LeBron gets hero's welcome, Cavs roll in New York

NEW YORK – July 1, 2010, could be quite a showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.

For now, there's no contest.

LeBron James can become a free agent that day, and the Knicks hope they can offer him a chance to be on a title contender.

He might not have to leave Cleveland for that.

James scored 26 points before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the Cavaliers quickly took a charged-up New York crowd out of the game in a 119-101 victory Tuesday night.

The buzz was about James' future, but he's not ready to talk about that.

His present looks too promising.

"I don't know if it's going to happen," he said. "I'm so focused on this season and what we have at task with the Cavs, it's hard for me to even think about that date. But at the same time, you have to stay open-minded if you're a Knicks fan."

In other NBA games Tuesday, it was: Washington 124, Golden State 100; Phoenix 99, Oklahoma City 98; Dallas 109, Indiana 106; and the Los Angeles Lakers 120, New Jersey 93.

Delonte West added 16 points and Wally Szczerbiak had 15 for the Cavaliers, who rang up their highest point total of the season and put seven players in double figures.

The Cavaliers improved the NBA's third-best record to 11-3.

"They don't get caught up in that, man, and I don't either," James said of the free agency talk. "We hear it every day, we see it every day on TV about 2010 all the time, we still go out and take care of business. We don't worry about what's going on. Me, the leader, I can't let that faze me because I'm leading these guys onto something that we want to accomplish, and that's win an NBA championship."

Quentin Richardson scored 22 points and newcomer Tim Thomas had 16 for the Knicks (7-7), who dropped their fourth in five games.

James' first visit to Madison Square Garden this season came just days after the Knicks made a pair of trades that cleared enough salary cap space for a potential run at him in free agency.

James started the night by saying he was flattered by the attention but focused on trying to win a title this season with the Cavs.

"It seems like they want him, but right now we're excited that he's a Cavalier," guard Daniel Gibson said.

Unlike his previous visit, when the Cavaliers needed nearly all of his 50 points to beat the Knicks last March, an ordinary effort was good enough from James, who laughed and smiled throughout the easy victory.

The Knicks are a team in transition after trading Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford, their two leading scorers, last Friday. Making matters worse, they lost Nate Robinson, who became their leading scorer, after he strained his groin in the second quarter. He is doubtful for Wednesday's game at Detroit.

"I'll be back in no time," Robinson said. "I'm not the kind of guy who wants to sit here and be hurt. I hate it."

James was cheered loudly during pregame introductions and every time he touched the ball by a crowd that included his buddy, rapper Jay-Z — who might prefer James goes to New Jersey, the team he partly owns. James scored 11 points in the first quarter, leading Cleveland to a 34-22 lead.

James could only chuckle and shake his head when a fan yelled "Two more years!" as he was putting on his warmup shirt before heading to the bench for the start of the second quarter.

Suns 99, Thunder 98

At Oklahoma City, Matt Barnes hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 25.7 seconds left to complete Phoenix's fourth-quarter rally and spoil Scott Brooks' home debut as Oklahoma City head coach.

The Thunder (1-14) led throughout the second half and were up by as much as 16 late in the third quarter before the Suns went on a 13-0 run.

Steve Nash had 20 points and 15 assists. Kevin Durant scored 29 points as the Thunder lost their 12th straight.

Wizards 124, Warriors 100

At Washington, Ed Tapscott's coaching debut with the Wizards was much more successful than Jamal Crawford's playing debut with Golden State.

Tapscott guided Washington to a blowout, breaking a five-game losing streak and avoiding the worst 12-game start in franchise history.

Caron Butler scored a season-high 35 points, Andray Blatche had season highs with 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Antawn Jamison added 25 points and 11 rebounds as the Wizards improved to 2-10 with their best scoring output of the season.

The Wizards fired Eddie Jordan on Monday and replaced him with Tapscott, who had been the team's director of player development.

The night's other new featured addition, Crawford, had a quiet evening in his first game since being traded by New York on Friday. Crawford started and had nine points and seven assists in 29 minutes.

Corey Maggette scored 17 to lead the Warriors, who have lost three straight.

Lakers 120, Nets 93

At Los Angeles, Pau Gasol had 26 points and eight rebounds and the Lakers overcame a poor shooting performance by Kobe Bryant to improve to an NBA-best 12-1.

Bryant had difficulty most of the game with Vince Carter's defense, going 5-for-17 from the field in 28 minutes and finishing with 12 points in Los Angeles' fifth straight victory.

Mavericks 109, Pacers 106

At Dallas, Jason Terry scored 29 points and the Mavericks rallied with an 18-8 run in the fourth quarter for their fifth straight victory.

Dirk Nowitzki added 24 points and 12 rebounds and Antoine Wright scored a career-high 24 for Dallas. Kidd finished with 11 points and 13 assists.

Celtics win 5th straight, beat Raptors 118-103

TORONTO – With Rajon Rondo running at full speed, the Boston Celtics' offense has found a new gear.

Ray Allen scored 21 points and Boston led from the start in winning its fifth straight game, 118-103 over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Tony Allen each scored 15 points for the Celtics, who have won 11 of 12 since a Nov. 1 loss to Indiana.

"Our offense carried us tonight and we executed on all cylinders," Rondo said.

Kendrick Perkins had 12 points and Paul Pierce and Eddie House each had 11 in helping Boston score a season high. Its previous best was 110 points in a Nov. 18 victory over New York.

Coach Doc Rivers credited Rondo for relentlessly pushing the ball.

"I thought his speed was the factor of the game," Rivers said. "It set the tables for everyone else to get in. He's done that three or four games in a row and we're winning by big margins and I really believe that's the reason."

Rondo was reluctant to run at first, so Rivers had to press the message home.

"I told him that his speed, every night, has to be the factor of the game," Rivers said. "That makes people have to play him. Early in the year, everyone was playing off of him because we were walking the ball up the floor and not doing anything. Now, with his speed, you've got to stay with him."

Now in his third season, Rondo said he's more confident with the high pace than he was last season.

"I think I'm 10 times better," Rondo said. "I've been working, trying to continue to learn the game. It's just part of growing as a young player, knowing when and when not to attack."

Continued reinforcement from Rivers has taught Rondo one thing.

"When guys are backpedalling, it's tough to defend a guy that's coming full speed at you," Rondo said.

Maintaining the balance between scorer and distributor remains a challenge, but, as long as the wins keep coming, the Celtics are happy to have Rondo keep running.

"This is a textbook game for Rondo to see exactly how he should attack every night, regardless of who we're playing," Allen said.

Chris Bosh led Toronto with 24 points, while Jose Calderon had 14 points and nine assists. Andrea Bargnani and Anthony Parker had 14 apiece for the Raptors, who are 2-4 at home.

Boston wasted little time in building a 10-0 lead, forcing Toronto to call time out at 8:37 of the first after missing their first five field goal attempts.

"We took command of the game early and we made sure that we made them play," Allen said.

Toronto forward Jermaine O'Neal left the game in the second quarter after falling following a missed jump shot. O'Neal started despite straining his surgically repaired left knee in the fourth quarter of Friday's overtime loss to New Jersey.

Wincing visibly every time he jumped and landed, O'Neal was slow to get up after falling on a missed jumper at 7:36 of the second. He left the game one possession later and did not return. O'Neal, who finished with six points, spent the second half in the locker room getting treatment.

"I tried to gauge it and see if I could help the team, but I didn't really have any stability, it was becoming too painful," said O'Neal, who expects to be healthy for Wednesday's game against Charlotte.

Boston led 32-20 after the first quarter and pulled away in the second. Tony Allen came off the bench to score 12 points, pushing the lead to 18 at one point. The lone bright spot for Toronto was Calderon's alley-oop to Jamario Moon with just over a minute to play in the half.

The Celtics led 59-49 at the break, their highest-scoring first half of the season.

Notes:@ Ray Allen had five of Boston's 10 3-pointers as the Celtics finished 10-for-16 from beyond the arc, matching a season-high. ... Pierce got a technical foul for arguing with 25.6 seconds left in the second, and Perkins got one for taunting after a third-quarter dunk. ... Calderon made all eight of his free throws and is a 40-for-40 from the line this season.

Arenas: Last could be 'for the better' for Wizards

WASHINGTON – Gilbert Arenas is already thinking about the possibility of a last-place finish for his Washington Wizards — and finding the silver lining.

With Arenas still working his way back from a third knee operation in 1 1/2 years, the Wizards are off to a 1-8 start heading into their game Friday against the Houston Rockets.

"I don't want to see them struggle," Arenas said Thursday at Madame Tussauds, where his wax figure was unveiled, "but if this is one of those years where we don't make the playoffs or we finish in last place ... that's what happened to San Antonio and that's how they got Tim Duncan and look at them now ... and that's for the better."

The Wizards haven't given a timetable for when their All-Star point guard might begin practicing or playing this season.

He, though, now is targeting the start of 2009.

"They said Jan. 1 — there is no doubt that I will be good to go ... play 40 minutes," Arenas said, according to a transcript provided by the team.

"I definitely want to wait until after New Year's. ... It will give me time to get in shape. Plus I want to learn the new playbook," he added.

Arenas first had surgery on the left knee in April 2007, then had another operation in November, and appeared in only 13 regular-season games last season. The latest surgery was two months ago.

"The old me would have already been playing by now. Getting older I start thinking smarter and everything is going well," he said. "Right now we are just playing the waiting game."

Raptors end 2-game losing skid

TORONTO – When the time came to turn it on, the Miami Heat fell short.

Chris Bosh scored 27 points, Jermaine O'Neal had 11 points and 18 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors snapped a two-game losing streak with a 107-96 victory over the Heat on Sunday.

Kris Humphries scored 14 points and Andrea Bargnani added 12 in his first start of the season. Jason Kapono and Anthony Parker each had 10.

Dwyane Wade scored 29 for Miami, with Daequan Cook adding a season-high 16 and Michael Beasley 13. Chris Quinn had 11 points and Udonis Haslem added 10 for the Heat.

Quinn's layup with 1:00 left in the third tied it at 78 but the Heat went scoreless over the next 3:29 as the Raptors pulled away with a 15-2 run.

"It was just a matter of which team turned it up," Wade said. "It was a game for both of us to win going into the fourth quarter. We kept sparring with them but they finally turned it up and took a big lead."

Toronto capped the rally with an O'Neal block on Cook, releasing Kapono for a 3-pointer that gave the Raptors a 93-80 lead.

Still upset at himself for giving up an offensive rebound to Haslem moments earlier, O'Neal was determined not to let Cook get to the basket.

"I knew he was going to drive and I let him kind of get the angle, so I could step in and block the shot," O'Neal said. "It doesn't always play out that way, but it really got us going."

Heat coach Eric Spoelstra was disappointed with his team's effort as Miami fell to 1-4 away from home.

"We just didn't bring any kind of disposition or competitive spirit on the defensive end," Spoelstra said. "For some reason, on the road, we're confused about what we are and what our identity is.

"It was coming to us easily in the first half so we were sparring with them and scoring," Spoelstra added. "Then it just turned, and that's what happens. We did not have any of our defensive effort or energy, or real competitiveness."

Wade acknowledged that Miami's defensive effort fell short in the fourth.

"We gave up a lot of offensive rebounds to them, giving them a lot of second chances," Wade said. "We just had mental breakdowns at the wrong time. The little things turn into real big things, especially when they've got shooters the way they have."

Wade scored six consecutive points as Miami cut it to 96-91 with 1:36 remaining, but Parker made two free throws and Bosh had a dunk to keep the Raptors safe.

"We tried to make some things happen but it just happened too late," Wade said.

While the Heat were left lamenting their defensive shortcomings, O'Neal was pleased with Toronto's performance.

"We really kept our bodies on them," O'Neal said. "When they tried to drive, we cut them off, we helped, we switched. We did a lot of different things I think they weren't quite used to seeing, especially from the big guys."

Playing together for extended minutes, Bosh, O'Neal and Bargnani gave the Raptors a significant height advantage, helping Toronto out-rebound Miami 52-35.

Toronto guard Jose Calderon sat out with a strained right hamstring and was replaced by Will Solomon, who finished with 15 points and 11 assists.

"He knows what to do, he's a professional," Bosh said of Solomon. "We were behind him, we gave him a lot of support coming in."

Calderon, averaging 13.5 points and an NBA second-best 9.0 assists, was injured in Wednesday's loss to Philadelphia.

Wade rolled his ankle in the second half and said it was "tender" for several minutes, but not painful enough to knock him out of the game. Miami plays Tuesday night at Washington.

Miami led 54-50 at the half, but O'Neal scored six points as the Toronto took the lead with a 10-2 run to start the third.

Notes:@ Bargnani replaced Jamario Moon in Toronto's starting lineup. ... Calderon had played in 106 consecutive games, dating to March 21, 2007. ... Sunday was the final game Shawn Marion was scheduled to wear a facemask to protect his broken nose. He ripped the mask off in anger after being called for a third-quarter foul. Marion, who scored eight points, was injured in a Nov. 1 loss at Charlotte. ... Miami started 5-for-5 from 3-point range but finished 8-for 24. ... The Heat are 0-6 when allowing 100 points or more.

Roy, Oden lift Blazers over Wolves

MINNEAPOLIS – Brandon Roy continues to haunt the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Roy scored 24 points, including a driving layup and then a fast-break dunk that put away the game, lifting the Portland Trail Blazers to an 88-83 victory over Minnesota on Saturday night.

Roy, who was originally chosen by the Timberwolves but traded for Randy Foye on draft night, also had five assists for the Trail Blazers, who got their first road victory over a Western Conference opponent this season.

Greg Oden added 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in 23 minutes for the Blazers as he works his way back from a sprained foot that kept him out for six games.

Al Jefferson had 26 points and six rebounds for the Timberwolves (1-7), who have lost seven in a row since an opening night victory over Sacramento.

It was a familiar formula for the Wolves. They led by 12 points with 5 1/2 minutes to play in the third quarter, but let a double-digit lead slip away for the fourth time this season.

Jefferson made eight of his first nine shots, having little trouble shooting under, over or around Portland's skyline of a front — with the 7-foot-1 Joel Przybilla, the 7-foot Oden and 6-11 LaMarcus Aldridge all taking a crack at him.

His reverse layup gave the Wolves a 10-point lead less than 2 minutes into the second half, but he went without a field goal for the next 14 minutes while the Blazers crawled back into the game.

Sergio Rodriguez's 3-pointer to open the fourth cut the lead to 71-68, and Oden ripped the ball from Jefferson on the low block to start a break finished by a jumper from Steve Blake to tie it at 77 with 3:52 to play.

One night after recording his first double-double in a loss to New Orleans, Oden then threw down a dunk in transition after Jefferson lost the ball again on the block to give Portland an 81-79 lead with 2:58 to go, its first lead since the opening of the second quarter.

This one will sting just a little bit more for the Wolves because of how it ended.

The Foye-Roy trade has been heavily scrutinized in the Twin Cities, largely because Roy has emerged as a bona fide star and one of the rising clutch players in the game.

Foye, meanwhile, was benched for Sebastian Telfair four games ago and still hasn't fulfilled the promise he had coming out of Villanova.

His turnover led to Roy's fast-break dunk, and the game ended with Foye throwing a sloppy airball at the rim while coach Randy Wittman put his hands on his head. Foye finished with 10 points, four rebounds and three turnovers.

Notes:@ Wolves PG Sebastian Telfair collided with Steve Blake in the third quarter and came up spitting up blood. He returned in the fourth. ... Wolves C Jason Collins made his season debut. He missed most of the preseason and the first five games with an elbow injury after a freak golf cart accident. ... Blazers F Channing Frye jogged out of the locker room at halftime, grabbed a ball and swished a halfcourt shot to start warmups. ... Roy scored at least 20 points for the fifth straight game.

(This version CORRECTS Trail Blazers 88, Timberwolves 83. UPDATES. corrects Roy to 24 points, sted 26.)

Barbosa's 27 points lift Suns past Grizzlies

PHOENIX – Rookie O.J. Mayo did all he could to rally Memphis in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies had no answer for Leandro Barbosa.

Mayo had 19 of his game-high 33 points in the final period, but the victory went to the fifth-year veteran known as the Brazilian Blur and Phoenix as the Suns won 107-102 on Monday night.

Barbosa almost went shot-for-shot with the rookie in the fourth, scoring 16 of his team-high 27 points in the period, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 43.8 seconds left.

"It was the first time that I was doing well and I felt like I could go to the basket and I could shoot," said Barbosa, whose season high had been 18 points Oct. 29 at San Antonio. "My teammates were helping me and the coach was helping me, too, and it was great."

Barbosa sank his second 3-pointer of the game to give Phoenix a 103-102 lead.

After a pair of Steve Nash free throws, Mayo missed a straightaway 3-pointer with 6.9 seconds to allow Phoenix to escape with its ninth straight win over Memphis.

"There was a critical possession where we had the scramble and we were looking for a foul but you can't count on that," said Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni. "You've got to just play."

Amare Stoudemire scored 18 points, Boris Diaw added 13 and Nash had 12 points and six assists for the Suns, who have won five of their past six games overall.

"Mayo really tried to take the game over but our guys hung in there in the end and made some plays," said Suns coach Terry Porter.

Rudy Gay scored 20 and Marc Gasol finished with 15 for the Grizzlies, who were 1-3 on their four-game Western road trip.

"We know both of those guys (Mayo and Gay) are very explosive scorers," Porter said. "They can score just about any way you need them to score."

Phoenix had an 82-70 lead heading into the fourth quarter before Mayo single-handedly carried the Grizzlies within a basket. Mayo scored 11 straight points, including a 19-footer with 8:42 to play as Memphis pulled to 87-85.

"O.J. is a phenomenal player and he kept us in the game for a long stretch of time," Gay said. "He made the right decisions. When he should have passed he passed and when it was time to make the basket he made it."

The Suns stretched the lead back to six, 93-87, only to see the Grizzlies tie the game 94-94 on Gasol's three-point play with 4:22 to go. Hakim Warrick gave Memphis a 96-94 lead on a 22-foot bank shot with 3:48 left.

Barbosa put the Suns back ahead 100-98 on a 3-pointer from the right wing. Milicic tied the game with a layup with 2:12 left before Gay gave Memphis its final lead, 102-100, on a dunk off an offensive rebound with 1:30 remaining.

"They made some plays down the stretch," Mayo said. "Our team doesn't have a lot of years. We've got to work on finishing games down the stretch."

Barbosa scored 10 straight points in the third and fourth quarters for Phoenix, including the Suns' first eight in the fourth. He was the only Phoenix player to hit a field goal between Diaw's layup with 3:37 left in the third and Raja Bell's 3-pointer with 3:28 to go.

"We took our foot off the pedal a little bit," Bell said. "They have one of those teams where they're really talented across the board. If you give them an ounce of life that's all they need to get their confidence going and we gave them that."

Mayo had given the Grizzlies a 51-50 lead on a 3-pointer with 9:34 to go in the third quarter before the Suns pulled away.

Matt Barnes' 3-pointer started an 18-4 run over the next five minutes as Phoenix opened a 68-55 lead with 4:34 left in the period. Bell, Diaw and Nash also hit 3-pointers during the streak for the Suns, who finished 8-for-21 from beyond the arc.

Barbosa's layup with 54.5 seconds left gave the Suns their biggest lead, 82-65, and started his scoring streak.

Notes:@ Porter is 6-2 in his Suns career, the best start for a coach in franchise history. ... Bell missed the morning shootaround following the birth of his second child on Sunday. ... Barnes returned to the lineup after missing three games following the birth of two sons. ... Memphis had won four of five meetings before the current losing streak. The Grizzlies are 4-22 all-time in Phoenix and have not beaten the Suns in the Valley since November 16, 2005.

Celtics spoil Iverson's home debut with Pistons

Allen Iverson made himself at home in a corner stall in the Detroit Pistons' locker room, laughing out loud at "Sanford and Son" on a portable TV monitor.

"That is crazy!" Iverson said.

A little later, he was welcomed to the Motor City with a standing ovation so loud that the public-address announcer couldn't be heard.

Then, the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics spoiled everything Sunday night in Iverson's home debut, beating the Pistons 88-76.

Iverson soaked in the thundering ovation.

"That's all you want when you get traded," said Iverson, acquired from Denver last Monday in a deal that sent Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to the Nuggets. "You want to get that initial feeling of how they embrace and accept you."

Iverson scored 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting and had four assists and four turnovers. On Friday night in his first game with the Pistons, he had 24 points and six assists in a 103-96 loss at New Jersey.

In other NBA games Sunday, it was: the Los Angeles Lakers 111, Houston 82; Atlanta 89, Oklahoma City 85; the Los Angeles Clippers 103, Dallas 92; New York 107, Utah 99; Denver 100, Memphis 90; Sacramento 115, Golden State 98; and Toronto 89, Charlotte 79.

In Auburn Hills, Mich., Tony Allen scored 12 of his 23 points in the second quarter for Boston. Using four backups, the Celtics outscored the Pistons 30-10 in the period.

"That's our job," Allen said. "If we don't come in and give the team a lift, we aren't doing what we are supposed to do."

The defending champions didn't have any trouble keeping their big cushion in a rematch of the Eastern Conference finals.

"Our bench has been phenomenal," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "We've started out slow in three or four games, but the energy of the bench has been tremendous. There isn't one guy that carries them."

Tayshaun Prince led Detroit with 23 points and eight rebounds.

Lakers 111, Rockets 82

At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 23 points, Pau Gasol added 20 points and 15 rebounds and the Lakers beat Houston to improve to 5-0.

Jordan Farmar had 16 points and six assists, Andrew Bynum added 13 points and seven rebounds and the Lakers shot 65.8 percent in the second half. Los Angeles has won its five games by an average of 22.4 points.

Aaron Brooks led Houston with 20 points.

Hawks 89, Thunder 85

At Oklahoma City, Joe Johnson scored 25 points to help Atlanta improve to 5-0, the Hawks' best start since they were 11-0 in 1997-98.

Marvin Williams added 16 points, and Flip Murray had 14. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 20 points.

Clippers 103, Mavericks 92

At Los Angeles, Baron Davis had 22 points and 10 assists, Al Thornton had 17 points and the Clippers snapped a season-opening six-game losing streak.

Marcus Camby had 14 rebounds and 10 points for the Clippers. Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 33 points and seven rebounds.

Knicks 107, Jazz 99

At New York, Jamal Crawford scored 32 points, and the Knicks (4-2) moved two games over .500 for the first time since they were 16-14 on Jan. 1, 2005.

Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 17 rebounds for Utah (5-1).

Nuggets 100, Grizzlies 90

At Denver, Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points, Chauncey Billups had 16 points and 10 assists, and Nene added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets.

Rookie guard O.J. Mayo scored a season-high 31 points and had eight rebounds for Memphis, but he had only five points in the second half.

Kings 115, Warriors 98

At Sacramento, Calif., Kevin Martin scored 27 points to lead the Kings to their third straight home victory after an 0-4 start on the road.

Andris Biedrins had 16 points and 18 rebounds for Golden State.

Raptors 89, Bobcats 79

At Charlotte, N.C., Chris Bosh had 30 points and 15 rebounds, and Andrea Bargnani added 18 points to help Toronto snap a two-game losing streak.

Bobcats rookie D.J. Augustin scored 11 of his 14 points in the second quarter.

Thumb injury sidelines Bulls' Hinrich

CHICAGO – Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich needs surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb and will miss up to three months.

The injury occurred during Chicago's 100-83 victory over Phoenix on Friday.

Hinrich, making his first start, was injured in the third quarter and left the game with five points, five assists and five steals. The Bulls initially called it a sprain, but an exam before Saturday night's game against Cleveland revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday.

In his sixth season, Hinrich is averaging 8.3 points and 4.0 assists. The Bulls drafted Derrick Rose with the No. 1 pick, and Thabo Sefolosha started the first five games at shooting guard with Hinrich in a reserve role. But coach Vinny Del Negro juggled the lineup on Friday, with Hinrich replacing the struggling Sefolosha.

Iverson won't play for Detroit against Toronto

TORONTO – Detroit guard Allen Iverson was not available for Wednesday's game against Toronto because Chauncey Billups, one of three players traded to Denver in exchange for Iverson, has not completed his physical with the Nuggets.

Rodney Stuckey started for the Pistons, who also sent top reserve Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to Denver in Monday's trade. McDyess and Samb were not required to report to Denver.

Billups was not expected to play for Denver in its road game against Golden State later Wednesday.

Earlier, Iverson questioned his status as an NBA superstar after being traded for the second time in his career.

"I'm starting to feel like a journeyman," Iverson said jokingly at the Pistons' shootaround before the game against the Raptors.

Some journeyman. The 33-year-old Iverson ranks 20th among all-time scorers in NBA history, earning league MVP and nine-time All-Star status.

Iverson could make his Pistons debut Friday when Detroit visits New Jersey.

"I'm just ready to go," said Iverson, who has taken a physical. "Hopefully everything gets taken care of ... and I'll be able to get on the court with my team and try to learn these plays as fast as possible."

Iverson's home debut could come Sunday night against the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Whenever Iverson plays for the Pistons, he'll be on the court with All-Stars Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Olympian Tayshaun Prince.

"I've always been a fan of the Detroit Pistons, even though we had to play against them so much, but I became a fan by knowing how tough they were," Iverson said. "These teams are all about heart, and I just think I fit right in with that."

Iverson acknowledged it will take some time to feel comfortable with his new team.

"It's definitely going to be a work in progress" he said. "I'd be lying if I said the chemistry will be there right off the top. (Coach Michael Curry) said the way they play is aggressive on offense and aggressive on defense. Obviously you know I can be aggressive on offense and just do the best I can on the other end of the court."

Curry expects Iverson to settle in quickly.

"When you're that talented, and he's going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, you can fit in with any team," Curry said.

Wallace said the Pistons are excited by the addition of Iverson to the lineup.

"We know what type of player he is, we know he's a fierce competitor and that goes perfect with this team," Wallace said. "We're all about one thing, and that's making sure we play in June, and I think he still has that hunger in him to be playing in June."

Iverson, the top pick in the 1996 draft, said Wallace doesn't have to worry.

"I have a big-time resume, but I have a big hole in that, and that's a championship, so obviously that's something I want to accomplish," Iverson said. "I have money, I have all the individual accolades, I've done all the All-Stars, the scoring championships, the MVPs, stuff like that.

"But I haven't had a chance to feel the feeling of winning a championship, and that's the most important thing for me right now."

Paul, unbeaten Hornets beat Cavs in home opener

NEW ORLEANS – Chris Paul had 24 points and 15 assists, and the New Orleans Hornets remained perfect on the young season with a 104-92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

David West added 25 points and James Posey scored 15 to go with his trademark clutch late-game defense.

Posey stole the ball from LeBron James and drove in for a breakaway dunk in the fourth quarter, then hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock wound down to put the Hornets (3-0) up 96-85 inside the final three minutes.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas led Cleveland with 18 points, while James finished with 15 points and 13 assists.

During pregame introductions, the locally popular Rebirth Brass Band played and cheerleaders bopped around the court waving handkerchiefs as if in a second-line parade, while an overflow crowd of 18,150 for the Hornets' home opener showered the team with cheers and chanted "M-V-P!" for Paul.

Starters Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic waved to the crowd wearing street clothes, however. Both were out with right ankle sprains, and Hornets coach Byron Scott started center Hilton Armstrong and forward Rasual Butler in their places.

That lineup did just fine. Butler scored 14 points, draining three 3-pointers. Armstrong and his backup, Melvin Ely, combined for 14 points and nine rebounds, with Armstrong scoring eight of those points and throwing down several dunks set up by Paul's brilliance on the drive-and-dish.

Cleveland led 83-81 in the fourth quarter, but Paul tied the game with a jumper, then set up Butler for a 3 from the corner to put the Hornets ahead 86-83 with 5:25 to go.

Cleveland called timeout, but it only delayed the Hornets' decisive surge. Posey stole the ball from James on the Cavs' next possession for his breakaway dunk, which sent the crowd into a frenzy.

James then turned the ball over again when he was called for traveling, and the Hornets kept pulling away as Paul found West for an open jumper.

Paul's free throws capped a 12-0 run, and Cleveland did not threaten again.

Daniel Gibson scored 14 points for Cleveland, while Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West each added 12.

James had a quiet first half, scoring only six points, but alertly followed his missed jumper for an easy layup that gave Cleveland a 27-19 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Hornets quickly closed the gap with a 13-5 run to open the second quarter. Posey hit two 3-pointers during the surge, the second tying the game at 32.

West's pair of inside scores powered an 8-2 run that put New Orleans up 40-36, but Delonte West pulled Cleveland back to 42-41 soon after with his third 3 of the opening half.

Gibson's 3 gave the Cavs a brief lead, but the Hornets took a 49-48 lead into halftime after Paul set up David West's 20-foot jump shot with just under 30 seconds left in the quarter.

Notes:@ James was assessed a technical foul after arguing that a foul should have been called when he was bumped on a missed jump shot. ... Cleveland (1-2), which lost its season opener at Boston, is 0-2 on the road. ... New Orleans has 14 straight sellouts dating to last season. ... Hornets 2007 first-round draft choice Julian Wright, who missed the first two regular-season games with a sprained ankle, made his first appearance this season in the second quarter. He played only four minutes and did not score.