MIAMI – The Miami Heat displayed the dominance expected of their star-studded line-up on Saturday with a 118-85 NBA trouncing of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Los Angeles Lakers playmaker Kobe Bryant and Orlando Magic big man Dwight Howard set the pace in voting for the 60th NBA All-Star Game while China's injury-idled Yao Ming also remains a fan favorite.
In the second update of public balloting, last year's NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Bryant led the way with 1,153,694 votes while Howard was second overall with 988,572, the league announced Thursday.
But the shock of the voting update had to be Yao leading the way for Western Conference centers with 637,527 votes despite the fact that the Houston Rockets big man has not played since November 10 due to a left ankle injury.
Yao, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the NBA season because of his injury, is ninth overall in voting but first among non-US players and well ahead of second-best Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum with 376,283 votes.
Voting will continue through January 23 with starting lineups for the Eastern and Western conferences selected by the ballots to be revealed on January 27 for the NBA All-Star Game on February 20 at Los Angeles.
Coaches will vote to decide the remaining All-Stars, to be announced February 3.
Bryant, a three-time Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game, is joined in the West backcourt by Chris Paul at 585,690 votes with NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City and Denver's Carmelo Anthony pacing the forwards.
In the East, Orlando's Howard has more than double the votes of second-place Boston big man Shaquille O'Neal, while the forward and guard pairs are both Miami and Boston mixes.
Miami star LeBron James, a two-time All-Star Most valuable Player, and Boston's Kevin Garnett set the pace among East forwards with Miami's Dwyane Wade and Boston's Rajon Rondo leading the way among East guards.
International players are in tight races for two starting spots in the West.
Spain's Pau Gasol of the Lakers has 597,201 votes to stand third among West forwards, 5,315 votes behind Anthony for the second starting spot.
Argentina's Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs in third among West guards with 403,632, trailing Paul.
In the East, New York's Amare Stoudemire is third among forwards with 637,486 votes, 75,069 votes behind Garnett, and Chicago's Derrick Rose is third among forwards, 56,188 behind Rondo.
LOS ANGELES (AP)—LeBron James(notes) and Kobe Bryant(notes) ran their mouths while they jogged downcourt, not quite making eye contact during an unpleasant conversation in the closing minutes.
“Just asked him what he got for Christmas,” James said.
Although the two superstars wouldn’t reveal what angry words they exchanged, it wasn’t tough to pick out a few statements Saturday. While Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers got a disturbing first look at the Miami Heat, LeBron got the last word at Staples Center yet again.
James had 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists while hitting a season-high five 3-pointers, and the Heat thrived on the holiday stage in a 96-80 victory.
Although both teams called the game a television curiosity rather than a potential NBA finals preview, it clearly meant something to James, who had his third triple-double with Miami and the 31st of his career. James also outplayed Bryant, who scored 17 points, in his second straight Christmas win in the Lakers’ home arena, following last season’s victory for LeBron’s Cavaliers.
“We’re not trying to make a statement to anyone,” James said. “We’re trying to show each other that we can play at a high level and try to get better every game. This is one game. … We’re happy because we got better today.”
While the Heat realize Boston and Orlando are much more important obstacles to their championship hopes, and while the Lakers don’t get terribly excited about playing anybody until the playoffs, there was a palpable edge in the crowd at Staples Center for this intersectional matchup—until the Heat’s steady defensive effort flattened the Lakers in the second half.
Chris Bosh(notes) had 24 points and 13 rebounds, Dwyane Wade(notes) added 18 points on a sore knee and the Heat won for the 14th time in 15 games while flustering the two-time defending champions into a terrible offensive performance, starting with Los Angeles’ 14-point first quarter.
“Our whole thing is just playing solid defense the whole game,” Bosh said. “That’s the primary part of our identity. Our backbone right now is defense.”
James played a balanced, patient game, even after a technical foul near halftime for an under-the-basket scuffle with Lakers defensive stopper Ron Artest(notes). James’ teammates contributed enough to keep the Heat comfortably ahead, with Bosh playing an outstanding first half and Mario Chalmers(notes) contributing 13 points in a reserve role, including three 3-pointers.
“Offensively, it’s probably the most trust and the most poise we’ve played (with) this season,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Pau Gasol(notes) scored 17 points for the Lakers, who fell behind early and never caught up to the tantalizing new contenders for their title. Although Bryant wore garish green shoes for the holiday, his Lakers simply didn’t raise their games to meet the spotlight that follows Miami, falling well behind in the first half and never making a run.
Bryant, who picked up his third technical foul in two games, was visibly displeased with his teammates throughout the second half.
“It’s like these games mean more to our opponents than they do to us,” Bryant said. “I think we need to get that straight—play with more focus, put more (emphasis) on these games. I don’t like it. … We know what we’re capable of doing, and that’s part of the problem.”
Lamar Odom(notes) had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who have lost two straight at home after winning five in a row on the road, following up Tuesday’s collapse against Milwaukee with this high-profile flop. While Odom thinks the Lakers are overconfident, Bryant believes the problems start in practice.
“Individually, you have to make that decision on what’s important,” Bryant said. “The game has to be the most important thing. … This is serious stuff. You don’t just have two rings and say, ‘That’s enough. We’re satisfied with what we’ve got.’ I’m not going to let that slide.”
Coach Phil Jackson dislikes the Lakers’ annual spot on the NBA’s Christmas schedule, and perhaps for reasons beyond the season: Los Angeles dropped to 4-8 on Christmas since 1999, including last season’s one-sided loss to Cleveland, which ended with dozens of giveaway foam hands getting thrown on the court.
Players on both teams broke out festive holiday sneakers for the occasion, including lime-green Nike kicks on Bryant, Gasol and Odom. James and Bosh wore holiday-red shoes with garish green laces.
James got his T shortly afterward for shoving Artest under the basket with 10 seconds left in the first half after Artest wrapped nearly his entire arm around James’ neck while battling for rebounding position.
“I was in a WWE headlock, and I was trying to get out of it,” James said.
NOTES: The Lakers had won five straight home games against Miami, including last season’s win on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer banked in over Wade’s defense by Bryant, who called it the luckiest shot of his career. … Artest dived into the Miami bench in the third quarter chasing his own turnover, nearly flattening Miami’s Jamaal Magloire(notes). … Fans near courtside included Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, Larry David, Kanye West, will.i.am, Gabrielle Union, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jeremy Piven, Christian Slater and Lionel Richie.
Orlando rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit Saturday to beat Boston 86-78 and end the Celtics' 14-game NBA winning streak.
Brandon Bass scored 21 points and Hedo Turkoglu chipped in 16 for the Magic, who followed up their Thursday triumph over NBA leaders San Antonio -- which ended the Spurs' 10-game winning streak -- with a victory over another elite team.
Jameer Nelson and JJ Redick delivered key jump shots in the final minutes for the Magic, who engineered a brace of blockbuster trades last Saturday in a bid to bolster their sagging fortunes.
"You see what the possibilities are," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said of his new-look lineup. "You see that you have a chance to be a really good team. We're not there yet by any means, but you have a chance to be a very good team.
"That belief and that confidence that if we will stay with it, we can be very good -- That's a great thing for our team to get that belief that ... yeah, this can work. We can do this."
Kevin Garnett scored 22 points for Boston and Paul Pierce added 18, but it wasn't enough for the Celtics to overcome the team they defeated in last season's Eastern Conference finals.
It was Boston's first defeat since they fell at Toronto on November 21.
"I just thought we went away from executing offensively and we just didn't get any stops down the stretch," Pierce said.
For much of the contest the Celtics dictated, with Magic center Dwight Howard in foul trouble over the first three quarters and held without a field goal until the final period.
In the first minute of the fourth quarter Howard's hook shot over Glen Davis narrowed Boston's lead to four points.
Several plays later, Howard drew a sixth foul on Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal when he fell to the court as the two fought for position.
"I didn't flop," Howard insisted. "I just tripped."
Bass's jump shot with 1:56 to play knotted the score at 77-77. Nelson followed with a three-pointer and Redick drained a jump shot as the Magic pulled away for a victory.
Orlando was struggling when they put together two trades last weekend, bringing Gilbert Arenas from Washington and Jason Richardson, Turkoglu and Earl Clark from Phoenix.
They gave up Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus and Marcin Gortat along with a 2011 first-round draft selection and cash in the moves.
The new-look Magic lost their first two games before clicking in the victories over San Antonio and a Boston team that had been winning despite injury concerns.
Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was again sidelined with a sprained ankle that had seen him miss seven of the 14 straight victories. Backup Delonte West has missed the last 13.
Shaquille O'Neal sat out four and Jermaine O'Neal played for the first time in 14 games against Orlando. Kendrick Perkins -- last season's starting center -- hasn't played this season.
Boston's deficiencies didn't dim the Magic's pleasure in the victory.
"I had never played on Christmas," Arenas said. "I got a nice Christmas present today."
HOUSTON—In the wake of Yao Ming's season-ending ankle injury, the Houston Rockets have asked the NBA for a disabled player salary cap exception.
Yao has been sidelined since November 10, and the Rockets said Friday that the Chinese star had a stress fracture in his left ankle.
Yao, who missed all of last season after reconstructive foot surgery, played in just five games this season before he was hurt again.
If the league approves it, the disabled player exception would allow the Rockets to acquire a free agent or trade for a player without having to match salaries, up to the value of the mid-level exception of about $5.75 million.
The NBA granted the Rockets the same disabled player exception for Yao in 2009, and Houston used that money to sign Trevor Ariza.
Houston traded Ariza to New Orleans after one season as part of a four-team deal in which they acquired Courtney Lee.
Australian big man Andrew Bogut is going to have to carry a lot more of the load for the Milwaukee Bucks now that Brandon Jennings, the club's top scorer, is out with a broken left foot.
The NBA team announced Monday that Jennings, a 21-year-old point guard who is averaging team-highs of 17.9 points and 5.5 assists a game, will be sidelined four to six weeks as he recovers from surgery to repair the injury.
John Hammond, the Bucks' general manager, said Jennings was examined after a 95-86 loss to Utah on Saturday and it was found he had broken the bone on the outside of his foot that connects to the little toe.
Jennings said he first felt pain in an earlier loss to NBA overall leader San Antonio but kept playing and was on the court for 30 minutes against Utah.
Jennings had started 114 consecutive games for Milwaukee, seven of them in the playoffs, since being selected 10th in the 2009 NBA Draft.
"It shows you a lot about Brandon, the people who haven't had a chance to watch him in his first year and a quarter, I don't think anyone is going to question his competitive spirit," Hammond said.
"He's going to come back as soon as he's capable and ready."
Bogut has 14.6 points and a team-high 11.8 rebounds a game for the Bucks, who are 10-15 this season.
Keyon Dooling will replace Jennings in the starting lineup with Earl Boykins as a backup as the Bucks play three games in four nights at Portland, the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento.
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard gained a new supporting cast Saturday with hopes two major trades will lift the NBA club alongside Miami and Boston as an Eastern Conference title contender.
The Magic, 16-9 but losers in five of their past six games, added Turkish forward Hedo Turkoglu and playmaker Jason Richardson from the Phoenix Suns and controversial long-distance shooter Gilbert Arenas from the Washington Wizards.
"We needed a little bit more punch," Magic president Otis Smith said. "All those guys coming in have an ability to move the ball. After looking at our team through 25 games, we were missing a little something. I thought change was needed."
Orlando traded Rashard Lewis to the Wizards for Arenas, best known for being banished for 50 games last season for bringing guns into the Wizards locker room and faking an injury to avoid playing in a pre-season game last October.
"We have a tendency not to forgive people in this country," Smith said. "We have a tendency to hold onto things a little bit longer, particularly if they play professional sports."
Arenas has struggled with knee injuries and the suspension that have kept him to only 47 games over the past three seasons, but he has averaged 17.3 points and 5.6 assists a game this season.
Arenas scored a season-high 31 against Orlando three weeks ago.
Orlando's major reshaping came by obtaining Richardson, Turkoglu and Earl Clark from the Suns in exchange for US veteran Vince Carter, French guard Mickael Pietrus, Polish center Marcin Gortat and a first-round pick in the 2011 NBS Draft plus three million dollars.
The Magic, trying to entice fans to their new 18,500-seat arena, have fallen from first to fourth in the Eastern Conference, with the Miami Heat, 20-8, and Boston Celtics, 21-4, surging on double-digit winning streaks in December.
Turkoglu has averaged 12.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists a game in 10 NBA seasons and played a key role in helping Orlando make the 2009 NBA Finals but was traded to Toronto last year in a move that proved to be a blunder.
"I don't think it's admitting a mistake," Smith said of reacquiring Turkoglu. "I don't regret breaking up the finals team. I think it was the right decision at the time."
The Wizards gladly ditched Arenas, enabling the team to make this year's top draft choice, John Wall, their focus and escaping their former star's pricey contract.
"We're totally in a rebuild," Wizards coach Flip Saunders said. "We've said that. We were in a situation where we had three of our top players play pretty much the same position in John and Gilbert and Kirk (Hinrich)."
The Suns, 12-13, added height and defensive skill to try to compete with the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers and NBA win leaders San Antonio and Dallas in the Western Conference.
"Carter and Pietrus give us a great defensive presence on the perimeter and they should be extremely dynamic offensively," Suns president Lon Babby said. "And Gortat is really someone that we've had our eye on."
Losing Gortat leaves the Magic without a true backup for big man Howard.
"We think it was worth the gamble," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said.
NEW YORK—Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay was suspended for one game without pay by the NBA on Saturday for a flagrant foul against Houston's Luis Scola one night earlier in a loss to the Rockets.
Gay had led Memphis with 19 points when he committed the foul with 6:00 to play in the fourth quarter of the Grizzlies' 103-87 loss to Houston.
The Rockets led 94-74 when Gay committed the foul, slamming his right shoulder and forearm into the back of Scola and knocking the Argentine big man onto the floor as Houston's Shane Battier sank a 3-point shot.
Gay was banished for the Grizzlies' game on Saturday at San Antonio.
In unrelated incidents, the NBA issued 25,000-dollar fines to Denver Nuggets coach George Karl and Portland Trail Blazers guard Andre Miller.
Karl was fined for disparaging comments about referees after the Nuggets lost 113-112 at home to San Antonio on Thursday.
Miller was fined for throwing the ball into the stands after Portland lost 103-98 to Dallas on Wednesday.
