Steve Francis Traded to New York

Steve Francis was traded.

After weeks of speculation, Steve Francis was traded by the Magic to the New York Knicks in exchange for Trevor Ariza and Orlando's prodigal son, Anfernee Hardaway.

For one Anfernee Hardaway, this will set his return to the franchise that made him into an NBA Superstar. Penny Hardaway played for the Magic with a towering man at the middle named Shaquille O’Neal.

After O’Neal left the Magic for Tinseltown, Penny’s show, along with his career, began to crumble. Penny was not the same since. Hardaway is now back with the Magic but it is unclear when he will return from his injury, let alone play basketball again.

Trevor Ariza is still a work in progress and the Magic will be hoping that their new young gun acquisitions, Ariza, Carlos Arroyo and Darko Milicic, will be worth their while in the near future.

As for the Knicks, Steve Francis joins Stephon Marbury in the Knicks backcourt and head coach Larry Brown could find these two egomaniacs a two-headed monster that he himself could find tough to deal with. Heck, he’s finding Marbury hard to deal with right now. What more add yet another ‘’basketball Judas?'’

That backcourt will be just crazy awesome. That is if Larry Brown can fuse these Iverson-like egos together and play as a unit.

Being one of the highest payrolls, including the most expensive backcourt in the NBA with the Francis trade, Isaiah Thomas is praying for it for his sake.

[My my, it's all about Steve Francis as he joins Stephon in New York before the trading deadline. Will Stevie Franchise bolster the chances of the New York Knicks to become champions of the NBA? Bodog has the Knicks 300/1 as far as their odds to win the NBA Championship this year goes. Visit Bodog for more odds.]

NBA Halftime Break

It's halftime break for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and as far as halftime breaks goes, the world's most explosive basketball league does not just lie down and rest.

In the NBA, halftime breaks mean the NBA All-Star Game. And what a show it was as we saw the NBA's top talents put on a show in front of a sell-out crowd at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

ON THAT NOTE, we will take a look at the good and then the bad that surrounds this league we call the NBA as this season went the halfway point last Sunday.

What are the good happening in the league right now?

Well, of course there's CP3. Casual basketball fans know him as Chris Paul, and he is making quite a stir in Oklahoma City as he led his New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets above .500 coming to the All-Star break.

Also doing quite well at this point of the season is Chauncey Billups.

Basketball pundits knew the Pistons are good, but they had no idea that they will be THIS good. Billups is having an MVP-type season. And with the Pistons now free from Larry Brown's conservative style of basketball, they are opening up the offense behind the tutelage of new head-honcho Flip Saunders.

As for the bad, well, there's the biggest disappointment of the NBA in the Miami Heat.

Despite having assembled a roster to be reckon with, (Think the Lakers with Payton and Malone joining the Shaq-Kobe era) they just can't seem to get it together and beat the elite teams of the NBA.

Also, the Shaq-Kobe feud is gone for now and that's also a bad thing. It was fun watching those two jaw at each other in interviews.

What's next for the NBA? Tune in on the world's most exciting league as the NBA resumes the second half of the season.

NBA Trading Deadline Beckons Near

The NBA trading deadline is almost here and numerous NBA teams are busy signing contracts and completing deals, hoping that they are making all the right moves for an NBA Championship.

Of course, the biggest name most likely to be dealt to another team is that of Steve Francis. The Knicks are rumored to be THIS CLOSE in landing ''The Franchise'' in New York City.

If Francis do land in New York, he, together with Stephon Mabury, will form a backcourt with a combined five All-Star appearances.

The Los Angeles Lakers are also rumored to be interested with Steve Francis. Rumors say that the Lakers are willing to give up Lamar Odom for the disgruntled guard.

The Detroit Pistons, after sending Darko Milicic to Orlando, are not done dealing players yet.

There are rumors saying that the Pistons are interested in bolstering their point guard situation, especially with the departure of Carlos Arroyo from the Darko Milicic deal.

The Pistons have their eyes on point guards Brevin Knight, Tyronn Lue and Speedy Claxton.

The NBA trading deadline is closing in. Third string towers are becoming hot commodities. Expiring contracts are becoming huge news items.

But blockbuster trades are yet to be finalized.

As the NBA trading deadline passes, I have my money on either one or two blockbuster trades materializing. You can take that to the bank.

Battle for North Carolina on Wednesday

The battle for North Carolina resumes on Wednesday as the North Carolina Tar Heels face-off with North Carolina State Wolfpack.

Reyshawn Terry's third try at a homecoming was all he could hope for. His shot was falling, he got plenty of help from his teammates and the North Carolina Tar Heels won again.

"It's definitely good to have bragging rights when you come home," the native of Winston-Salem said. "Now we have to worry about the next game."

Terry scored 24 points, Tyler Hansbrough added 17 and No. 23 North Carolina gave Wake Forest its eighth Atlantic Coast Conference loss in a row with an 83-72 victory Sunday.

David Noel finished with 13 points despite foul trouble and Danny Green had 10 for the Tar Heels (17-6, 8-4), who improved to 5-1 on the road in the ACC. They also assured themselves of at least a .500 record in the conference, often a requirement for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

As for the North Carolina State Wolfpack, Cameron Bennerman scored 26 points as No. 21 North Carolina State turned back a late rally by Virginia Tech to defeat the Hokies 70-64 on Saturday.

Tony Bethel made six 3-pointers and scored 19 points for the Wolfpack (21-5, 10-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who led by as many as 22 points early in the second half before Virginia Tech mounted a comeback.

The Wolfpack went the final 6:19 without a field goal, allowing the Hokies to climb within a possession. But North Carolina State made 9 of 10 free throws in the final minute, including 8-for-8 by Bennerman.

On Wednesday, both the Tar Heels and the Wolfpack will play to win the basketball game. When it's all said and done, the blue-blooded Tar Heels might just win their face-off with NC State all because of their determination to catch the red-hot Blue Devils.

Tracy McGrady was Robbed of the MVP

Tracy McGrady displayed quite a show in the NBA All-Star Game.

BUT, that didn't stopped LeBron James from virtually stealing the All-Star MVP honors from the hometown hero.

LeBron James was so intent in grabbing the MVP honors that every time he touches the ball, he keeps shooting three's, like he's there playing by himself. LeBron James did finish with 29 points to lead his team.

James claimed he was not even thinking of taking the MVP Award away from T-Mac when it was quite clear that he was salivating for it right from the get-go.

Chauncey Billups was a prime candidate for the MVP with his 15 points and seven assists. Shaq, with 17 points and nine rebounds was also one who could've been the 2006 All-Star MVP.

But between those two, Tracy McGrady, who had a stellar performance, 36 points, a game-high, was the one who probably deserved it the most. And it didn't matter if his team won or lost.

After a dry spell of having bad shooting nights, Tracy McGrady was back in his old form, putting up three's out of nowhere and draining them down like mere lay-ups.

It was just too bad Kobe Bryant lost the game for the West, letting LeBron pry the All-Star MVP honors away from the hometown hero, when he fumbled the basketball to Rasheed Wallace.

As a result, LeBron James became the youngest ever to win the NBA All-Star MVP.

Jordan Branded Parties in the NBA

Party was the theme when the National Basketball Association (NBA) held it's annual NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston, Texas. It surely was an awesome weekend to remember.

Some of the nation's major celebrities were there, including the likes of ''Mr. New York Knicks'' Charles Oakley. But among those names, only one name truly matters.

Michael Jordan.

Even in this era of the NBA where we see the likes of Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant dominate the hemisphere Jordan once hovered over, Michael STILL is the epitome of being a media demi-god.

For instance, at Baron Davis' and Paul Pierce's Eight-Ball Challenge, people were hanging out casually when Charles Oakley walked in. It wasn't the Oak-man who got this party going though, but a posse of sorts behind him with Michael Jordan himself right there at the middle.

When Michael Jordan enters a room, the party, no matter how good or how bad it is, instantaneously BECOMES a party. There's something about ''His Airness'' that people can't seem to get enough of.

MJ looks around, puffed his cigar and then talked with Oakley pretending not to see the swarm of people beginning to crowd around him, taking pictures with their camera phones.

And then he leaves, bringing along ''the party'' with him.

It could be a matter of time before the Kobe Bryant's and the Jermaine O'Neal's of the league reach this ''Brand Jordan'' so to speak. But before that happens, we will continue to appreciate Michael Jordan, especially now that his legend was abruptly retired.

Indiana Coach Mike Davis, Resigns

Indiana coach Mike Davis, the embattled heir to one of college basketball's elite programs, resigned Thursday after months of speculation and increased criticism during the Hoosiers' late-season slump.

Davis, under intense pressure almost from the moment he succeeded Bob Knight in 2000, will remain with the team through the end of this season.

"I felt like it was time for this program to be united," Davis said at a news conference. "I want our players to get it out of their minds whether coach Davis is returning. It's time for Indiana basketball to move forward."

IU president Adam Herbert said Davis initiated discussions about a coaching change a few days before the Feb. 4 game against Connecticut. Athletic director Rick Greenspan said a new coach probably won't be hired until after the Final Four in April.

Davis said he had dealt with rumors almost every year about whether he would return and believed it was time to move on. "I wanted it to be on my terms," Davis said.

Davis has won 109 games and was the first Indiana coach -- Knight included -- to start with three straight seasons of at least 20 victories. He took the Hoosiers to the NCAA Finals in 2002, losing to Maryland in the championship game, but did it with many of the Knight holdovers.

Davis' personality often caused consternation among fans. He spoke openly and honestly about his emotions -- a trait that often created trouble.

Less than two months into his tenure at Indiana, after an embarrassing loss to Kentucky, Davis said he wasn't "the right man for job."

The next season, fans bristled when he said he wanted to coach in the NBA one day.

"Coach Davis assumed one of most difficult challenges any coach can accept -- following a legendary predecessor," Herbert said. "He has responded to these challenges with character, graciousness, with concern for the welfare of his players and with a determination to raise our program into the ranks of the very best in the nation."

On Monday, Davis said IU fans needed a former Indiana player to coach the team so they could embrace him.

With Auburn transfer Marco Killingsworth in the lineup this season, the Hoosiers (13-9, 5-6 Big Ten) got off to a 10-2 start and were ranked among the nation's Top 10, temporarily muting the criticism.

But an 87-73 loss at Michigan State started the current slide, which now stands at six losses in the past seven games.

Allen Iverson's 'Answer IX', on Display This Sunday

This Sunday, the National Basketball Association (NBA) will be hosting the 2006 NBA All-Star Game at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas and my, will it be a marketing extravaganza for some of the top shoe companies in the country today.

Yes, all those shining and glittering new shoes by some of the most-recognized NBA superstars will be on display. And it only happens in the NBA All-Star Game.

The shoes will be on display on Sunday and I'll try to give you a prelude to what to expect.

From all the shoes that will probably be in display on Sunday, I'm most looking forward to Allen Iverson's 'Answer IX,' the shoes-without-laces thing always work.

It aims to redefine what a basketball shoe suppose to be. Allen Iverson plays a game of basketball that combines speed and style, and that's what this shoe is all about.

It's Iverson's VERY FIRST 'Pump Technology,' appropriately dubbed as the RBK Pump 2.0 technology.

Perhaps the biggest feature of this shoe is, check this, a dial that you can turn 'auto' or 'off.' When you turn it into automatic, the shoe inflates itself to give you a custom fit, giving you the proper balance and protection you'll need on a basketball court.

Just perfect for the incomparable Allen Iverson. For A.I., his 'Answer IX' truly is the answer.

Tracy McGrady is Down With The Sickness

When Tracy McGrady said he "exorcized the demons" the bad side of the Houston Rockets' first half of the season, if not the damage they caused, seemed gone, too.

"Me shooting poorly was because I was dealing with some personal things," McGrady said after scoring 28 points in 29 minutes on Tuesday.

"I guess it's safe to say I wasn't myself out there. Basketball was the last thing on my mind and it was showing. But when you're struggling, you just have to keep playing. It's a long season. You just have to continue to have confidence and continue to play.

"Coming from a scorer, you don't ever stop shooting. To get yourself going, if you're struggling with your shot, try to get to the free throw line, try to get easy baskets. That's builds up the confidence and that opens up the outside game."

McGrady did not say what those personal problems were. He did say they are not over but that he has been able to keep them from haunting him on the court.

"We're playing with a great deal of confidence right now," McGrady said. "We're just believing in one another. We realize we're not too far away. Whatever happens toward the end of the season, we're going to compete no matter what's at stake. But we understand that we're not too far out."

There is recent precedent to offer hope. The Rockets never reached this season's depths last season, but they hit the break on a roll, winning eight consecutive games.

That gave them a 32-21 record at the break. The Rockets head into tonight's game 22-30.

When they first sank to eight games under .500, McGrady said the Rockets were not just in a hole, they were in the Grand Canyon. It is still a long way to ground level, but they go into the last game before the break heading in the right direction.

"I don't think we had problems last year with expecting to win," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "I think we started playing well enough to win consistently and doing the things it takes to win.

"This year is very similar. I dont think it's about us not expecting enough of ourselves, I think it's about playing well enough to win consistently. It starts with our best two players, we know that; them playing consistently well, and when playing around them, (we have to play) a hard enough game, a smart enough game and a together enough game that can sustain you.''

On Thursday, Jeff Van Gundy hopes that the supporting cast will ''play a hard enough game'' to help Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady when the Houston Rockets face the red-hot Phoenix Suns. If McGrady has indeed beaten his ineer demons, then the Rockets' sudden surge will continue.

The Weapon of Choice for Gonzaga Bulldogs

''Brokeback Mountain!''. This is the chant college students and fans of the No.5 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs team use to heckle opposing teams.

This reference to the recent movie, ''Brokeback Mountain,'' about homosexual cowboys was chanted by some fans during Gonzaga's game against Saint Mary's and is apparently suggesting that the opposing team's players are gay.

A Philosophy professor at Gonzaga, Mark Alfino, said that these chants were widely discussed by students and teachers alike.

''Many faculty members have brought up the discussion in their classes,'' he said.

''They find none of the students have been comfortable with the chant, and that's a good sign,'' he added.

A senior named Callie Monroe wrote a column calling these ''Brokeback Mountain'' chants a case of ''outright discrimination.''

''Imagine yourself as a homosexual individual in the midst of your peers, classmates and friends during this 'Brokeback Mountain' cheer,'' Monroe wrote. ''I simply do not understand how a student body claiming to live by Jesuit principles of acceptance and respect for all can allow an incident like this to happen and remain silent.''

Faculty advisers of the Kennel Club booster group has already told the students to refrain from using the derogatory chant or any ''inappropriate chant'' for that matter.

''We implore the students of the Kennel Club to show the nation what makes Gonzaga different,'' Kennel Club advisers David Lindsay and Aaron Hill wrote in a letter.

''We challenge the students of the Kennel Club to exhibit the class, the creativeness and the competitive drive that has become a foundation of this great university,'' the Gonzaga faculty members added.

The Diesel Returns to Orlando

There were two ways the Miami Heat could have responded after its rousing comeback and dramatic win Sunday against the Detroit Pistons.

The team could have ridden the emotional wave and absolutely pounded the rather ordinary Orlando Magic, or it could have taken the overconfident, casual approach and be susceptible to an upset.

There was actually a little bit of both from the Heat on Tuesday. Fortunately for Miami, it was enough to beat the Magic 107-93 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

''I was concerned a little bit,'' Heat coach Pat Riley said. ''We know the NBA. When you have a big win on national television, especially one that we needed -- I've seen a half-dozen teams have those kinds of wins and the next day get beat by anybody. You just sort of let down. It's natural.''

There wasn't much emotional carryover from Sunday's win in Detroit, but the play of Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal certainly continued into Tuesday's game. Wade followed his inspired finish against the Pistons with 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting against Orlando, and O'Neal came up with 25 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks after his season-high scoring effort against the Pistons.

The Heat has yet to put together a win streak longer than four games this season, and even the normally laid-back O'Neal acknowledges that this is a good time to put a run together. Not only does the schedule allow for such a streak, but O'Neal says it's just the right time in the season to do so.

''We have to go out and play the game the way we are supposed to play,'' he said. ''We just want to go out and win on a good note, have a good three days at the All-Star [break] and then come back with 31, 32 games left. We just want to do great the second part of the season.''

O'Neal has played particularly well during the first half of the past two games. After putting up 21 in the first 24 minutes against Detroit, O'Neal has his second 20-point half of the season with 20 in the opening half against the Magic on 8-of-10 shooting.

Behind O'Neal, the Heat pulled out to an 11-point first-quarter lead and never relinquished it.

Grant Hill, a 10-year veteran who has played his share of games against O'Neal, said the Heat center looks prepared for a late-season run.

''He is playing now as well as he's played all season,'' Hill said. ''He's healthy. I think he's starting to focus in and get his rhythm for the playoffs.''

O'Neal was limited to five second-half points because the Magic chose to double-team him, but it only opened up the Heat offense as O'Neal dissected the defense.

Riley said O'Neal's recent play has forced teams to make difficult decisions against him.

''When he continues to play like this, they can't single-cover him,'' Riley said. ''I think that's going to help us in the long run.''

Added Magic coach Brian Hill: ''There's no defense that you can throw at him that he hasn't seen. He's just an outstanding, mature, experienced player.''

But it wasn't O'Neal who received the loud ''M-V-P'' chant from the crowd near the end of the game. That was reserved for Wade, who scored 13 of his 38 in the fourth quarter.

''He's having a fabulous season,'' O'Neal said of Wade. ''He's a great player, and he deserves it.''

On Wednesday, Shaquille O'Neal will make his return to Orlando as round 2 of the struggle for Florida resumes. The Miami Heat is looking for a mid-season push and it looks like the Orlando Magic will have to give way to this rampaging giant.

Everything's On The Line for UNC

Much is at stake for 23rd-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and in the five league games that follow for the Heels.

Only the top four seeds at next month's ACC Tournament in Greensboro will have a bye into the quarterfinals. Teams seeded 5-12 have a longer, more treacherous road to the title. As things stand, UNC is one of six schools with either four or five league losses. Two of those teams will get byes; four won't.

"In the Big 12, it never happened," Williams said of the four-in-four gambit. "It's awfully difficult to do, so you want to avoid that. But the biggest reason you want to avoid it is it means you had a more successful year. You're not playing just thinking about that one weekend in Greensboro -- or, in the Big 12, that one weekend in Dallas or Kansas City."

In other words, he's more worried about his NCAA tournament seeding.

Since the Big 12 tournament first was played in 1997, no team came closer to going from the first round to the crown than Missouri in 2003. The Tigers knocked off Williams' top-seeded Jayhawks in a semifinal and lost to Oklahoma State, 49-47, in the title game.

Two other first-rounders made the final, but got clobbered by Kansas.

No Big East team has come out of the first round to win the title since the conference expanded its tournament to 13 -- now 12 -- teams. Since the Southeastern Conference went to 12 teams in 1992, the only long-shot success story has been Arkansas in 2000.

N.C. State gave it a good run from the ACC's play-in game in '97. But that was the exception to the rule.

"It's tough. Physically, it's got to be tough," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "But if you do get in that situation where you have to play, I'm sure every team believes they can play four games and win the thing."

Maryland was 5-5 in the ACC (and 15-8 overall) entering Tuesday night's game at Clemson. Florida State, which visits N.C. State, also is 5-5 in the league. Virginia and Miami are 6-5. North Carolina is 6-4. And Boston College is 7-4, a game behind the second-place Wolfpack.

UNC has a formidable RPI -- it ranks 23rd -- but most of those clustered teams are in danger of NCAA tournament exclusion. That's yet another motivation for finishing among the top four in the regular season.

Four Pistons in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game

Four players from the Detroit Pistons will be on the hardwood at the Toyota Center when Houston, Texas hosts the 2006 NBA All-Star Game.

The 2006 NBA All-Star Game could very well be the first All-Star Game where NBA players play some real basketball with four players from the East playing not to put on a show but to win.

The Detroit Pistons backcourt of Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups joins the two Piston Wallace's, Ben and Rasheed Wallace, as they will all be playing to represent the NBA Eastern Conference.

For the past few years, NBA All-Star Games were regarded as a game without any resemblance of competition.

Since the end of the Magic Johnson - Michael Jordan era, All-Star Games were just a showcase of plays straight from the streets. Plays that can be characterized as... Well... Sloppy.

With four Pistons playing on the court, you can very well expect that supreme competition is about to begin. You won't see any alley-oop plays or fancy reverse slams here but one thing's certain about these four guys, they will be out for the 'W.'

And you can take that to the bank.

My only question is, where is Tayshaun Prince? They picked Gilbert Arenas instead of Prince? Tayshaun Prince deserves the All-Star call instead of Arenas, who is nothing more but a ball-hog.

Nevertheless, the 2006 NBA All-Star Game will surely bring a high-level of basketball when it's time to take the basketball court inside the Toyota Center. With four players from the Detroit Pistons included in this year's East reserves, the intensity between the East and the West just got to another level.

Grant Hill won't be able to Stand the Heat

One go-to-guy returned for the Orlando Magic on Sunday night against the Boston Celtics while another go-to-guy remained... Well... A guy.

Grant Hill made a successful return from his rehabilitation from a sports hernia. However, despite that, the Magic still can't buy a victory as they fell to the troubled Celtics, 102-94.

Still, No.33's return definitely is good news.

The forward, who hadn't played since Jan. 15 at Sacramento and was playing in his 12th game this season, came off the bench for just the second time in his 11-year career to score 15 points in 20 minutes.

"I felt fine the whole game," said Hill, whose team has lost eight of its last nine games. "It's just rust and time. I hit some shots, but a couple of times I lost the ball, just little, subtle things. But it was a good day."

Not for the Magic's other go-to guy, Steve Francis.

The Orlando guard turned in his fourth straight lackluster performance, scoring just nine points in 38 minutes. Francis, who continues to be the subject of trade rumors heading toward the NBA's Feb. 23 trading deadline, failed to score a point or notch an assist throughout the first half.

Most discouraging for the Magic was Francis' reluctance to take open shots, leaving the majority of the offensive opportunities to Dwight Howard (24 points) and Hedo Turkoglu (16). Fourteen points of Howard's season-high total came off his 17 trips to the foul line.

"I can't really answer that," said Orlando Coach Brian Hill when asked about Francis' reluctance on the offensive end. "He has passed up a number of shots over the last couple of games. I'm not really sure why."

To Orlando's credit, it managed to remain in the game despite Francis' ineffectiveness. By the time the guard scored his first bucket with 3:32 left in the third quarter, the Magic had drawn even with the Celtics at 66-66.

"I can't remember when I didn't score in a half," said Francis, who has averaged just under eight points per game in Orlando's last four contests.

Head coach Brian Hill will need to find a way to win without Francis, who will probably continue his lackluster game until he gets traded. The Orlando Magic needs Grant Hill now more than ever when they face that other team in Florida, the Miami Heat.

Yao will Pound Clippers' Premiere Brand

Tracy McGrady was not in his usual form against the New York Knicks but luckily for the Houston Rockets, there was one Chinese giant playing for them.

Yao Ming led the Rockets with 24 points, eight rebounds and four blocks that literally carried his team over the struggling New York Knicks, 90-83, at the Toyota Center.

David Wesley dropped 15 points for the Rockets, who have won two straight despite All-Star Tracy McGrady scoring just seven points. McGrady shot a miserable 3-of-20 from the floor, but did have seven rebounds and six assists.

''If we want to be a great team, we can not play without Tracy,'' said Yao. ''Tonight we were able to win. Even without his great scoring, we were able to play great defense.''

Quentin Richardson had 19 points and Jamal Crawford tallied 15 for the Knicks, a team continually dropping back with a nine-game losing streak and lost a whopping 15 of 16 games.

The Rockets led 47-46 at the start of the third quarter when they went on an 11-1 run to begin to pull away. Yao scored four points during the run, which he capped with a bucket at the 7:26 mark.

Houston kept the Knicks at bay the rest of the stanza and went into the fourth with a 69-60 lead.

New York cut the deficit to 71-64 early in the final quarter, but Rafer Alston hit a three-pointer with close to 9 1/2 minutes left to extend the lead to 10 points and the Rockets cruised to the finish.

''We had a horrible third quarter, and that has been our M.O. this year,'' said New York head coach Larry Brown.

On Tuesday, the proverbial M.O. For the Houston Rockets is to slow down a red-hot Los Angeles Clippers team. Elton Brand is playing an MVP-type season this year. Luckily for Houston, they have a brick wall, over seven feet high, to slow down L.A.'s premiere Brand.

Shaq and Wade face German Assassin in Dallas

by: Jeffdstuff

That perimeter defensive presence the Miami Heat has been looking for all season has been there.

He just hasn’t been available.

Shandon Anderson has been battling back problems all season, and until Monday night against the Boston Celtics he hasn’t been utilized the way Heat coach Pat Riley had in mind when he took over coaching duties.

‘’He’s been hurt all year, and it’s a shame because that’s how I envisioned him — as a guy who probably would not be a full-time rotation player but a guy that would be ready to come off the bench and put defense on somebody for four, five minutes or even longer,'’ Riley said. ‘’He accomplished that [Monday] night.'’

Anderson came in against the Celtics in the second half to help cool down Paul Pierce, who started to get on a roll and bring Boston back into the game. It’s a decision Riley wished he would have made Saturday against the New Jersey Nets, when Vince Carter notched a triple-double against the Heat.

Though James Posey has done an admirable job against some of the better offensive players of late, he can’t spend an entire game fulfilling that responsibility, so having Anderson can ease the burden off Posey and Dwyane Wade.

‘’Shandon’s been on vacation for a while, so it’s good to see him come back and use his fouls, but also use his energy, is the main thing,'’ Wade said. ‘’Hopefully we continue to have that rotation where we can throw different guys at the other team’s best players.'’

Anderson said he hasn’t felt completely healthy until recently, and Riley pointed out after Monday’s game that Anderson has looked particularly good the past couple of practices.

‘’When I came back the first time, my left side was just weaker, and I didn’t play to my capability,'’ Anderson said. ‘’When I came out and tried to practice on it, you could tell it was a little weak. So I just went back in and worked on it.'’

It’s not just Anderson’s defense that can make an impact. Anderson has a unique ability to play off the ball and make timely cuts for open layups and short shots.

Having played with Shaquille O’Neal and Wade last season, they already are conscious of Anderson when he’s on the floor.

‘’He’s not afraid to take a shot or make a drive offensively,'’ Riley said.

Riley said he chose to start Jason Williams on Monday despite two of his fingers still being bound together on his right hand because the point guard could still bring speed and energy to the game.

‘’I want him to think more about playmaking right now and getting the ball to the weak side, facilitating the offense as much as possible until he gets that tape off his finger,'’ Riley said.

That tape might come off Thursday in time for the Heat’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, because that’s the day the six stitches are supposed to be removed from his right ring finger.

That should improve his shooting, which has been an ugly 5 of 26 since the injury.

Come game time, J-Will won’t have to shoot as much, as Shaquille O’Neal will probably expose and take advantage of the Dallas Mavericks’ weakness at the center position.