Brooklyn, New York.

They will not exactly be the replacement for the old Brooklyn Dodgers (who got their name because fans had to dodge trolleys near the ballpark). But the Nets will be playing basketball almost in the exact area that Dodger owner Walter O’Malley lusted for back in 1957 but could not obtain. So he moved his team to L.A. but kept the Dodger name … but that is material for another piece.