Unicaja's Gabriel out several months

Just 10 days before it starts the Euroleague season, Unicaja has suffered a blow to its big-man rotation as center German Gabriel tore an ankle ligament in Spanish League play on Sunday and will miss at least two months of action. Gabriel hurt his left ankle as Unicaja lost 69-75 at home to Tau Ceramica. Gabriel's injury is added to those of guards Berni Rodriguez and Alfonso Sanchez, who also went down in the preseason. On Monday, Gabriel will undergo surgery to repair the ligament. Gabriel averaged 8.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in just 16 minutes on average in 18 Euroleague games for Unicaja last season.

Warriors' Ellis gets 30-game suspension for accident

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Monta Ellis knew he was in trouble after he seriously injured his ankle in a mo-ped accident and then lied to the Golden State Warriors about it this summer.

The high-scoring guard probably never imagined that trouble would cost him about $3 million -- and neither did his coach or the man who drafted him.

Warriors president Robert Rowell suspended Ellis for 30 games without pay Saturday for violating his lucrative new contract, a decision that apparently went against the wishes of top basketball executive Chris Mullin and coach Don Nelson.

Ellis, who agreed to a six-year deal worth $66 million in July, severely sprained his ankle in a low-speed crash in late August. The 22-year-old then compounded his mistake by telling the Warriors he hurt himself playing pickup ball in his native Mississippi, only coming clean about the accident several days later.

Owner Chris Cohan's decision to suspend Ellis seems to expose a rift between the Warriors' top brass and the Mullin-Nelson team, which directed Golden State to its first playoff berth in 13 seasons in 2007, followed by 48 victories last season.

Pacers Extend Foster's Contract

Foster is entering his 10th season with the Pacers and has career averages of 5.0 points and seven rebounds.

"Jeff wants to be with the Pacers. He wants to finish his career here," Bird said. "It was a very easy negotiation. He was all for being here and we're just glad to have him back."

In the final season of his contract, he had no interest in becoming a free agent next summer and the Pacers had no intention of letting him get away.

"I've never been a free agent and it's not something I necessarily want to explore," said Foster. "I want to finish my career here."

Foster will be 34 when this contract expires but isn't sure this will be his last deal.

"Not necessarily," he said. "You never know. Hopefully, I have three more years and we'll revisit where we are at the end of it. I like the direction we're headed. I've been through the good and obviously the bad and I'd like to do whatever is humanly possible to help us get back to where we need to be."

More NBA news at my NBA spot

ITA/BRA – Huertas looks to lift Fortitudo from the doldrums

BOLOGNA (Lega A) - Numerous national team stars will be in action in Italy this weekend when the new Lega A campaign tips off, including Brazil international Marcelo Huertas when he plays for new club Fortitudo Bologna.

Huertas was so good last season at Bilbao in Spain that he was voted to the ACB’s Ideal Quintet, and the Basque team attempted to keep him but DKV, who had loaned the South American to Bilbao, matched their offer to the playmaker.

Huertas couldn’t agree terms with DKV Joventut, however, so instead he wound up in Italy with Fortitudo, a team that has dipped the past two seasons and is looking to return to former glories.

"I know that Fortitudo have endured two difficult years but together I hope we can return the club to the top, where it wants to compete,” Huertas said.

“As for me, I am ready to be the playmaker of this group, convinced of the strength of this team.

“I am convinced that we can be a great team because we have talent, but besides individual players, our aim is to be able to grow as a team with ambition and optimism.”

Huertas played for the DKV side that won the EuroCup in 2006 and then travelled to Japan with Brazil for the FIBA World Championship.

He did not start making headlines until last season, however, at Bilbao, where the team was among the best in Spain thanks largely to his efforts.

This summer, he had hoped to play at the Beijing Games but Brazil were without most of their leading players at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and lost to Germany in the knockout round.

Huertas might not have been at his best in Athens, where the qualifying event was staged, but Fortitudo will have huge expectations for him.

Zoran Savic has returned to Fortitudo as their general manager after doing a similar role for Barcelona the last couple of seasons and he will know exactly what Huertas adds to the team.

Savic will know that Huertas, 25, is much better than he was when he first arrived in Spain at DKV.

“I think I´ve grown a lot since I arrived to Europe four years ago,” Huertas said.

“I have been fortunate to play under great coaches and alongside great players, like Elmer Bennett (at DKV).

“Now I have the possibility to use what I have learned and take a step forward to help Fortitudo."

Fortitudo travel to face Snaidero Cucine Udine for their first game on Sunday.

Scavolini Spar Pesaro host Armani Jeans Milano, and Benetton Treviso are at home against Air Avellino.

Bancatercas Teramo host Carife Ferrara and Premiata Montegranaro visit Solsonica Rieti.

La Fortezza Bologna open their campaign at home to Angelico Biella, Lottomatica Roma entertain Eldo Caserta and two-time defending champions Montepaschi Siena visit NGC Cantù.

International Basketball news

USA/ESP – Shammond Williams: ‘You have to play an intelligent game to be successful’

VALENCIA (ACB) - Shammond Williams began another professional season in style on Sunday, pouring in 25 points to lead Pamesa Valencia to a come-from-behind victory over CAI Zaragoza.

The Spanish club is hoping the 33-year-old point guard will help the team challenge for honours in the ACB, just as he has helped most of his teams compete for trophies since his days as a standout collegian at the University of North Carolina.

Williams surprised a lot of people when he earned a scholarship in the 1990s and played for Tar Heels legend Dean Smith, the coach who was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame last year in Spain.

Jeff Taylor bumped into Williams in Valencia last week at the Supercopa Femenina and interviewed the Tar Heel great for FIBA.Com.

FIBA: Shammond, it’s been a long time since your Tar Heel days. You last played for the Heels at the NCAA Final Four in 1997. Tell us what you’re doing now and how life has changed.

Shammond Williams: I’m here in Valencia, Spain. That’s the biggest change in my life since then, living abroad as opposed to living in the States. I’ve been able to take my game from college to the NBA level, to Europe. I’ve been able to play at all levels and I’m happy with the success that I’ve had, as well as the cultures that I’ve encountered.

FIBA: So what is the game like in Europe compared to the United States?

Shammond Williams: The game in Europe is similar to the collegiate basketball game. The game isn’t predicated on individuals, but on the team. You have to play an intelligent game to be successful. What you do on the court as a team gives you a chance to be an elite team, the type of focus that you have. Playing in Europe, this is what you learn. I’m very appreciative of what I learned at the University of North Carolina under Coach Smith. It’s made it easier for me to adapt here, to utilize what I learned in college. That helps me individually, but also my teammates.

FIBA: Who are the great coaches that you have been able to play for other than Coach Smith?

Shammond Williams: I’ve had the opportunity to play for Phil Jackson. I’ve the opportunity to play for Nate McMillan. One of my coaches who is a great coach that doesn’t get all of the credit that he deserves is Paul Westphal, by far. I had the chance to play for Doc Rivers and he’s a great coach. I’d say probably number one for me is Coach Smith. My high school coach, Fletcher Arritt at Fork Union Military Academy and the coach at my public (Greenville, South Carolina, Southside) high school, Mark Huff – those are the guys who gave me the basics, the know-how, the little things to help me become a better basketball player. As a youngster, I was able to use the insight to better my skills. They helped me evolve as a basketball player.

FIBA: Shammond, I also went to school in Chapel Hill and remember there were some people who were surprised that you were offered a scholarship. Did you feel like you had a lot to prove?

Shammond Williams: Oh yes! Coming out of high school, I didn’t have any scholarship offers. For someone not to have any scholarship offers and to then go to Fork Union Military Academy and to be recruited as one of the better guards in the country, well, a lot of the people who knew me back in South Carolina weren’t able to follow the progress that I had made. All they knew was that, `Hey, he’s going to the University of North Carolina.’ For me, it was something that really motivated me, made me decide that I wasn’t just going to North Carolina to get an education, but I wanted to become a good basketball player. I had no aspirations of playing in the NBA. The only aspirations I had were to be the best basketball player that I could be.

FIBA: If people were surprised that you went to a prestigious basketball school like UNC, they would have been even more surprised at what you achieved there.

Shammond Williams: I worked hard, stayed in the gym numerous nights. I ended up holding most of the records at the University of North Carolina for 10 years, probably.

FIBA: What is the greatest memory that you have from playing for North Carolina?

Shammond Williams: The greatest personal memory was the ACC Tournament in 1997. Coach really pushed me to do a lot of things offensively. I had an opportunity to control the team. He wanted me to be aggressive and to be the best player that I could become. We were not the favourites that year, but we won the tournament, beating Maryland, Wake Forest and North Carolina State and after winning that, I was named ACC (Tournament) MVP. Getting that acknowledgement, receiving that award really made me appreciate everything that I had done and learned. It was something that I will never forget. A lot of great players played in the ACC but there is only one ACC MVP every year. Going down in history as an ACC MVP like Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Johnny Dawkins, Bob McAdoo, Al Wood and Phil Ford - it was just a blessing and an honour. Once I have children, I’ll be able to tell them that I was ACC MVP.

FIBA: Since you have lived in so many places, have you been able to learn different languages? Did you learn Georgian when you played for their national team?

Shammond Williams: Georgian is pretty much Russian. I played with the Georgian national team but I didn’t live there. But I did live in Russia, I did learn some Russian and of course, I’ve learned Spanish.

FIBA: Shammond, all the hard work back in the college days and then in the NBA means that you now have a chance to live on the beach in Valencia. So you are really roughing it (laughing), are you?

Shammond Williams: It’s rough because you aren’t living in the United States but in a different culture, and it’s rough because I’m practicing twice a day. The best thing about living in these different countries and experiencing different cultures is that my family has the opportunity to see these places where I have been. I lived in Russia (UNICS Kazan), now I’m here in Spain. Every morning when I wake up, I look at the Mediterranean and that’s something that a lot of people from my community (back home), from my socio-economic background may never get an opportunity to experience. So my family gets to see and experience a different culture that they would have only seen on television.

Euroleague news

New-Look Clippers Surge Past Lakers

L.A. Clippers 107, L.A. Lakers 80

FRESNO, Oct. 9 (AP) -- Rookie Mike Taylor was 9-of-12 from the field and scored 20 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 107-80 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

It was the Lakers' worst preseason loss since a 31-point defeat to the Golden State Warriors in 2005 and it kept the Lakers (0-2) winless this preseason. Lakers star Kobe Bryant played 24 minutes and finished with 12 points and three assists. He left midway through the third quarter and did not return.

Baron Davis, who signed the Clippers in the offseason after spending the past three seasons with the Warriors, played 17 minutes and finished with 12 points and seven assists.

Ricky Davis had 17 points for the Clippers (1-1), who led by as many as 13 points in the first half and began distancing themselves again early in the fourth after the Lakers got as close as 79-74 on Jordan Farmar's 3-pointer. Farmar, who finished with 12 points, was one of five Lakers in double figures.

Reserve forward Vladimir Radmanovic led the Lakers with 14 points.

Ricky Davis, who signed as a free agent with the Clippers in the offseason after playing for the Miami Heat, scored 13 points in the first half and was 3-of-5 from behind the arc.

A predominantly Lakers crowd came out to see a rare NBA game in the central San Joaquin Valley. It was the first time the Lakers lost in Fresno, where the team also played in 2004 and 2006.

Taylor led the Clippers' charge in the second half, scoring 16 points. He played with the Idaho Stampede in the NBA Development League last season. Clippers reserve forward Steve Novak was 4-of-6 on 3-pointers and finished with 12 points.

The Clippers were assessed three technical fouls. Clippers reserve guard Jason Hart and the Lakers' Radmanovic were called for a double technical late in the first quarter. Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy received a technical foul in the third quarter.

And rookie DeAndre Jordan was called for a technical after hanging on the rim and yelling after completing a monstrous one-handed dunk in the fourth quarter.

Clippers center Marcus Camby, acquired in a trade with the Denver Nuggets in the offseason, traveled with the team and was in uniform, but did not play. Camby has been recovering from flu-like symptoms during training camp.

Artest Scores 15 in Rockets’ Debut

Houston 96, Memphis 93

HOUSTON, Oct. 7 (AP) -- Ron Artest gave Houston fans an early glimpse of what he brings to the team.

Artest scored 12 of his 15 points in the first quarter of his Rockets debut, and Houston beat the Memphis Grizzlies 96-93 on Tuesday night in its preseason opener.

The Rockets picked up Artest in an offseason trade with Sacramento with the hope that the talented, temperamental forward transforms them into a title contender.

Artest concedes that he and the team still have a lot of work to do on their chemistry.

"There are a lot of tendencies we don't know about each other,'' said Artest, who went 4-for-12 from the field. "As we play more and more with each other, everybody's going to get used to each other's game.''

It'll help to have a full roster.

Tracy McGrady sat out to rest his sore left knee. The Rockets star had offseason surgery to remove loose tissue in the knee and said last week that it was healing slower than expected. And Shane Battier, the starting forward last season, is out for at least three more weeks with inflammation in his left foot.

"We'll only get better as a team,'' Artest said.

Yao Ming had 10 points and nine rebounds in less than two quarters of action. Houston coach Rick Adelman has said he'll be careful with Yao during the preseason to try and keep the six-time All-Star fresh and injury-free.

Yao was playing an NBA game for the first time since breaking his left foot last February. Yao said he felt like a rookie in the first quarter, trying to get used to the speed and intensity after such a long layoff. He looked better in the third quarter, scoring eight points and grabbing four rebounds.

"It felt like new, like I'm new here,'' Yao said.

Carl Landry, Yao's backup, had 18 points and nine rebounds.

Houston led 71-70 after three quarters, and Artest and Yao were done for the night. Artest played 24 minutes and Yao played just over 22.

Rudy Gay scored 14 for the Grizzlies and had a pair of highlight-reel dunks in the fourth quarter. Hakim Warick led Memphis with 15, including a dunk that tied it at 92.

Coach Marc Iavaroni liked what he saw from point guards Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry, who combined for eight assists.

"Both our point guards were very aggressive and we want them to penetrate to the basket,'' Iavaroni said. "This is an indication that both of them have made progress from last year.''

Artest got the loudest ovation of the night when he was introduced with the starting lineup. He missed his first shot as a Rocket, a 3-point try from the top of the key. He sank a 3-pointer from the same spot a minute later.

Yao already saw Artest taking scoring pressure off of him.

"He took a lot of shots and drew a lot of fouls on the offensive end,'' Yao said.

Gay scored five points, including a driving dunk past Yao, to help Memphis build an early lead. Artest scored seven points, including another 3-pointer, during a 9-0 run that put the Rockets up 18-13.

Artest played for Adelman for one season in Sacramento and knows the offense as well as any of the Rockets. Adelman said he'd like his team to learn how to use Artest more effectively in fast-breaking situations.

"We've still got to get used to knowing what he does and what he likes to do,'' Adelman said. "We'd like to take advantage of him when we're pushing the ball and things are on the move and it's not so stagnant, where they can just see everybody come at him. But that will just take some time.''

Yao had a quiet start and came out with 1:44 left in the quarter. He had five rebounds, but only two points, in 10 minutes before he was replaced by Landry.

Artest also sat out the second quarter. Brent Barry, the Rockets' other big offseason acquisition, hit a 3-pointer with 10:12 left in the first half to tie the game at 27-all.

Adelman only used reserves in the second quarter and Houston took a 46-43 halftime lead. Warrick had nine points and O.J. Mayo had eight for Memphis in the first half.

Yao and Artest were back for the start of the third quarter.

Visit my NBA spot for more NBA news

Miller, Love Star as Timberwolves Rout Bucks

Minnesota 117, Milwaukee 79

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 6 (AP) - Rookie Kevin Love scored 16 points and Mike Miller added 12, lifting the Timberwolves to a 117-79 preseason victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night that made Minnesota's draft day trade look promising.

Al Jefferson chipped in 18 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes, and the new-look Timberwolves may have acquired enough offensive threats to improve on last season's 22-60 mark.

Minnesota selected O.J. Mayo with the third overall pick, but dealt him to Memphis for Love, who was picked fifth, and Miller in an eight-player trade hours after the draft concluded.

Jefferson, who'll still provide the bulk of the scoring, dominated inside despite wearing a brace on his right knee to protect a sprained ligament that's limited him the last three weeks. The Bucks, without most of their regulars, couldn't contain the smooth jumpers by Miller or Love, either.

Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman kept pulling Love aside for a little extra advice on the defensive end. He didn't need any help on offense, knocking down a shot high off the glass and hitting a 3-pointer as Minnesota took a 60-37 halftime lead that reached 45 points in the second half.

Rashad McCants scored 22 points and Randy Foye 11 for Minnesota. Charlie Villanueva scored 14 points and Matt Freije and Ramon Sessions had 11 each for Milwaukee.

Milwaukee, which added Scott Skilles as coach and John Hammond as general manager, only kept seven players from last year's 26-56 team.

Center Andrew Bogut, who signed a five-year contract worth up to $72.5 million this offseason, was a late scratch with a migraine headache.

Luke Ridnour (right knee tendinitis), Tyronn Lue (strained groin), Charlie Bell (left heel) and first-round draft pick Joe Alexander (abdominal strain) also didn't play for Milwaukee. Forward, Richard Jefferson acquired in a draft day trade with New Jersey, left after scoring four points in eight minutes with a strained left quad muscle.

Check out Euroleague news at my Euroleague spot

Bench Players Lift Hawks to Win Over Orlando

Atlanta 118, Orlando 101

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 6 (AP) -- The Magic are looking for a starting shooting guard. On Monday night they watched the player they let go after last season help beat them.

Maurice Evans, who left as a free agent last summer, scored 17 points and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Orlando Magic 118-101 in the preseason opener for both teams.

"(The Magic) didn't make any attempt to re-sign me,'' Evans said. "I really thought we had something special there so I was disappointed.''

Evans, with the help of fellow reserve Acie Law, keyed a 45-point third quarter for the Hawks. The pair combined for 20 points in that span as the Hawks turned a 51-49 halftime deficit into a 94-81 lead.

Rashard Lewis led Orlando with 22 points. Olympian Dwight Howard had 17 points, five rebounds and eight blocks. The block total matches Howard's regular-season best.

Evans averaged 9.3 points in 68 games for the Magic last season, but the team opted instead to sign free agent Mickael Pietrus. Pietrus scored nine points in 25 minutes.

Evans has apparently found a spot in the Hawks' rotation.

"I sat down with Mo earlier in the week when we started camp, and kind of spelled out some things that I would like him to do,'' Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "And I thought tonight he came out and did exactly what we talked about.''

Howard arrived in camp vowing to lead the league in rebounding - which he did last year by more than a board a game - and blocked shots. He had six blocks in the first half alone.

"He got a lot of opportunities because of our inability to guard the ball off the dribble,'' coach Stan Van Gundy said. "If he has to do that all the time, it will have an effect on his rebounding.''

Though Howard didn't make any public proclamations about his free throw shooting, after making only 59 percent last year, he hit five of six tries Monday.

J.J. Redick, the former Duke star who has yet to crack the rotation, scored six of his 12 points in the first quarter.

Magic forward Tonny Batie, making a comeback from a shoulder injury that cost him all of last season, grabbed seven rebounds but missed his first four shots and finished with six points on 2-of-8 shooting.

The Hawks, who made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference despite a 37-45 record, took eventual NBA champion Boston to seven games before falling in the first round. With a healthy Mike Bibby at point guard, Atlanta hopes to have the pieces to complement forward Marvin Williams and Josh Smith and shooting guard Joe Johnson.

"We're moving in the right direction,'' Johnson said. "We've got to build on what we did in the playoffs. ... We've got to stay hungry.''

Bibby, who joined the team midway through last season, finally appears healthy after struggling with thumb and heel injuries in 2006-07. He had 11 points and four assists in 21 minutes.

Note: Hawks guard Speedy Claxton did not play because of a hamstring pull.

Check what's new in International basketball

Mayo emerges for Grizzlies

Rookie's game blending well with team's veterans

He often talks barely above a whisper.

O.J. Mayo clearly wants his game to speak at a high volume.

And the Grizzlies like the tone from their 6-5 rookie guard after one week of training camp.

He arrives early and stays late. His competitive spirit never needs booster cables. Mayo is making a smooth transition so far.

"He's shown everything he's shown before," Griz head coach Marc Iavaroni said, referring to Mayo's offseason work.

"He's tremendous competitor. He pays a lot of attention to defense. He's got a balanced game. He's learning that he can be an assassin in this league."

That Mayo isn't trying to do too much is perhaps his best characteristic. He's delivered the wow factor at times with spectacular plays in practice, but Mayo seems to focus more on asking questions, learning and blending into a framework established by returnees Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley.

Asked what he's learned after one week of an NBA training camp, Mayo responded with "patience."

"I'm just being patient," he said. "That's an adjustment so I just try to stay in good with the team. I want to stay poised and find a rhythm. Everybody has been helping me get acclimated to the system."

Mayo is seeing most, if not all, of his time at shooting guard, where he'll likely start when Grizzlies play Tuesday at Houston in their first game of the exhibition season.

Last Saturday during a public scrimmage, Mayo showed his versatile scoring ability and was unselfish with the basketball. He wasn't mistake-prone when the second unit forced the ball out of his hands with double-team defense at the top of the key.

His elevation at the rim and on jump shots, along with deft 3-point shooting, has stood out.

On defense, Mayo's quick hands, good footwork and energy make him effective.

The desire to lead and refuse-to-lose attitude are traits as evident with the Grizzlies' complete cast as they were in summer league and pick-up games.

But Mayo hasn't been involved in any confrontations with teammates -- at least nothing like the altercation that required teammates to separate him from 7-footer Darko Milicic in a pick-up game two weeks ago.

"He's also understanding the need to have a balance to your competitiveness where you're always in control and thinking ahead," Iavaroni said. "That comes with time. He's young."

Still, Mayo, who will turn 21 in a month, is impressing teammates and coaches with maturity that seems to extend beyond his years. They say Mayo's basketball instincts distinguish him from most 20-year-olds.

If he seems unflappable, it's because Mayo draws from vast and high-end basketball experiences.

He was a part of the 2008 U.S. Select Team that helped the Olympic Team prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Mayo often played opposite Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant in those Las Vegas sessions.

"I held my own," said Mayo, who was acquired by the Grizzlies in a seven-player, draft-night trade with Minnesota that sent UCLA forward Kevin Love and Mike Miller to the Timberwolves for Greg Buckner, Antoine Walker and Marko Jaric.

The trade was met with great approval and anticipation of Mayo becoming a star from the Grizzlies' fan base.

None of that is lost on Mayo. Right now, though, he's concentrating on being a lot more than hype.

"It's a long season," Mayo said. "I want to work hard, but I understand that this is a process. It's fun getting the team together and getting ready to go to war together. It's been really competitive. It's all about hard work right now."

More NBA news

DKV Joventut: Ricky Rubio undergoes arthroscopy

DKV Joventut teenage superstar Ricky Rubio will undergo surgery in his right wrist, the club announced Monday. Rubio has been sidelined for the entire preseason due to this hand injury and will undergo a wrist arthroscopy as soon as tomorrow to investigate if ligaments are damaged. The arthroscopy will also allow DKV Joventut to estimate how long Rubio will be sidelined. Rubio helped Joventut to win the Spanish King's Cup and the ULEB Cup titles with Joventut last season, as well as reaching the 2008 Olympic final with Spain this summer.

More Euroleague news at my Euroleague spot

Hornets Win Preseason Opener Over Warriors

New Orleans 106, Golden State 103

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 5 (AP) - David West scored 19 points, Hilton Armstrong added 14, and the New Orleans Hornets won their preseason opener, 106-103 over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.

Chris Paul had 13 points, six assists and a steal for New Orleans. Paul and West, the Hornets' two All-Stars last season, each played 22 minutes.

Marco Belinelli led Golden State with 14 points, hitting both 3-pointers he attempted in the fourth quarter to keep the game close.

Anthony Morow's late 3 cut the Hornets' lead to 105-103. After Ryan Bowen made a free throw for New Orleans, the Warriors had a chance for a tying 3 in the final seconds, but Morrow's attempt bounced off the rim.

Corey Maggette scored 13 points for Golden State, while Kelenna Azubuike added 12 and Al Harinngton 11.

Former LSU standout Anthony Randolph, the Warriors' top draft choice last summer, played nearly 18 minutes, going 3-of-5 from the field for six points.

Veteran Mike James, seeking to win the Hornets' backup role at point guard behind Paul, scored 12 points and had five assists. James Posey, New Orleans' top free-agent acquisition, received an ovation when he checked in and finished with nine points.

Hornets center Tyson Chandler played only the first 5 minutes of the game before leaving with a sprained right ankle. He watched the second half from the bench, still in his warmups, and stood to chat with teammates with no apparent pain during timeouts.

Visit my NBA spot for more NBA news

ARG – Hernandez ‘takes his time’ on decision to remain or go as Argentina coach

BUENOS AIRES (CABB) – Sergio Hernandez is mulling over an offer by the Argentina Basketball Federation to continue as coach of the national team.

Hernandez guided Albiceleste to a bronze medal at this summer’s Olympics.

“I will take some time to think about it,” he said.

“If it was down to willingness and pleasure, I would remain in the national team for life.

“But that is not the only thing. I want to be very honest, evaluate if I still have the energy to take a role that is sacred. I returned from Beijing and I didn´t rest much.

“If there isn´t (enough energy), then I should leave the place to someone else.”

Hernandez had a tough act to follow in Ruben Magnano, the Argentinian coach who guided the national team to a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. Magnano then decided to coach Varese in Italy and that was not compatible with staying on as the boss of the Albiceleste.

At the World Championship in Japan, Argentina suffered a narrow defeat to Spain in the semi-finals when a potential game-winning three-pointer from a wide-open Andres Nocioni bounced off the rim at the very end.

They ended up losing to the United States in the battle for third place.

Last year, Hernandez’s team managed to win the silver medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas despite the absence of Ginobili, Fabricio Oberto, Andres Nocioni and other key players.

This year, Hernandez’s team lost Ginobili to an ankle injury in the first quarter of their semi-final to the United States but still hit back in the bronze-medal game to beat Lithuania.

“There are many good coaches out there,” Hernandez said.

“(Argentina Basketball Federation vice president German) Vaccaro already told me (about a possible contract extension) while having coffee but that was that.”

More International basketball news here

With Bynum back, expectations are high for the Lakers

Andrew Bynum has gotten big, cinematically big, to the point that when he approaches, you can't help but do a slow pan from his toes to his head, like a dramatic movie shot. His chest and shoulders have filled out. He's a skinny teenager no more.

The question is: Is Bynum big enough to handle the extraordinary burden placed on him, to be the man to bring the Lakers from 2008 runners-up to 2009 champions?

Bynum doesn't sag under the expectations. He shrugs.

"I don't think it's putting a lot on my shoulders at all," Bynum said. "We have a team, a caliber of team, that's worthy and good enough to get back."

Lakers fans already have done the math. Kobe Bryant & Co. plus Bynum in the first two months of the 2007-08 season equaled the top team in the Western Conference. Kobe & Co. plus Pau Gasol in the second half of the season equaled the Western Conference championship. Therefore, Kobe & Co. plus Gasol and Bynum should equal NBA champs, right?

The equation isn't that simple. There are some additional facts and figures to throw in there.

For one thing, "We've seen Andrew play about 20 games in three seasons, and that's about it," coach Phil Jackson said.

Has so much ever been expected from someone who has done so little?

Maybe 20 is an arbitrary number. I doubt Jackson could cite a game-by-game tape breakdown for his arrival at that figure. But 20 is as good a number as any to use with Bynum. After all, 20 is, until Oct. 27, his age. Think about that. If he had been healthy all season and the Lakers had won the championship, he could not have sipped the champagne legally.

So he'll be 21 to start this season. That's not a bad number to describe him, either. It happens to be the total number of games in the two best months of his career.

In January 2007, he averaged 10.7 points and 6.4 rebounds -- both personal bests to that point -- in 15 games. Then he declined in both categories the rest of the season. In January 2008, he averaged 17.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots in six games before he dislocated his knee and was done for the season.

If it were as easy as extrapolating the numbers from a small sample set, they'd be making a bust for Priest Holmes for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Let's slow down a little bit and look at what Bynum has done. The supposed savior scored 20 points in a game all of five times last season. He had double-digit rebounds 21 times (about two-thirds of the time).

By comparison, Tim Duncan averaged 21 and 12 as a 21-year-old rookie in 1997-98.

Everything Bynum gave the Lakers last season was a bonus. The Lakers did like him enough to select him with the 10th pick in the 2005 draft. And they valued him enough to hold onto him when Jason Kidd was on the trading block in 2007. But through two seasons, after 128 games and career averages of 5.6 points and 4.4 rebounds, they couldn't realistically expect the performances he put on last season, when he turned into an offensive focal point, when Kobe Bryant went from disparaging him to continuously feeding him the ball.

The easiest thing to do in the NBA is break out. Even Willie Burton has a 50-point game to his credit. The hardest thing is to sustain greatness. That is the challenge before Bynum.

"We'll see if he can get to that level where you compete every moment you're on the floor," Jackson said. "That's something Andrew was just getting ahold of when he was injured last year.

"He reached a certain potential point of what we saw, a light go on somewhere. He realized, 'This is what I have to do to be competitive.'"

Bynum welcomes the expectations. He even adds to them. He says he wants to be an All-Star, to average 20 points and 10 rebounds. He says his knee injury is behind him, that it even withstood a low-bridge during a pickup game and he realized he didn't have to worry about it anymore.

Jackson calls the 20-point wish "not possible," not as long as Bryant, Gasol, Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher are around, for starters. He thinks 10 rebounds are feasible. He'd like three blocked shots per game as well.

"What I ask Andrew to do in this offense is to rebound offensively and set picks," Jackson said. "And to be a pivotal point in our offense. I'm not asking him to be a one-on-one scorer or asking him to get a lot of points, but he's a guy that's going to shore up the defense, which I think is the most important aspect, and rebound, which I think is the second-most important aspect."

Which sounds just like what Bynum wants to do.

"I've seen how I can help out," he said. "Just being a big presence.

"We have to develop a toughness. If somebody gets beat by Paul Pierce, for example, somebody's there to take the charge."

It's no coincidence he cited a Celtic, since it was Boston's overpowering of the Lakers in the NBA Finals that made Bynum's absence so glaring. He also used Kendrick Perkins as an example of a big, tough center who can hold it down in the middle.

So maybe that's the scale Lakers fans should use to weigh Bynum. Not Shaquille O'Neal or Hakeem Olajuwon or Patrick Ewing. Kendrick Perkins. Hey, it worked for Boston.

On offense, Bynum still needs to develop a signature move. He needs to generate more points on his own, rather than depending on lobs and drop-offs as he did so often last season. It wasn't as if Bynum simply overpowered people on the block or swung left and lofted a sky hook, to use the preferred methods of two great Lakers centers of the past, Shaq and Kareem.

And he'll need to find his game while learning about Gasol's game. They've never played together, so they'll have to figure out who likes which side, who should spin and head to the hoop, who should play outside. This should work just fine. Gasol likes to slide out along the baseline and shoot. Bynum is comfortable taking the ball at the high post, and he's an underrated passer.

If it takes a while for them to get in synch, that falls under the category of "nice problems to have." Remember, it wasn't that long ago that the Lakers entered the playoffs with Kwame Brown as their starting center.

"I think it will play out really good," Gasol said. "We're both very talented, we both have a lot of size and ability. We should be a very dangerous couple."

Sometimes we forget English is Gasol's second language, so we'll excuse him for that last phrase. With the exception of Bonnie and Clyde, we don't think of "couples" as being "dangerous." Dangerous duo, maybe. Terrifying tandem.

Which brings up a good point: What exactly should we call this pairing of Lakers big men?

"Pau and Bynum," Bryant said. "How about that?"

Hmmm, don't think that will move a lot of product out of the team store. But get ready to hear those names a lot this season -- Pau on offense, Bynum on defense -- most likely all the way into June.

The one thing Bynum has managed to do in each of the past two seasons is exceed expectations. This year, he only has to meet them. His ambition and attitude are properly aligned. The Lakers can make his life easier by granting him an $88 million extension by the end of the month, and it probably won't take much for them to feel comfortable with those numbers … or something close.

Standing next to Bynum -- seeing him and listening to what he has to say -- can make you believe. This is a team that could win it all.

Pekovic's Show

Zeljko Obradovic 's Panathinaikos in its very first game in Athens and OAKA, this season satisfied totally its nearly 2,000 fans who admired the new Monte Negro center, Nikola Pecovic. The talented center appeared to be more ready than ever to help his new team in the paint. Panathinaikos played against Efes Pilsen in its very first friendly game in Athens and was really amazing, Michael Batiste (203-F-77, college: Arizona St.) and Stratos Perperoglou (203-G-84) were great against the Turks but above all it was Nikola Pekovic (210-C-86, agency: Beo Basket). Nicola scored 29 points dashed down 13 rebounds and gave three assists in the 32 minutes being in the court and 'forced' everybody once more to admit why Head Coach Zeljko Obradovic 'pick' the young Monte Negro guy over so many NBAers. Dimitris Diamantidis (196-G-80) was also the well known 3D while Drew Nicholas (191-G-81, college: Maryland) once more shows to the green fans that he will be adding some crucial points in Panathinaikos opponents.
The final score was 99-87 with the quarters being 27-20, 55-41, 79-64, and 99-87.

Visit my Euroleague spot for more Euroleague news

'Sheed Misses Time With "General Soreness"

No Pistons player had missed a single drill through the first week of training camp until the end of practice Friday, when Rasheed Wallace sat out the final hour of a three-hour practice.

"Just general soreness," said Arnie Kander, Pistons strength and conditioning coach.

Wallace's was feeling soreness in his feet, but coach Michael Curry said he expects that Wallace, 34, will return to practice Saturday.

Visit my NBA spot for more NBA news

Tinsley Dealt To Nuggets

Locked-out Pacers point Jamaal Tinsley was traded to the Nuggets for Chuckie Atkins and Stephen Hunter, The Post has learned.

The deal is contingent on Tinsley passing a physical. Chronically injured over the last four years (only once playing more than 42 games) and embroiled in violent encounters on three separate occasions (none of which he instigated), he spent all summer in Atlanta rehabbing his body and is said to be a great condition.

Denver assumes his $21M, 3-year debt. Atkins is due $3.24M and $3.48M while Hunter is guaranteed $3.86M and $3.69M. Less than half of their total salary remaining is guaranteed.

Visit my NBA spot for more NBA news

Pachulia aches while homeland burns

ATLANTA (AP)—While war raged in his homeland, Zaza Pachulia ached from afar.

He was a Georgian stuck in American Georgia, unable to return to his native country after the Russians invaded over the summer.

“My mom, cousins, grandparents, friends … they’re all back there,” said Pachulia, the Atlanta Hawks' rugged center. “It’s especially tough when you live in a country like Georgia. It’s a small country. Everybody knows you.”

When someone asked how his loved ones were doing, he shot back: “The whole country is my family.”

Imagine his anguish as he watched the Russians rout the outgunned, outmanned Georgians, causing widespread destruction in the tiny nation of 3 1/2 million people before an uneasy peace prevailed. Pachulia, like the rest of the world, saw disturbing television images of a country going up in flames.

“I was here this summer when that was going on and Zaza came into my office,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson recalled. “He was almost in tears. You could tell he was hurting. There was nothing he could do. He was pleading for help.”

Stirred to action but prevented by travel restrictions from getting home, Pachulia went on Atlanta-based CNN and its worldwide audience to appeal for an end to the conflict. Never one to pay much attention to politics, he took part in a downtown rally that drew Georgians from both his country and the U.S. state that’s now like a second home.

“I’m not going to judge what happened,” he said. “I just want peace.”

The Hawks opened training camp this week, and the 6-foot-11 Pachulia insists that he’s firmly focused on helping them get back to the playoffs. The team is counting on him to follow up on his feisty play in the postseason, when he stood up to Kevin Garnett and helped Atlanta go seven games with the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics.

Away from the court, Pachulia still keeps tabs on the folks back home.

“At least people are not dying anymore,” he said. “That’s the main thing. I’m not a politician. Of course, I am worried about my country, but I can’t do anything about it right now.”

He’s eager to see if the Russians follow through on a planned pullout next week, especially with tensions running high on both sides and new developments emerging almost every day.

Patrols by the European Union have brought a sense of normalcy to the devastated country. Then again, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused Ukraine of aiding Georgia during the brief war, potentially drawing another nation into the dispute.

“The conflict isn’t over,” Pachulia said. “They call it a cold war now. The troops are still there. I know the 10th of October is the date the Russians have to leave Georgian territory. I’m just going to wait and hope. They’ve said a lot of times they were going to leave. I don’t know …”

His voice trails off.

“I wonder,” Pachulia said sadly, “if there’s any houses left that have not been bombed.”

While unable to get home, he did join the Georgian national team, which was forced to play entirely on the road during qualifying for the 2009 European championships. The inspired squad won three of four games, the only loss by two points to Sweden.

“It was very special for me,” Pachulia said. “We wanted to show Europe and the rest of the world that we were still alive. There’s bombing going on and people are dying in my country, but we’re still here.”

He holds no hard feelings toward the Russian people. Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko is one of his best friends. Pachulia has formed a bond locally with Ilya Kovalchuk and Slava Kozlov, Russian-born hockey stars who play for the Atlanta Thrashers.

“This shouldn’t affect our friendship,” Pachulia said. “I’m sure they want the same thing I do. They want peace also. It doesn’t matter if it’s Russians or Georgians. Human life is very important.”

He’s coming off a disappointing regular season for the Hawks, his playing time taking a big hit at the hands of rookie star Al Horford. After averaging 12.2 points and 6.9 rebounds the year before, Pachulia managed just 5.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 2007-08.

But Pachulia came alive in the playoffs. In Game 4, Garnett threw an elbow going for a loose ball. Pachulia got right in his face, going forehead to forehead with the Celtics star. No punches were thrown, but the fired-up Hawks went on to even the series.

After stretching it to a seventh game, the Hawks were blown out in Boston. But Pachulia seemed to regain the trust of Woodson, who’s ready to hand him a bigger role off the bench.

“I shortened the rotation last year, and he was part of that rotation. He probably felt like he didn’t get the minutes he wanted to get,” Woodson said. “As a coach, I’ve got to help him, stay positive with him, because we’re going to need Zaza to help us win basketball games at a high level. He’s always been a big part of what we’ve done here. I want him to know that.”

For his part, Pachulia worked harder that usual over the offseason. He actually knocked off a few pounds, but improved his strength. The Hawks want the 24-year-old to become more physical in the lane and take some of the burden off the 6-10 Horford, a bit undersized for a center.

“I know Zaza can do that,” Woodson said. “It’s just a matter of him getting in there, feeling good about himself and getting the job done.”

Pachulia is certainly in control of what he does on the court.

His homeland is a different story, but he hopes others will heed the lessons of this summer’s brief but brutal war on the other side of the world.

“It might be my country today,” he said. “Tomorrow, it might be somewhere else. It doesn’t matter. People are people.”

Visit my NBA spot for more NBA news

Ewing, Olajuwon, Riley Headline HOF Class

Back in 1994, the New York Knicks, led by Patrick Ewing at center and Pat Riley at head coach, took Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Rockets to seven games before bowing out in the NBA Finals. Fourteen years later the trio was reunited as peers entering the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2008 on Friday in Springfield, Mass.

Fifteen-year NBA pro Adrian Dantley, Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson, longtime college basketball analyst Dick Vitale and Immaculata University Women's coach Cathy Rush round out the class announced on Monday at a news conference in San Antonio, TX prior to the NCAA's Men's Division I Championship game.

A Finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Class of 2008 was enshrined during festivities in Springfield, MA on September 4-6, 2008.

Visit my NBA spot for more NBA news

Also check others in Hall of Fame

Bryant, Gasol may sit out some exhibitions

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP)— Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol might sit out some of the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason games after a hectic offseason.

Bryant helped lead the United States to a victory over Gasol and Spain in the gold medal game in the Summer Olympics. Bryant and Gasol each took only a few weeks off before reporting for the first day of training camp Tuesday.

Bryant and Gasol played a carefree game of one-on-one near the end of the first of the Lakers’ two practices. Their teammates, meanwhile, ran a set of wind sprints at the conclusion of their morning workout.

“This week I’m just seeing how they feel, how’s their energy level, and then we’ll adjust,” coach Phil Jackson said. “I was told not to say that I wasn’t going to play Kobe in exhibition games.

“So I’m not going to say Kobe’s not going to play in this exhibition game or that exhibition game. But there is a chance they may not play in an exhibition game.”

Jackson said last week he was determined to monitor Bryant’s playing time more closely this season. The reigning NBA MVP, who turned 30 on Aug. 23 and is entering his 13th season, averaged 28.3 points in 38.9 minutes in leading the Lakers to the NBA finals last season.

“Phil does a good job of making sure we stay in good condition, but that he doesn’t overexert us too much because of the long summer we had,” Bryant said. “I feel great. I could run all day. I’m in shape, so I’m ready to go.”

The Lakers play their first preseason game Oct. 7.

Visit my NBA spot for more NBA news