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Drew Gooden had a black eye over All-Star Weekend and is still bruised. It came from a Tim Duncan elbow last Wednesday. ''And he made the shot, too,'' Gooden said.
Devin Brown is still wrapping his left pinky finger, which he broke during the first week of the season. He played through the injury and has a slightly crooked finger as a trophy. But it does have its side effects. ''I like to play (video game) Guitar Hero, and I'm getting to the high levels and I have trouble hitting the notes with it.''
Point guard Jamaal Tinsley (knee) won't play this week against Cleveland or New Jersey. O'Brien said last week that he thought Tinsley would be ready to return after the All-Star break. Tinsley hasn't played since Feb. 5 because of an ongoing knee problem. Diener and Marquis Daniels will continue to handle the point guard duties in Tinsley's absence.
Any trade conversation involving the Pacers begins with Jermaine O'Neal. The Pacers and O'Neal have been trying to end their eight-year relationship for some time, but O'Neal's health and contract -- two more years, $44 million due after this season -- remain stumbling blocks. O'Neal has been slowed by knee injuries, again, and hasn't played since Jan. 16. He recently started doing on-the-court work, but his return date is not known.
The Pacers are making and listening to calls about him -- again -- but they have yet to find a deal they like. They've recently spoken with Golden State, New Jersey and Sacramento.
The Pacers are making and listening to calls about him -- again -- but they have yet to find a deal they like. They've recently spoken with Golden State, New Jersey and Sacramento.
A no-show at yesterday's practice, it looks as though T.J. Ford will be a no-go for tonight's matchup against the Orlando Magic.
The company line with the Raptors is that Ford's status will be determined at game time, but the more time Ford misses the tighter the fragile label grows around the lightning-quick point guard.
Ford's latest ailment is an abdominal strain, a murky condition that could mean Ford misses one game, one week or perhaps even one month.
With the trading deadline set for 3 p.m. tomorrow, Zach Randolph helped his cause for a change of address by scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He also got into a heated exchange with Nate Robinson that saw Randolph toss a cup of water at his teammate and Robinson respond by throwing a towel at Randolph.
"It was the heat of the moment," Randolph said.
The victory improved their record to 16-37, and with 29 games left and the bottom of the Eastern Conference as bad as ever, the Knicks remain, in theory, alive for a playoff berth.
However, they also run the risk of jumping ahead of teams such as Charlotte and Milwaukee that could hurt them in the draft lottery.
Thomas, though, is looking to save his job and is trying to win, even if it means making Curry a part-time player and burying young players such as first-round pick Wilson Chandler, last year's first-round picks Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins and second-year big man Randolph Morris, who has appeared in two games all season. Thomas is hoping to trade Quentin Richardson, who finished with 19 points as did Robinson and David Lee.
According to an ESPN.com report posted late last night, the Knicks were in preliminary talks for a three-team deal that would send Eddy Curry to Miami, the expiring contracts of Jason Williams and Ricky Davis to the Nets and - brace yourselves, Knicks fans - fading former all-star Vince Carter to the Knicks.
Thomas has had interest in Carter before. The Knicks tried to offer Zach Randolph to the Nets for him earlier this season. Thomas has also been pushing the "small ball" concept - his latest game plan infatuation - and has cut down Curry's minutes dramatically.
But would Garden chairman James Dolan really approve another big-contract acquisition? Hard to believe, but Thomas seems to suggest that following the Nets' plan of cutting big contracts and getting under the cap isn't something the Knicks are interested in.
Center Samuel Dalembert missed the morning shoot-around with a stomach virus. Willie Green missed Monday's practice with the same thing.
Both started, but they were lethargic and looked weak getting up and down the court. Dalembert had six points and nine rebounds and Green added six points on 3-for-10 shooting and three turnovers.
"When you have the sickness they have and haven't played in four days, you will be a little lethargic, and those guys were," Cheeks said.
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, is mike miller available tonite? he just played 12 mins yesterday.
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