Suicide lines: Upset Hughes, Daniels’ D, Shaq denies comments … (Yahoo! Sports)
Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your Nintendo Cereal System…

Court Awareness: Wednesday review
Blazers fans finally got an up-close look at Greg Oden. And he didn’t disappoint. Andrew Ungvari reviews Wednesday’s games.NBA/~4/459933423″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Wade’s 40-11-5 night wasted as Raptors win
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Horford held out with sprained right ankle (AP)
Hawks center Al Horford was held out of Wednesday night’s game against the Washington Wizards with a sprained right ankle. The decision was made after Horford tested the ankle in pregame warmups. “If I can’t go at the level I try to play every night, I won’t go because I won’t be helping the team,” Horford said.

MyFox NBA Roundup: Mavs Bounce Bobcats

Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points, Josh Howard added 21 and the Dallas Mavericks never trailed in a 100-83 rout of the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night, delighting owner Mark Cuban a day after he was charged …

Hawks Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Marvin Williams tried his hand at the hero role once last week and

had to watch Paul Pierce foil his effort with a game-winning shot in a

loss in Boston.

Credit Williams for being persistent. With Josh Smith and Al

Horford sidelined with injuries, Williams has stepped his game up,

like he did with the go-ahead three-pointer with 26 seconds to play in

a win over Washington Wednesday night.

“He was huge (Wednesday night),” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said.

“To have to defend (Antawn) Jamison and still to be able to score 21

points and get 14 rebounds, that’s a man’s night.”

The Hawks will need another “man’s night” out of Williams Friday

night against Charlotte, when they’ll likely have to play a second

…

Nets no match in LeBron derby, either
Nets fans who watched LeBron James torch their team Tuesday shouldn’t count on landing him in 2010, Jay Greenberg says.NBA/~4/458944353″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Grizzlies Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

The Grizzlies got a break in their schedule when they were able to

take a day off and get in two practice days before Tuesday’s home game

against the Kings.

For a Memphis team struggling on defense and lacking a spark on

offense, the practice was needed and it paid off in a 109-94 win over

the Kings. “The two days of hard practice really helped,” Grizzlies

backup point guard Kyle Lowry said. “We were able to get back in the

gym and work on some things defensively that we worked on in the

preseason.”

Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni said the practices were so brisk and

intense that he wondered on Tuesday during shoot-around if his team

had anything left in its tank.

“We were sluggish during shoot-around, and I…

Pistons are less physical, but more slick
The Bad Boys are long gone. These Pistons have their own personality with Allen Iverson — and it ain’t bad, Charley Rosen says.NBA/~4/459184172″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Nets no match in LeBron derby, either
Nets fans who watched LeBron James torch their team Tuesday shouldn’t count on landing him in 2010, Jay Greenberg says.NBA/~4/458944353″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Rondo outplays Iverson as Celtics whip Pistons
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Arenas: Last could be ‘for the better’ for Wizards
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.NBA/~4/460079494″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

D’Antoni making a big difference for Knicks
Mike D’Antoni’s move to Manhattan has the Knicks playing faster and the Suns slower. Both might be better off, Randy Hill says.NBA/~4/459805643″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Court Awareness: Wednesday review
Blazers fans finally got an up-close look at Greg Oden. And he didn’t disappoint. Andrew Ungvari reviews Wednesday’s games.NBA/~4/459933423″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Without Yao, Rockets fall meekly to Terry, Mavs
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Griz top Kings, halt losing streak

Grizzlies YAHOO! Memphis Grizzlies Griz top Kings, halt losing streak For two days the Grizzlies convened inside FedExForum and conducted long, incredibly detailed-oriented workouts.

Kings’ defense sags; so does their record

Nov. 19–MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Quincy Douby hung his head. He was at a loss for words when asked about his shooting troubles in the Kings‘ 109-94 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night at FedExForum.

Williams’ late jumper lifts Hawks past Wizards (AP)

Injuries to Josh Smith and Al Horford left Marvin Williams as the only healthy starter on Atlanta’s front line. Williams moved from small forward to power forward and showed he can play big when needed. Williams hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 26 seconds left and matched his career high with 14 rebounds, and the Hawks overcame Caron Butler’s 32-point effort to beat the Washington Wizards 91-87 on…

Has East turned the tables on West?
Last year the West feasted on the East. So far this season it’s been the opposite. Randy Hill examines this conference power shift.NBA/~4/458593894″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

8 is enough: Iverson, Pistons stop Cavs’ streak
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NBA Power Poll: Ranking teams, sizing up rookies (SportingNews.com)
After Anthony Morrow put up 37 points in his first start for the Warriors, it only seemed right to take a closer look at the rookies in this week’s Power Poll.

Williams’ huge 3 helps Hawks snap 4-game skid
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Cavs make it 8 straight; LeBron reaches 11,000
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Gay scores 22 as Grizzlies shoot past Kings (AP)

Rudy Gay scored 22 points and Memphis shot a season-high 54 percent to help the Grizzlies snap a four-game losing streak with a 109-94 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. Hakim Warrick added 21 points and 10 rebounds and Marc Gasol scored 16. Memphis shot above 60 percent for the better part of the game, and built its double-digit lead in the second quarter.

Power Rankings: Cavs eye top spot
LeBron James’ new sidekick is working out just fine, but are the Cavs ready to take over No. 1 in John Galinsky’s Power Rankings?NBA/~4/457649479″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Cavs make it 8 straight; LeBron reaches 11,000
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Free agency rumors about LeBron continue to swirl
While his free agency is still two years away, LeBron James won’t hestiate to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers if another franchise offers the superstar a better chance to win multiple NBA titles. “I think you do what is best for you and you do what is best for your career,” James said Tuesday night when asked about his sense of loyalty to the Cavaliers before they played the Nets in New Jersey. “…I go out and I play hard and that’s loyalty,” James added. “It’s hard because it’s a business.NBA/~4/457816028″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

It’s been a rough stretch for Mark Cuban
The Mavs stink. MLB is blackballing him. And the SEC is on his case. Kevin Hench is almost sorry for billionaire Mark Cuban. Almost.NBA/~4/456564579″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Forced buyouts help players but hurt league
Antonio McDyess was traded, yet ended up with a lucrative buyout and free agency. Charley Rosen says it’s a bad NBA trend.NBA/~4/456642926″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Owners’ boorish behavior tarnishes NBA (Yahoo! Sports)
Whether Mark Cuban is guilty of insider trading or not, league can no longer gloss over its owners’ mistakes.

Forced buyouts help players but hurt league
Antonio McDyess was traded, yet ended up with a lucrative buyout and free agency. Charley Rosen says it’s a bad NBA trend.NBA/~4/456642926″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Court Awareness: Reviewing Sunday’s games
Shaq got the boot for a flagrant foul, but the Suns were just fine without him. Erick Blasco reviews all of Sunday’s action.NBA/~4/456344337″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

It’s been a rough stretch for Mark Cuban
The Mavs stink. MLB is blackballing him. And the SEC is on his case. Kevin Hench is almost sorry for billionaire Mark Cuban. Almost.NBA/~4/456564579″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Wade misses practice with sprained ankle
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade sat out practice Monday to get treatment on a sprained right ankle. Wade, the NBA’s second-leading scorer at 27.9 points per game, is listed as a game-time decision in Miami’s matchup in Washington on Tuesday. He has played through similar slight sprains in the past. Wade got hurt during the third quarter of Sunday’s 107-96 loss to the Toronto Raptors, but was able to complete the game.NBA/~4/456541760″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

BDL NBA Power Rankings: Shattered dreams, broken promises (Yahoo! Sports)
The BDL NBA Power Rankings combine two parts Chivas Regal with one part flippant observation to create the most…

KG suspended 1 game; Shaq fined $25K
Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett has been suspended for one game and Phoenix center Shaquille O’Neal has been fined $25,000 for separate incidents over the weekend. Garnett was penalized for hitting Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut in the face near the end of Saturday’s game. Garnett will sit out Tuesday night when the Celtics host the New York Knicks. O’Neal was fined for verbally abusing an official and failing to leave the court quickly after being ejected Sunday night against Detroit.NBA/~4/456550686″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

MVP watch: Kahn’s Top 10 so far
Is Paul Pierce the best player in the world? No. But he just might be the MVP. Mike Kahn lists his Top 10 early candidates.NBA/~4/456267550″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Prior sins
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Outspoken Cuban charged with insider trading
Federal regulators on Monday charged Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban with insider trading for allegedly using confidential information on a stock sale to avoid more than $750,000 in losses.NBA/~4/456207471″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Hawks Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Josh Smith is back on his feet after spending a week on crutches, the result of a left high ankle sprain he suffered in a Nov. 7 win over Toronto.

Smith is wearing a walking boot and is eager to get back on the floor with his teammates after missing last week’s four-game road trip and Saturday’s game against New Jersey at Philips Arena.

“Watching those games on (television) was agonizing,” Smith said. “We played great and handled our business on the trip. We should have beaten Boston and New Jersey, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. The worst part, though, is having to watch.”

Smith is officially listed as day-to-day. Although there’s no clear-cut timetable for his return to the court, both he and Hawks coach Mike Woodson said the two to four weeks they expected…

NBA Today (AP)

Atlanta Hawk’s Al Horford Shines Brighter…Bulls

Prior to game time Tuesday, Chicago Bull’s rookie Derrick Rose felt stiffness in his back but he was determined to play through it, and that he did! Rose tied his career high scoring withh 26 points in a …

Shaq thrown out for flagrant foul
Shaquille O’Neal was ejected from Sunday night’s game between the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons for a flagrant foul. The call came with 5:19 left in the second quarter when Rodney Stuckey went up for a layup and O’Neal sent the Pistons‘ player chest-first onto the court. The flagrant foul two, which is an automatic ejection, was upheld after a review by the officials. O’Neal stayed on the court to argue vehemently before finally leaving.NBA/~4/455533689″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Grizzlies ragged now but they have a future
O.J. Mayo and the Grizzlies are frustrating to watch at times, but more experience will solve many problems, Charley Rosen says.NBA/~4/454023694″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

NETS 119, HAWKS 107: Defensive swagger missing again

That stifling pressure defense that drove the Hawks to a 6-0 start this season got lost somewhere between Chicago and Boston during last week’s road trip.

Lopez looking like a keeper so far
Brook Lopez’s first start caught Peter Vecsey’s eye. And the GMs who passed up on the Stanford star probably noticed too.NBA/~4/455032780″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Hawks fans finally have a contender to cheer

The modern-day Atlanta Hawks fan has a stash of foul memories big enough to fill The Omni.

Grizzlies ragged now but they have a future
O.J. Mayo and the Grizzlies are frustrating to watch at times, but more experience will solve many problems, Charley Rosen says.NBA/~4/454023694″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Grizzlies Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Rudy Gay got 24 points the hard way in Friday’s 101-96 overtime loss to Milwaukee. He scored just seven points in the first three quarters before scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter and seven points in overtime.

Hopefully, the late-game outburst is a sign that Gay is shaking a mini-slump, but he understands his role and the attention of the opposing defense has changed now that he’s the main focus of the Grizzlies‘ attack.

“Defenses are keying on me, and the biggest thing about it is that I have to learn how to pick out my spots,” Gay said. “I have to learn how to make my teammates better when teams come at me. My problem is shot selection.”

Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni thinks Gay has been pressing too much.

“He just has to let the game come to him a…

Lopez looking like a keeper so far
Brook Lopez’s first start caught Peter Vecsey’s eye. And the GMs who passed up on the Stanford star probably noticed too.NBA/~4/455032780″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Shaq thrown out for flagrant foul
Shaquille O’Neal was ejected from Sunday night’s game between the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons for a flagrant foul. The call came with 5:19 left in the second quarter when Rodney Stuckey went up for a layup and O’Neal sent the Pistons‘ player chest-first onto the court. The flagrant foul two, which is an automatic ejection, was upheld after a review by the officials. O’Neal stayed on the court to argue vehemently before finally leaving.NBA/~4/455533689″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>