NBA notebook: Mavericks' Delonte West fined $25000 - Indianapolis Star

Dallas Mavericks guard Delonte West sounded contrite yet surprised by the $25,000 fine levied against him by the NBA for jabbing his finger in the ear of Utah Jazz swingman Gordon Haywood.

"I didn't think it was going to be that steep," West said Wednesday night before Dallas played Houston. "It's a play that shouldn't be in the game. . . . It's not a good example to set for the youth that we are trying to teach to play the right way."

The NBA issued the fine earlier in the day, calling it a "physical taunt."

West had been called for fouling Hayward -- the former Brownsburg High School and Butler star -- away from the ball, then walked after him to give him what he called a "wet willy" during the second quarter of Utah's 123-121 triple-overtime win over Dallas on Monday night.

West received a technical but was not tossed out of the game. Hayward walked away from the confrontation.

Wizards 121, Bucks 112 Jordan Crawford equaled a season-high with 32 points, and John Wall had 14 points and 10 assists Wednesday night as host Washington dealt Milwaukee a crucial defeat in the Bucks' attempt for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee began the day 11/2 games behind Philadelphia for eighth place in the East, but lost a game as the Sixers won in Cleveland.

Bulls 100, Bobcats 68 Richard Hamilton scored 22 points in just 24 minutes as visiting Chicago took a step closer to wrapping up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a rout of dreadful Charlotte. Despite playing without leading scorers Derrick Rose and Luol Deng, the Bulls shot 48 percent from the floor and connected on 9-of-19 shots from 3-point range.

Grizzlies 103, Hornets 91 Rudy Gay scored 26 points and Mike Conley (Lawrence North) added 20 as host Memphis clinched a playoff berth for the second straight season. Gay was on 9-of-14 from the field and Conley hit 8-of-11 as the Grizzlies shot 51 percent overall.

Hawks 116, Pistons 84 Tracy McGrady led six players in double figures and playoff-bound Atlanta built a 37-point lead in the first half against visiting Detroit.

Knicks 104, Nets 95 Carmelo Anthony scored 21 of his 33 points in the first quarter, and New York won in its last trip to New Jersey; the Nets move to Brooklyn next season.

Heat 96, Raptors 72 LeBron James scored 28 points before taking the fourth quarter off, Mike Miller added 13 points and host Miami continued tuning up for the postseason by pulling away in the second half to beat Toronto.

76ers 103, Cavaliers 87 Jrue Holiday made five 3-pointers and scored 19 of his 24 points in the third quarter as visiting Philadelphia kept its hold on a playoff spot.

A Bobcats executive confirmed there was an altercation Sunday night in the team locker room between coach Paul Silas and F Tyrus Thomas. According to the report, Silas took exception to Thomas for fraternizing with some Celtics players and yelled at him after the game. Shouting ensued and the 68-year-old Silas shoved Thomas toward his locker stall and the two were separated. . . . Nuggets F Wilson Chandler needs surgery to repair a labral tear in his left hip and is done for the season. . . . The Cavaliers again recalled F Luke Harangody (Notre Dame) from the NBA Development League. Harangody has spent the past week bouncing between Cleveland and its Canton affiliate in the playoffs.

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NBA Capsules: Nowitzki scores 35, Mavericks beat Rockets - Brownsville Herald

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NBA roundup: Celtics clinch tie for Atlantic Division - Detroit Free Press

BOSTON -- Paul Pierce had 29 points and a career-high 14 assists, and the Boston Celtics clinched at least a tie for the Atlantic Division title as they held off a late charge by the Orlando Magic for a 102-98 win Wednesday night.

Boston (37-26) has a 3 1/2-game lead over New York (33-29). The Celtics have three games left and the Knicks four.

Division winners are guaranteed to be seeded no worse than fourth in the conference and wouldn't have to face Chicago or Miami in the first round.

New York 104, New Jersey 95: Carmelo Anthony scored 33 points for the Knicks, who played the Nets in New Jersey for the last time. The Nets move to Brooklyn next season.

Miami 96, Toronto 72: LeBron James scored 28 points for the host Heat.

Washington 121, Milwaukee 112: Jordan Crawford scored 32 points as the host Wizards dealt the Bucks a crucial defeat in their attempt for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia 103, Cleveland 87: Jrue Holiday made five three-pointers and scored 24 points to help the 76ers keep their hold on a playoff spot.

Memphis 103, New Orleans 91: Rudy Gay scored 26 points and Mike Conley 20 as the host Grizzlies clinched a playoff berth.

Chicago 100, Charlotte 68: Richard Hamilton scored 22 points in just 24 minutes for the visiting Bulls.

Dallas 117, Houston 110: Dirk Nowitzki scored 35 points to rally the host Mavericks.

L.A. Clippers 104, Denver 98: With their 13th win in 15 games, the visiting Clippers moved into a first-place tie in the Pacific Division with the Lakers, who played at Golden State later.

Notebook: Charlotte president Rod Higgins confirmed there was an altercation between coach Paul Silas and forward Tyrus Thomas in the locker room Sunday night, after the Bobcats' 94-82 loss to Boston. According to reports, Silas took exception to Thomas for fraternizing with the Celtics and yelled at him after the game. ... The NBA fined Dallas guard Delonte West $25,000 for jabbing his finger into the ear of Jazz swingman Gordon Hayward during Utah's 123-121 triple-overtime win over Dallas on Monday. West called it a "wet willy"; the NBA called it a "physical taunt."

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NBA AM: Will Warriors Extend Steph Curry? - HoopsWorld

Stephen Curry’s 2011-12 season didn’t go quite as planned. Rather than furthering his development and helping the Golden State Warriors compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, the 24-year-old point guard spent much of the season sidelined with a nagging right ankle injury.

He played in just 26 games and struggled to find a rhythm when he was on the court, averaging a career-low 14.7 points, 5.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds. Now, he has been ruled out for the remainder of the season and will spend the summer trying to get healthy.

There have been plenty of questions about Curry’s durability and the timing of his injury puts the Warriors in a difficult position going forward. Curry is eligible to sign a contract extension in the fall, but the organization may be hesitant to offer a long-term deal given his health issues.

The Warriors believe that Curry is a special player, but how much will they be willing to pay him if he’s sidelined more often than not? Curry completely understands if the organization is concerned and he’s curious to see what happens when the two sides negotiate in the fall.

“That’s out of my control,” Curry told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury-News. “When you have an injury like this you always have some doubts and some concerns when it comes to contract negotiations, especially my first go-’round at it.”

“Whether that happens or not, I want to be out here and be a part of where we’re going,” he continued. “So it’ll be great if it did–and if we both met somewhere. But if not, I’ve got a season to play next year and to continue get better and whatever happens, happens.”

For now, Curry will give his ankle a month of rest before beginning an offseason rehab plan. He has visited specialists and weighed his treatment options.

“I’ve had so many hands and eyes on my ankle at this point,” Curry said. “I’ve had five months… or a year, really, to look at it… I’ve had plenty of recommendations and just thoughts about how to stay on the court.”

“[I’ll continue] the treatment I’ve been doing the last month, probably just keep that going and then hopefully can wrap it up and maybe play some pick-up somewhere and get my legs back,” Curry said. “At that point, I’ll treat it like a normal summer of preparing for training camp. Just now maybe add an hour extra a day to focus on my ankle and strength and balance and range of motion, stuff like that, that needs to be ready for a long season next year.”

“I think getting a truly healthy ankle where there’s no pain, no nothing, we’re almost there.”

Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Danilo Gallinari and Kosta Koufos were the only players to sign extensions from the 2008 draft class. Others – such as Brook Lopez, Eric Gordon, Roy Hibbert and O.J. Mayo – were forced to wait for their big payday. If Curry and the Warriors can’t agree to an extension this fall, he’ll become a restricted free agent during the summer of 2013.

Chandler Out for Season: Wilson Chandler will miss the remainder of the regular season and playoffs with a labral tear in his left hip, the Denver Nuggets announced on Wednesday.

This has been a strange season for Chandler, who signed with the Nuggets last month after returning from a lockout stint in China. The small forward was hoping to play through the injury, but instead his season will end after just eight games.

“I think Wilson is disappointed and sad — he came back here hoping to give us a big boost,” head coach George Karl told?Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. “I heard the rehab takes a long time too, so we just have to be patient, and hopefully he’ll get back on the court. I hear it’s four, five months of rehab, but I’m not sure.”

Chandler, who averaged 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds this season, tried to play through the injury but described himself as having “no explosiveness.” He wasn’t able to contribute while “playing with pain” and decided that undergoing surgery and starting the rehabilitation process would be best. Chandler is expected to be back on the court by the start of next season.

Matthews Will Play Summer League: Wesley Matthews has been in the NBA for three seasons and he’s set to earn $6,505,320 next year. He has averaged 13.5 points and 3.3 rebounds this season, solidifying himself as a key contributor for the Portland Trail Blazers. However, that won’t stop the 25-year-old from competing in the Las Vegas Summer League this offseason.

“I’m playing,” Matthews told Jason Quick of The Oregonian. “I’m playing. Dead serious.”

“I’m thinking I’ve got to get better,” Matthews added. “The summertime is where we can be selfish. I challenge everyone to work as hard as I do this summer. If we all do that, we will be a helluva team next year when we get back together.”

Matthews informed his agent, Lance Young, of his decision on Wednesday.

“He said he wants to play in two or three games, practices … just be around the team,” Young said. “I said ‘all right.’ He’s going to be playing pick-up games anyway.”

Sometimes players returning from injury will play in Las Vegas to test themselves in game conditions, but it’s rare to see a veteran sign up just to further his development. The Blazers love it and acting general manager Chad Buchanan praised Matthews for his extraordinary work ethic.

“That’s not a surprise,” Buchanan said. “Wes is striving to get better all the time. I love it. In the history of the NBA, I can’t imagine too many guys of his stature requesting to play in Summer League. That tells you a lot about him.”

NBA Chats: There are two chats on the schedule for today. Joel Brigham will get things started today at 1:30 p.m. ET. Next up, Mark Nugent will hold his weekly chat tonight at 6 p.m. ET. Both of these chats fill up fast so be sure to ask a question now. To view all of our upcoming chats, click here.

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NBA Draft Lottery Watch: Timberwolves Offer Gift To The Hornets - SB Nation

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Lakers rout Warriors 99-87, await Kobe's return - Houston Chronicle

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Duke's Coach K: 'NBA controls college basketball' - USA TODAY

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Heat rest Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh in lopsided rout - ESPN

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MIAMI -- LeBron James wants some rest. He also wants to play.

For now, the desire to play seems to be stronger. And his MVP candidacy may be a beneficiary of that decision.

James scored 28 points before taking the fourth quarter off, Mike Miller added 13 points and the Miami Heat continued tuning up for the postseason by pulling away in the second half to beat the Toronto Raptors 96-72 on Wednesday night.

The Heat, having closed the gap on the No.1 Bulls, have their eye on the East's top playoff seed, writes Brian Windhorst. Blog

For a quick take after each game, check the Heat Reaction.

The Raptors tied a franchise-worst with 23 points in the second half -- matching what they managed in a first half against Washington in 2003 -- and Toronto coach Dwane Casey lauded Miami afterward.

"They play the right way," Casey said. "They have the star power to do it. My hat's off to Miami. They're a great team. I'm going to enjoy watching them. I hope my guys were watching and learning and that they learned from tonight and how fast and how physical the game is for 48 minutes. Not 24 minutes -- 48 minutes."

James made 12 of his 15 shots for Miami, which also got 10 points from Udonis Haslem. The Heat -- who can now finish no worse than No. 2 in the Eastern Conference -- played without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, both given the night off for what Miami calls "maintenance" of some nagging aches and pains.

James Johnson scored 18 points, Alan Anderson added 15 and DeMar DeRozan had 12 for Toronto, which fell for the sixth time in eight games.

"First half, we brought the fight to them, let them know they were in a basketball game," Johnson said. "In the second half, different story. They came out and brought the fight to us and they brought it good."

Up next for Miami: A showdown at home against Chicago on Thursday night. The Bulls (47-15) hold a 2?-game lead over the Heat (44-17) in the East standings.

"I know the guys will be looking forward to it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We have a very competitive group."

Toronto led by as many as seven in the first half, then lost the lead after Miami outscored the Raptors 19-10 over the final 5:19 heading into the break.

The last two of those Miami points were by far the most impressive.

As the Heat were trying to get what likely would have been the last quality shot of the half, Johnson stole the ball from Mario Chalmers, and Gary Forbes' layup dropped through the net with 2.5 seconds left in the half to tie the game at 49-all.

Plenty of time for Miami.

Miller grabbed the ball as it fell through the net and went into a three-step drop, much like a quarterback, and threw about a 70-foot pass intended for James -- whose high school wide-receiver skills came in handy. James reached high with his right arm to make a one-handed catch near the 3-point line, whirled around to find both James Johnson and Amir Johnson in his path, dribbled once and laid the ball in just before the halftime horn sounded.

By the time the shot went in, the Heat bench was already standing in celebration. Wade did a little dance before slapping hands with James, and the Heat skipped into the locker room up 51-49.

"It was a great pass, first of all," James said. "I was able to just go up and get it. I looked at the opposite clock ... and I knew I had enough time."

James said before the game that he'd like to get a game or two off before the playoffs start, if the race for seeding permits.

The Raptors wouldn't have minded Wednesday being one of those games. But James isn't complaining that he was out there playing.

"It's just how I am," said James, who entered Wednesday having played the sixth-most minutes in the league this month, the fifth-most in the league for the entire season. "When I go on the floor, if I'm in uniform, I'm trying to play at the highest level. If I'm in uniform, I don't try to take minutes off or take games off when I can. ... I just want to be the best."

If nothing else, those with MVP votes are seeing plenty from James, who has already won that award twice and is considered one of the frontrunners for the trophy this year, along with Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant. James said it's humbling to be in that conversation, but also knows things like scoring Miami's final 17 points to save the Heat from what would have been an embarrassing loss at New Jersey on Monday certainly could generate some voter attention.

"It would mean a lot," James said when asked what MVP No. 3 would mean. "Honestly, it would mean a lot."

James made his first three shots of the third quarter -- making him 10 for 11, having converted nine straight to that point -- with the last of those being a 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring to make it 62-53. Miami outscored Toronto 23-11 in the third, and James found Juwan Howard for a basket late in the quarter that gave the Heat what was then their biggest lead at 74-58, a play the two-time MVP celebrated by punching the air at midcourt.

Soon afterward, he took a seat on the bench for the rest of the evening. Tip-off against Chicago on Thursday was a mere 22? hours away.

Game notes
Toronto's 23 points in the second half were the fewest allowed in any half by the Heat this season. Miami's previous one-half defensive best was 30 in the first half at Philadelphia on March 16. ... Heat C Eddy Curry checked in with 3:30 left, and got a dunk 11 seconds later that got virtually everyone on the Heat bench to their feet. ... James appeared to tweak his ankle on a photographer in the first quarter, shortly before he aggravated a finger injury that's been bothering him for a few weeks. ... Toronto C Jamaal Magloire, a former Heat locker-room favorite, said before the game that he plans on playing again next season.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
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NEWARK, N.J. — Carmelo Anthony scored 21 of his 33 points in the first quarter, and the New York Knicks beat the Nets 104-95 on Wednesday night in their last trip to New Jersey.

Continuing his torrid stretch without Amare Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin, Anthony hit his first six shots in front of the usual pro-New York crowd that will become an all-New York crowd next season, when the Nets move to Brooklyn.

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The Nets once hoped to have Anthony in the lineup when they got there and he is showing why lately, surpassing 30 points for the third straight game and the sixth time in nine games this month. He shot 11 of 21, going 5 of 7 on 3-pointers, and finished slightly ahead of the NBA-best 32.1 points he was averaging in April.

CELTICS 102, MAGIC 98

BOSTON — Paul Pierce had 29 points and a career-high 14 assists and the Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division title as they held off a late charge by the Magic.

Boston (37-26) has a 3 1-2-game lead over New York (33-29). Both can end the regular season tied at 37-29, but the Celtics would finish first with a better conference record, the second tiebreaker behind head-to-head matchups.

Division winners are guaranteed to be seeded no worse than fourth in the conference and wouldn’t have to face Chicago or Miami in the first round.

The Magic cut a 91-78 lead to 91-90 on a layup by Jameer Nelson with 3:04 left. But they came no closer.

HEAT 96, RAPTORS 72

MIAMI — LeBron James scored 28 points before taking the fourth quarter off, Mike Miller added 13 points and the Heat continued tuning up for the postseason by pulling away in the second half to beat the Raptors.

James made 12 of his 15 shots for Miami, which also got 10 points from Udonis Haslem. The Heat played without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, both given the night off.

James Johnson scored 18 points, Alan Anderson added 15 and DeMar DeRozan had 12 for Toronto, which managed only 23 points in the second half — tying a franchise-low — and fell for the sixth time in eight games.

Up next for Miami: A showdown at home Chicago on Thursday night. The Bulls (47-15) hold a 2?-game lead over the Heat (44-17) in the Eastern Conference standings.

HAWKS 116, PISTONS 84

ATLANTA — Tracy McGrady led six players in double figures and the playoff-bound Hawks built a 37-point lead in the first half on the way to a rout of the Pistons.

With their highest-scoring half of the season, the Hawks were up 72-42 at the break in the first of five straight home games to close the regular season. Atlanta is battling with Boston and Orlando to be the final Eastern Conference team with home-court advantage.

The Hawks sure played like it mattered in this one, getting contributions from everyone in what was essentially a mirror image of the 116-77 beatdown that the Pistons handed Cleveland the previous night. Detroit had nothing left for the Hawks, who got a season-high 72 points from their bench.

WIZARDS 121, BUCKS 112

WASHINGTON — Jordan Crawford equaled a season-high with 32 points, and John Wall had 14 points and 10 assists as the Wizards dealt the Bucks a crucial defeat in their attempt for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

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WR Jabar Gaffney says Redskins are shopping himMike Jones?

Pat Summitt stepping aside at Tennessee, named “head coach emeritus” with Warlick new coachAssociated Press?

NHL playoffs: Capitals, Bruins trade words in advance of Game 4 Thursday nightKatie Carrera?

Nationals vs. Astros: First place Washington rallies in eighth inning to edge HoustonGene Wang?

Stanley Cup playoffs: NHL fails to control intimidation tacticsMike Wise?

2012 NHL playoffs: First-round series marked by violence, suspensionsTarik El-bashir?

Tim Kurkjian says Stephen Strasburg will be best pitcher soonDan Steinberg?

Pat Summitt is still much more able than disabledSally Jenkins?

Karl Alzner says he wasn’t calling Milan Lucic a crybabyKatie Carrera?

Redskins have sixth-easiest NFL scheduleMike Jones?

Nationals comfortable with close shavesGene Wang?

Jason Chimera unpluggedKatie Carrera?

Arbitration hearing scheduled in Redskins, Cowboys salary cap caseMark Maske?

Pat Summitt to step down: legendary Tennessee women’s basketball coach won 1,098 games, 8 NCAA titlesLiz Clarke?

Jordan Zimmermann can deal with low run support if Nationals winGene Wang?

Pat Summitt, Tennessee women’s basketball coach, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s diseaseSally Jenkins?

Tomas Vokoun: Groin injury is ‘pretty severe tear’Katie Carrera?

Reliever Lidge dealing with vertigoGene Wang?

Uthoff, Wisconsin at odds over forward’s potential transfer destinationsAssociated Press?

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