Grant Hill's right-wrist sprain continues to bother him. Each time he falls on it or takes a hit in the game, it hurts again.

He played only 24 minutes Friday, leaving for good after a two-minute fourth-quarter stint.

Hill still is expected to be available Saturday at New Jersey but he has not been the same since he sprained the wrist during the March 13 home win against Golden State.

Since that game, Hill is averaging 6.3 points per game after entering that game with a scoring average of 14.5.

As soon as coach Don Nelson saw the Warriors' schedule last summer, he knew that a brutal finish awaited. He had no way of knowing, though, that it would come with such grand theater.

Tonight in Denver and Sunday in Oakland, the Warriors take on the Nuggets and Mavericks in a two-game set that cuts straight to the heart of the Western Conference playoff race.

The three teams are separated by one game for the final two postseason slots.

"This is what playoff basketball is all about," Baron Davis said.

"It's the seventh and eighth-spot fight," Al Harrington said. "It's going to be very interesting."

It's going to be very wild, for sure. The three playoff hopefuls kicked off a three-day round-robin series Thursday when the Nuggets beat the visiting Mavs 118-105.

Arron Afflalo's role on the Pistons has fluctuated weekly, and he was asked after Thursday's win over Miami how he has kept a level head through it all.

Before he could respond, teammate Tayshaun Prince, whose locker is to the left of Afflalo's, chimed in.

"He's from Compton, man," said Prince, also a Compton, Calif., native. "That's what Compton guys do."

Prince was alluding to Afflalo's toughness; growing up in Compton isn't easy.

But Afflalo is also wise beyond his years, so much so that coach Flip Saunders often forgets he's dealing with a rookie.

"I get on him a little bit because I expect him to never make any mistakes," Saunders said. "I don't look at him as being a rookie, because he's got a high basketball IQ, and because of that I expect him to play at a higher level."

Afflalo did just that Thursday, recording career highs in points (15) and rebounds (seven). The game was the third straight Afflalo started in place of the injured Richard Hamilton. Afflalo started the first game of the season and has assumed a variety of roles ever since.

He doesn't grab the headlines too often. He doesn't grace the covers of magazines or star in commercials.

When he breaks the Cavaliers' franchise record for rebounds early next season, they probably won't stop the game to honor him.

But the last thing in the world Zydrunas Ilgauskas feels is overlooked.

"Once you play with LeBron [James], who dominates the game as much as he does, you realize you have to play a smaller role," said the Cavs center, who already is the franchise leader in offensive re bounds and is in the top five in a host of other cat egories.

"I never had an ego in my life. I realize how lucky I am to play with him and how much he helps my game. I wasn't very good when he was out those six games. You let him take the credit because he deserves it. You just try to do your job.

"Also, I've been here such a long time. People have seen me for such a long time, I don't think I'm surprising anybody any more. Twelve years is a long time."

After 19 games and six weeks of careful recovery, it appears Daniel Gibson finally will be back on the court when the Cavaliers face the Detroit Pistons tonight.

So at long last, the team will have all of its guards back and a chance to evaluate how everything fits together for the playoffs, right?

No, not exactly. Nothing has been that simple this season.

Gibson is, indeed, expected to play, but starting point guard Delonte West is dealing with his own issue. West missed his second consecutive practice Friday with left ankle tendinitis. The Cavs are listing him as questionable for the game against the Pistons. But often when a player can't practice, the Cavs will hold him out of the lineup.

For the moment, it could put off what is expected to be a tight race for minutes among West, Gibson, Sasha Pavlovic, Damon Jones, Devin Brown and Wally Szczerbiak leading up to the playoffs. But that's no comfort to Cavs coach Mike Brown.

''I'd rather not have the injuries and be able to look at everybody and decide who I should put out there,'' Brown said. ''It's not easier just because it may avoid the minute crunch right away.''

Center Andrew Bogut underwent a successful surgery to reduce a displaced nasal fracture, or a broken nose, the Bucks announced before tonight's game against Orlando.

The surgery was performed by Paul Lowenstein, a doctor at Elmbrook Hospital in Brookfield.

Bogut was not available to play against the Magic and was to be listed as day-to-day, beginning with Saturday night's game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago. He will be required to wear a protective mask for the rest of the season.

When Chris Duhon got off the bench late in Wednesday night's game at Philadelphia, it was a huge surprise that the veteran guard got off the bench at all -- even garbage time.

So imagine the surprise when Bulls coach Jim Boylan motioned for Duhon in the second quarter of Friday night's game at Atlanta. Duhon entered with 9:37 left and played the rest of the first half. ''It was fun to be out there playing again,'' he said. ''When my name was called, I just wanted to go out and bring energy and do as many positive things as possible.''

Duhon had seven points and three assists in the first half. He also played major minutes in the second half, entering late in the third to play the rest of the way.

Derek Fisher suffered a partial tear of the peroneus longus tendon in his right foot but still played Friday night against Memphis.

Fisher, who didn't practiced Thursday, had an MRI that revealed the injury.

Lakers public relations director John Black said Fisher's injury typically takes six to eight weeks to recover from.

But because there are just 2 ½ weeks left in the regular season and the Lakers are trying to post the best record in the Western Conference, Fisher will attempt to play through the pain and inflammation in his foot.

Fisher, who will receive anti-inflammatory medication and treatment on the foot, said he felt good enough to play.

"That's basically what the decision is going to be based on is how I feel out there; whether I can really be effective enough to be a positive influence on helping us win games," Fisher said. "If at any point I start to feel like I can't do that, then I'll make a decision at that point."

The Clippers waived seldom-used forward Aaron Williams and signed forward Marcus Williams for the remainder of the season.

Signed as a veteran post player before last season, Aaron Williams, 36, suffered through injuries and played only 30 games, averaging 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds.

Marcus Williams, a forward from Arizona, averaged 19.2 points for the Austin Toros of the Development League.

Though his second 10-day contract expired on Friday, forward Mike Harris said he was relieved to finish the contract knowing that the Rockets would sign him for the rest of the season today.

"I'm grateful," he said. "I appreciate them giving me the opportunity to stay here for the rest of the year. Now that that's out of the way, I don't have to worry."

Harris will sign for this season and next, though next season is not guaranteed. He also had a non-guaranteed contract going into this season, but with the Rockets already carrying 19 guaranteed contracts, he was released. The Rockets, however, can go into the offseason with a roster spot for Harris.

"They told me, it was just a numbers game," Harris said. "I think it's just one of those things you have to go out, do the things I do, keep improving, and it won't be that way (non-guaranteed) for long."

Sonics forward Chris Wilcox said he'd like to remain with the organization in the future.

Wilcox is out the remainder of the season with a dislocated right pinkie. His contract expires after next season, but he said he'd like to have an extension before training camp.

"It's definitely a situation that I fit," said Wilcox, who turned down a five-year, $62 million deal in 2006. "I'm getting plenty of time, and I'm helping this team. Whatever comes at the end of the season, that's who I'm with."

That desire coupled with the team headed for the worst record in franchise history is why Wilcox opted to heed the advice of doctors and his agent to forgo the remaining nine games and allow the injury six weeks to heal. Wilcox averaged 13.4 points and 7 rebounds.

"[We] thought it was best for me," Wilcox said. "I'm not concerned right now. This is something minor, and hopefully in six to eight weeks, like they said, everything will be all right — it's just something in the past."

With veteran NBA big man Marc Jackson reportedly getting unexpectedly released this week by his Greek team Olympiacos Piraeus, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor was asked Friday if Utah planned any late-season roster moves.

"I think we're gonna stand pat," O'Connor said.

The Jazz are likely to recall rookies Kyrylo Fesenko and Morris Almond, though, after their season with the NBA Development League's Utah Flash ends.

The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, with 11 techs since mid-January, is up to a league-leading 15 and will be forced to serve a one-game suspension after his next tech. (Unless you think Kobe can get through the next 10 games without one.)

One important footnote: If Bryant or anyone else playoff-bound collects their 16th technical foul in the final game of the regular season, they would be forced to serve their one-game suspension in the postseason. The slate for Ts is otherwise wiped clean at the start of the playoffs, with suspensions starting when a player accumulates seven techs.

Bobcats president Michael Jordan would surely prefer not to fire Sam Vincent after just one season. Yet one plugged-in source describes it as an inevitability, with any hit that Jordan might take for the growing perception that the former teammate he hired can't reach Charlotte's players sure to be softened if he can convince a coach of Brown's stature to take over.

That scenario would be reminiscent of Jordan's tenure in Washington, when the first coach MJ selected -- Leonard Hamilton -- lasted only one season before being replaced by a proven NBA commodity in Doug Collins.

I'd argue, furthermore, that Larry Brown is unlikely to come across a more appetizing option than Charlotte, even if the Grizz were interested. Brown has made it clear that he doesn't want his 23-59 nightmare as the Knicks' coach to be his last big job and the Bobcats would have to appeal to the 67-year-old given his North Carolina ties, Jordan's decent collection of talent to work with and the Bobs' overwhelming need for someone who can teach them how to win.

NBA commissioner David Stern alluded to the possibility of Seattle getting another NBA franchise after the Sonics' likely departure — by purchase or by expansion, if Seattle meets certain criteria. But the rumor floating around KeyArena on Friday that Charlotte might be up for sale is false, according to those within the organization.

"Somebody else asked me about that, but that's the first I've ever heard of it. I don't know where that came from," said Bobcats assistant coach Phil Ford. "At least I hope it's not true."

Memphis is reportedly for sale but is contracted to play at the FedEx Forum through 2016. It would cost an estimated $100 million, plus purchasing costs, to break the lease.

Those within the Charlotte organization said allowing a team to leave is the worst way to handle the situation. The NBA returned to Charlotte three seasons after the Hornets departed; the Bobcats, in their fourth season, drafted Gonzaga star Adam Morrison last season. The Charlotte team ranks 23rd in attendance with 14,553, which is 76.5 percent capacity.

The Blazers have their share of budding stars, so Josh McRoberts' future with the organization most likely lies as a complementary player who can defend, rebound and involve his teammates on offense while playing both forward positions. Blazers coach Nate McMillan envisions the 6-foot-10 player developing into a "quarterback" in the post because of his superior passing abilities and unselfish nature.

This will be put to the test this summer at the NBA Summer League when, McMillan says, McRoberts will become a feature player on the Blazers' summer team.

"He's not a scorer, he's more of a guy that likes to create offense and involve his teammates," McMillan said. "We'll give him the ball and let him quarterback. Last year (at the Summer League) they isolated him . . . at the elbow . . . and just allowed him to drive and get to the basket and drive and kick. He'll get the ball and play with the ball all summer long. We'll be posting him up and, for the most part, running our offense through him."

After spending two months at the end of the bench, Chucky Atkins valiantly returned from injury to active status — and he's still at the end of the bench.

While coach George Karl has praised Atkins contributions, notably the guard's passing skills, Atkins hasn't played much of late.

After Thursday's victory against Dallas, Atkins hadn't played double-digit minutes in the past five games, including last Friday at New Jersey, when he didn't even play.

"I'm not frustrated. I understand what's going on, and I've been hurt pretty much the entire year," said Atkins, who returned March 7 from a sports hernia injury. "We're in a position where we're fighting for a playoff spot. The frustrating part is that I haven't been healthy."

NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is of the belief that former Grizzly Pau Gasol didn't come exactly as advertised.

Abdul-Jabbar said Gasol is better than he expected.

That's high praise from the former Los Angeles Lakers center and one of the most prolific scorers in league history.

Abdul-Jabbar works regularly with Gasol as a Laker assistant, and said he's been impressed with the Spaniard's work ethic and basketball acumen.

"When I got a chance to see him on a daily basis, I realized how thoroughly trained he is," Abdul-Jabbar said. "It's easy for him. That's a testimony to all the time he's spent preparing himself."

Interestingly enough, Abdul-Jabbar said he immediately identified with Gasol's plight in Memphis. Like Gasol, Abdul-Jabbar said he was always pressured to do more on defense and with rebounding. His job, though, was to score and Abdul-Jabbar appreciated having power forwards next to him that did the dirty work.

Abdul-Jabbar also appreciates that Gasol is a student of the game.

"I'm really happy to have the opportunity to work with somebody with that attitude," Abdul-Jabbar said. "That hasn't always been the case."

Forward Tracy McGrady sat out Friday's practice to protect and rest his sore left shoulder. He is expected to be able to go through today's light, shootaround style practice and play Sunday in San Antonio.

"He couldn't practice today," Coach Rick Adelman said on Friday. "We'll see how it is (today). He was sore, so he sat out."

Isiah Thomas' return in any capacity next season may not be a popular scenario among Knicks fans, but one player said it would be welcome news in the locker room.

"Basically, there are some people who are upset with the way things went this year and, yeah, some mistakes were made," the player said. "But when it all comes down to it, we would have Isiah over someone new."

The player agreed to speak under the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation and the Garden media policy that forbids players from talking with members of the media without a public-relations official present. The player, who admittedly has had issues with Thomas during his two seasons as coach, is concerned that Thomas' standing among the players isn't being presented accurately.

Amid the speculation about Donnie Walsh's expected arrival after the season to take over the franchise and the great unknown that is Thomas' future with the team, the players know only what they read and hear in media reports. "I think we know less than you do right now," David Lee said after Wednesday's win over the Heat.

The years are flying by without much hope in sight, even if Donnie Walsh finally signs on the dotted line to rebuild one of the NBA's charter franchises. Walsh has a handshake agreement with the Knicks, but there are still some issues that need to be resolved before the deal is announced.

People close to Walsh claim that money will not be an issue, and usually with Dolan, the son of a billionaire, it never is. Walsh, however, wants assurances from Dolan that he can run the basketball operation his way. That would include everything from having the final say on all player transactions to revamping the team's suffocating media policy, one that even the players complain about.

It may not seem like a major sticking point, but consider the words of a former high-ranking Garden official when asked about Dolan's obsession with the media:

"He cares about that first and foremost," the official said. "He wants to win, don't get me wrong. But that's a distant second to the media."

Dolan may agree to ease up on allowing his employees to speak, but there is no guarantee that he will keep his promise. Former Knicks coach Larry Brown claims that he, Dolan and Thomas had agreed that part of Brown's job would be to evaluate the roster. Instead, when Dolan fired Brown and withheld his pay, Dolan accused Brown of acting as a de-facto general manager.

Walsh, 67, continues to enjoy a close relationship with Indiana co-owner Herb Simon, who is not nearly as eccentric or meddling as Dolan. The Garden chairman, according to a team source, would prefer to keep Thomas as head coach.

Even though Walsh will bring in a new coach if he takes the job, Dolan still wants Thomas to remain in the organization in some capacity. There is a theory that Dolan merely wants Thomas to earn his money, while team sources say it has more to do with the fact that Dolan still admires Thomas and wants to remain loyal to him.

Once again, James Dolan won't be filling Madison Square Garden with NBA playoff games.

The Knicks' 103-95 loss Friday night to the Toronto Raptors officially eliminated them from the postseason for the sixth time in seven years. The Knicks also are guaranteed to win fewer than 30 games for the second time in three years.

And for those scoring at home, the Knicks' championship drought is now 35 years and counting.

"It's disappointing," Isiah Thomas said after the Knicks fell to 20-52. "We definitely had high hopes for this season. We always thought we'd be a playoff team this year."

In a year when records just keep falling, the Celtics are rolling with the locked-in purpose of a Tiger Woods putt.

The latest victims are the New Orleans Hornets, who last night became the 29th and final NBA team to lose to the Celtics, dropping a 112-92 decision at TD Banknorth Garden.

The Celtics last beat every team in the league during the 1990-91 season, when there were only 27 in the field instead of 30.

The Celtics also polished off the biggest turnaround in franchise history, their 57 wins marking a 33-victory improvement over last season’s 24-win team. They had been tied with the 1979-80 Larry Bird Celtics.

The NBA record belongs to the 1997-98 Tim Duncan/David Robinson Spurs, who engineered a 36-win turnaround. But based on the way the Celtics closed out New Orleans - the team with the best record in the Western Conference - 36 isn’t an airtight number.

Donnie Walsh took one look at the visiting writers contingent yesterday morning and took off in the other direction, refusing comment on his negotiations with the Knicks, Milwaukee, and whatever other team is in pursuit of his service.

The disparity between the Eastern and Western conferences this season has led some to suggest that the NBA should re-seed after the regular season in order to ensure that the playoffs

As an example, the Wizards entered Friday's game at Sacramento in fifth place in the East. In the West, their 37-34 record would place them 10th, well out of the playoff picture.

However, Commissioner David Stern dismissed the idea of changing the playoff format during a conference call with reporters on Thursday.

"No one asks [Major League Baseball Commissioner] Bud Selig to change the playoff alignment because the National League is stronger than the American League in a given year," Stern said. "And they don't ask the NFL to change because a team in either conference makes the playoffs with an 8-8 or 9-7 record in a given year. So, it's not something you respond to in a 60-year old league on a five-year cycle."

Brian Cook didn't lose his confidence. He just lost his touch -- for a short period of time.

As the Orlando Magic move into their playoff-preparation mode -- a time when they want to be playing their best -- Cook had fallen into a slump and out of favor with Coach Stan Van Gundy.

That changed quickly Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.

"He has struggled, no question about it,'' Van Gundy said prior to the game. "He just hasn't played well lately. His timing is unfortunate. We want to have everyone ready for the playoffs.''

The Magic (47-27) won their 24th road game of the season, the most in franchise history, eclipsing the 1995-96 team that won 60 games overall and 23 on the road. This team has eight games remaining, including four away from home.

After losing at home to the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs earlier in the week and awaiting the West's top-seeded New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday, the Magic were happy to see the Bucks.

Pat Riley continued to juggle his roles as Heat president and coach when he left the team to attend Saturday's NCAA Tournament games in Houston to scout potential prospects for the NBA Draft.

With the Heat (13-59) poised to land one of the top four picks in the June draft, Riley has briefly stepped away from the team for the third time in as many weeks to scout players.

The Heat, two games into a four-game trip, traveled Friday to Boston and did not practice. It plays the Celtics on Sunday and Indiana on Monday. Riley, who planned to also attend a regional Saturday in either Phoenix or Charlotte, N.C., was not certain if he would coach Sunday's game.

Riley was in Houston for another look at Memphis point guard Derrick Rose. He also could get second looks this weekend at Stanford center Brook Lopez, UCLA center Kevin Love, North Carolina guard Ty Lawson and center Tyler Hansbrough. But Riley recently said most of his scouting work is done with the use of a laptop computer when he travels.

''Now that I've got video of these guys, before I land, I've got enough information about what they do, what they look like defensively, all that stuff,'' Riley said. ``You get an idea what a guy's about and go from there.''

As expected, Alonzo Mourning is talking about a comeback from this season's knee surgery. The 38-year-old center told WIOD radio, "I still want to play the game of basketball." Mourning said he would make a decision in August or September, with his rehab scheduled to extend beyond that time frame.

Apparently Thursday's conversation between Riley and Suns President Steve Kerr brought to a close the war of words between the Heat and O'Neal.

"I'm not going to comment anymore," O'Neal said at a Friday shootaround in Philadelphia. "I'm the type of guy who only speaks once. I shouldn't have to speak twice. I said what I said."

O'Neal had previously attempted to clarify that he was talking about the lack of talented depth during his final months with the Heat, not specifically about Davis and Chris Quinn.

"A lot of times," O'Neal said, "statements get misconstrued. I said what I said. I clarified what I said. I'm not going to talk anymore about it."

What feels like the longest season in Heat history is down to 10 games. For Ricky Davis, that puts the finish line to his marathon within view.

While the overall result will almost certainly be the NBA's worst record, the veteran swingman still has put himself in position for a small victory, as the lone Heat player to appear in all 82 games.

"I said that to him the other day in a meeting," said coach Pat Riley. "I mean, we're trying to be honest about this whole thing and truthful and not talk about it, but guys have to look at what is it they've contributed, either personally or to the team this year."

For all that has gone wrong with his Heat reunion, and for all the criticism he has endured, including this week's rebuke from former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, Davis has proven reliable and resilient.

Like teammates who have opted to step aside, Davis has had his share of lingering ailments, including groin issues. But he will close the season as the lone Heat player to appear in more than 70 games.

"I came in to play all 82 games," he said, in position to do so for the third time in his 10 seasons, after playing 81 games for the Timberwolves last season. "That's what it's about, just finishing out the season."

There's a reason the Hawks' playoff hopes have been on life support the past three months.

Losing leads of 19 and 22 points in the same game the way they did in Friday night's nail-biting 106-103 victory over Chicago at Philips Arena is a sparkling reminder.

Sure, the Hawks held on to beat the Bulls. But that was after doing everything in their power to toss a game they should have won easily onto the mile-high pile of missed chances that have defined their season.

If Ben Gordon's 27-footer at the buzzer hadn't rolled off the rim, the Hawks would have had to take their chances in overtime against a rugged Bulls team that was charging back for the win.

Marvin Williams secured the rebound of that miss to preserve the win for the Hawks (32-40), who moved a full game and a half ahead of New Jersey for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot, thanks to the Nets' 123-115 loss to the Pacers.