Georgetown guard Jeremiah Rivers has decided to transfer, becoming the second Hoyas reserve to leave the program since the season ended. Rivers's classmate, forward Vernon Macklin, announced his intention to leave in late April and reportedly plans to enroll at Florida.

The two departures, coupled with the graduation of four seniors, leave the Hoyas with just four players who played significant minutes for the Big East regular season champion: rising senior Jessie Sapp, rising junior DaJuan Summers, and rising sophomores Austin Freeman and Chris Wright.

But Georgetown has depth in its back court, with Sapp, Freeman and Wright, plus the addition of Jason Clark, the All-Met Player of the Year from O'Connell.

The 6-foot-4 Rivers struggled offensively during his two seasons at Georgetown, but he carved out a niche as a defensive specialist. He was often the first guard off of the bench and averaged 18.6 minutes per game as a sophomore. He shadowed some of the country's top guards last season -- Memphis's Derrick Rose, Villanova's Scottie Reynolds, Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and Davidson's Stephen Curry -- and the Hoyas credited his late-game defense with helping them eke out narrow victories over Syracuse and Villanova.

Rivers, the son of Boston Celtics Coach Doc Rivers, attempted fewer than three shots per game and averaged 2.5 points on 31.8 percent shooting.

"Jeremiah and his family made a decision and determined this was best for him," Coach John Thompson III said in a statement released by the university. "We appreciate his hard work and wish him best in his future endeavors."

Kiki Vandeweghe became the New Jersey Nets’ general manager yesterday, less than six months after being hired as a special assistant to team president Rod Thorn.

Vandeweghe replaces Ed Stefanski, who left in midseason to become the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers [team stats].

“We are very pleased that Kiki will continue his relationship with the Nets’ organization,” Thorn said. “When Kiki joined us in December, I felt that his experience as both an All-Star player and front office executive would be an invaluable asset to both myself and the franchise, and his work in the ensuing months has reinforced that belief.”

Arnie Kander, Detroit's strength and conditioning coach, said the fact that Billups' injury didn't happen while he was moving quickly or involved contact, bodes well for his chances for a speedy recovery.

"You have to look at the mechanism of injury," Kander said. "That is the key, more than anything else. Most hamstring injuries that you are really fearful of are speed-related. They happen off fast movement. This was the slowest hamstring you're going to see. This was like a dancer who tries to do the splits and isn't ready for it. They get sore, but they don't usually have any lasting effects."

Between now and Saturday's Game 4 matchup, Kander said Billups would undergo about 90 different treatments with the goal, Kander said, "to get him ready for Saturday."

Pistons coach Flip Saunders said his team will have a game plan that includes Billups playing, and one in case he's unable to play.

Billups, who isn't expected to be involved in any contact between now and Game 4, said the hamstring felt no different on Thursday than it did shortly after the injury Wednesday night.

"It's sore," he said. "We'll see what happens."

Kander said the fact that Billups' level of pain hadn't changed since the injury occurred, was a positive.

"The fact that he feels (Thursday) morning the same as he did (Wednesday) night ... that's a great sign," Kander said. "Usually the next morning, you feel worse. The first 12 hours are always the worse."

The team holds the 18th and 48th picks in the June 26 NBA draft. Grunfeld said he is open to adding a player with the first-round pick but also will consider packaging the pick if a good trade opportunity presents itself.

Grunfeld said he understands the frustration felt by some Wizards fans who want him to make drastic changes but believes the team can be competitive in the playoffs if key players such as Arenas, Jamison and Caron Butler stay healthy.

A league insider believes the Bulls are comfortable choosing between D'Antoni and Johnson, two former NBA coach of the year winners.

If neither works out, they'll likely wait to talk to Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau and Detroit assistant Michael Curry, who are both busy with the playoffs. Thibodeau has been mentioned as a possible replacement for D'Antoni in Phoenix.

With deposed Dallas coach Avery Johnson apparently no longer a Knicks' candidate, that leaves Jackson, the presumed first choice until preliminary talks with D'Antoni commenced, to replace Thomas on the bench despite his lack of prior coaching experience.

Donnie Walsh refuted an Internet report that the Knicks were preparing to make Phoenix Suns coach Mike D'Antoni a "staggering" offer to succeed Isiah Thomas.

The Knicks president has not given any indication that D'Antoni has supplanted Mark Jackson as the favorite to become his team's next coach. Instead, Walsh is doing what he normally does: playing it close to the vest. Jackson, according to sources, remains Walsh's top choice while D'Antoni could emerge as a candidate as well.

But last night, Walsh released a statement saying that, contrary to a report, "We have not offered anyone a coaching contract." ESPN.com reported yesterday that D'Antoni was Walsh's "new No.1 target" to coach the Knicks.

Bernie Bickerstaff, the original architect of the Charlotte Bobcats' basketball operation, is leaving the franchise, The Charlotte Observer has learned.

Bickerstaff served the team's first three seasons as both coach and general manager/president of basketball operations. After the 2006-07 season, he stepped down from both jobs, taking the title of executive vice president. In that role, Bickerstaff scouted extensively in preparation for the 2008 draft and acted as an advisor to managing partner Michael Jordan.

Bickerstaff could not be reached for comment Thursday, but a source with extensive knowledge of the situation confirmed that Bickerstaff is leaving. It was unclear whether he'll work for the team through next month's draft.

Guard Roger Mason Jr., the team's only other free agent, could sign for more elsewhere. And the Wizards might be looking to free up more playing time for Nick Young, who averaged 7.5 points in 15.4 minutes while showing flashes of being a big-time scoring threat as a rookie.

The Spurs can’t stop Chris Paul, and they know it. But the moment they gave up trying was also the moment they gave themselves a chance to win this series. Four NBA championship banners hang in the AT&T Center, raised to the rafters mainly with blocked shots, rebounds and defensive stops. If there is to be a fifth, it will be lifted on layups and jumpers and a willingness to run when others expected the Spurs to walk.

This team still belongs to Tim Duncan, but not the way it once did. Now, it isn’t a disaster to allow 100 points per playoff game, as the Spurs’ opponents are averaging this postseason. It isn’t automatically the goal anymore to slow the other team down. And perhaps most strikingly, it’s no longer the top priority to stop the other team’s best player.

That wasn’t Tony Parker’s job Thursday. For the first time in the Western Conference semifinals, Parker started the game guarding Paul, but that wasn’t because Gregg Popovich thought he could do a better job defending the MVP runner-up than Bruce Bowen. It was because Popovich realized the only way his team could compete with the Hornets was to do the unthinkable — sacrifice defense for scoring.

And now, after Parker and Manu Ginobili proved they didn’t mind running up and down the floor in a 110-99 romp, the tone of this series has shifted. So much, in fact, that the winner of Game 4 on Sunday will likely be moving on to L.A.

There were reports that Spurs assistant general manager Dennis Lindsey would interview soon for Atlanta’s vacant general manager spot. Lindsey said before Thursday night’s game at the AT&T Center that he heard about the reports, but had not heard from anyone in Atlanta and did not believe anyone in the Spurs organization had been asked for permission to speak with him.

Arenas, who had his season cut short by knee surgery Nov. 21, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after opting out of the final year of his deal. He reiterated in his NBA.com blog Wednesday that he would not return to the Wizards if Jamison — also an unrestricted free agent — did not.



"If Antawn is not back, then there's no point in me coming back, because he's part of my success, too," Arenas wrote.



Grunfeld said the statement didn't alarm him because he expects both signings to be completed.



"It's good because we're on the same page," said Grunfeld, who said he has no problem going over the luxury tax to sign both players. "We want to sign Antawn, we want to sign Gilbert, so I kind of like that he supported his teammate and he likes playing with Antawn and that's been our plan all along."

The Mavericks, Carlisle and his agent were working out details of the agreement Thursday night, and an expected news conference today may be pushed back to allow for the deal to be completed.

There are no serious snags, apparently, meaning Carlisle is on schedule to become the new coach. It's a matter of attorneys clarifying details of the deal.

So Carlisle was the only candidate known to be interviewed. But this was not a case of the Mavericks taking the first person available. Having watched Carlisle's career unfold, Nelson said there are many things that make him attractive.

"He's shown the propensity to be successful in a lot of different situations," Nelson said. "Everywhere he's been, the record is pretty impressive, even in playoffs. I've known him a long time, and we're big fans of his character as well as his work."

Heat players accept they're not getting Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan or Larry Bird as their next coach.

But Thursday, two made it sound as if they were getting Dr. James Naismith.

Downplaying Erik Spoelstra's lack of an NBA-playing resume, forwards Udonis Haslem and Dorell Wright instead gushed about how Spoelstra's insight into the pro game makes him a capable fit.

"Spo's probably been one of the most intelligent guys that I've been around, knowing the game of basketball," Haslem said after a Heat Academy graduation ceremony for elementary school students. "Whether he played the game at the highest level or not, I know he has the knowledge to be an NBA coach. I can vouch for that."

Plenty of things have gone wrong for the Utah Jazz in their Western Conference semifinal series with the Lakers. Most notably, the way they've started their two losses.

Several factors have forced Utah to try and dig out of large first-half deficits in its two defeats to Los Angeles. In Game 1, the Jazz scored eight points during a close to eight-minute span in the second quarter and fell behind by 17 points before halftime. In Game 2, Utah played defense like matadors early in the contest, falling behind by 15 points in the first quarter.

Coach Jerry Sloan said to blame, well, everything for Utah's poor starts.

"That's two games in a row where we've come out very soft on both ends of the floor, and that's where you're going to get yourself in trouble," he said. "We end up taking tough, bad shots where there's nobody there to rebound. They come out of there, and they get in the open court and they'll beat you with fast break-basketball."

You have to include credit for the Lakers as a reason why the Jazz had to play catch-up in the first two games. Utah just hasn't matched their intensity, Sloan said.

"They're defending the devil out of us," he said. "But the way we walked through our stuff the first two games to start the game, there's no way we can defend on the other end of the floor. We're settling for outside shots. I just got through watching (film), and it's not what I think our team is capable of."

The signs of progress were visible through Heat forward Dorell Wright's grin as he talked Thursday about the strides he has made while recovering from knee surgery that prematurely ended his season.

He is making strides now, literally. He is walking with no discernable limp, painlessly climbing stairs at his home and extending his left leg into a straight line and lifting it into the air while in bed.

Those are all things Wright has been able to do for the first time since his season ended March 2, when he sustained a torn meniscus in his left knee in a loss at Sacramento and missed the Heat's final 26 games.

Provided his recovery continues to go as planned, Wright plans to next do something he hasn't been able to do in his previous four seasons in Miami: Become a reliable long-term option in the Heat's playing rotation.

Joining Bryant on the first team were New Orleans guard Chris Paul, who was three votes shy of being a unanimous pick, along with Boston's Kevin Garnett, Cleveland's LeBron James and Orlando center Dwight Howard.

Garnett was a first-team pick for the fourth time and James made his second appearance. Paul and Howard were first-timers.

Voting was done by a panel of 127 sports writers and broadcasters, with points being awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash of Phoenix were voted to the second team along with San Antonio's Tim Duncan, Utah guard Deron Williams and Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki. The third team consisted of Houston's Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, plus Utah's Carlos Boozer, Boston's Paul Pierce and the Spurs' Manu Ginobili, the league's top sixth man.

As work continues on finalizing the contracts of their assistant coaches for next season, the Milwaukee Bucks announced Thursday that point guard Mo Williams had undergone successful surgery to repair ligament damage in his right thumb.

The surgery was performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York by hand specialist Michelle Carlson. Williams will be sidelined for about six weeks and will then be able to resume basketball-related activities while wearing a splint. He is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp in October.

Some players avoid saying this particular word — kind of like how they'd shy away from dropping a four-letter bomb in front of their mom or preacher. But Carlos Boozer used the dreaded noun to describe what he's going through in these playoffs. Even at the risk of having to add a quarter to the "Naughty Word Jar," Boozer admitted Thursday that he is indeed experiencing a mind-boggling (close your ears!) "slump."

He's bothered by it, badly wants to work out of it, says his team is suffering and struggling in part because of it, and knows it couldn't have come at a worse time.

"I am in a shooting slump," he said. "I am frustrated."

The Jazz's slumping power forward couldn't even go to sleep after Wednesday night's 120-110 Game 2 loss — which put Utah in an 0-2 hole against the Los Angeles Lakers in this Western Conference semifinal series — until about 6 a.m. Thursday. Even then, it was a short snooze. He had to be at a shootaround and film session only a few hours later to get ready for tonight's Game 3 (7 p.m. tipoff) at EnergySolutions Arena.

After flying back to Utah from L.A. following the game, Boozer tossed, watched the game, turned, counted referees' whistles and fouls, tossed while thinking about missed jump shots and turned some more while worrying about letting his teammates down.

He's been playing his nightmare of late "back and forth in my head" to try to figure things out.

Even before Rashard Lewis' 33-point explosion in Game 3, the Pistons have had trouble matching up with him. His ability to take Rasheed Wallace off the dribble has led to early foul trouble for Wallace, who has been in foul trouble each of the last two games.

Figuring out different ways to limit his effectiveness was near the top of Detroit's agenda during Thursday's practice.

"There's no question that Rashard has caused us some problems," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "His ability to shoot the ball in transition, to isolate some of our bigs. We're going to have to have an answer for that."

If Mike D’Antoni is using the Knicks as leverage to get a better deal from the Bulls, those around him are constructing an impressive mirage.

Sources in both Phoenix and on the East Coast told the Tribune that the expected face-to-face meeting between D’Antoni’s agent, Warren LeGarie, and Knicks president Donnie Walsh didn’t come off Thursday. But there were some telephone discussions, in which mutual interest was made clear enough to take talks to the next level.

There is no deadline, but there remain indications in Phoenix, Chicago and New York that things will heat up over the weekend, and D’Antoni should have one or more offers to consider as he decides on his next coaching destination.

Several sources quickly dismissed a suggestion by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that the negotiations with the Knicks and Bulls could be a ploy designed to strengthen D’Antoni’s position in Phoenix and set up a return to the Suns.

In the D’Antoni Derby, the Knicks have the obvious financial advantage. Not only does ownership have deeper pockets, but it has shown a track record of not being afraid to spend. A reported six-year deal in the $30 million neighborhood must be taken seriously.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni's agent, Warren Legarie, did not meet Thursday as was reported elsewhere and the team said it has not made a contract offer to the Phoenix coach of the last four-plus seasons.

This suggests that the Knicks and D'Antoni will go their separate ways — D'Antoni almost certainly to Chicago and the Knicks probably to Mark Jackson — or the Knicks won't let him use them to procure more money from the Bulls.

Warren LeGarie, the agent for Mike D'Antoni, told The Post yesterday the New York Knicks are still in the picture for the Suns coach, and tried to quash the belief the Bulls are clear frontrunners.

LeGarie planned to meet with Knick president Donnie Walsh today in New York after flying in from Greece.

The Bulls are believed to be D'Antoni's top choice, all things equal, but LeGarie disputed the theory D'Antoni is not a good fit with the Knicks' defense-less, plodding cast.

There was a point Thursday when some reliable indicators pointed toward Mike D'Antoni homing in on New York. But D'Antoni's agent, Warren LeGarie, made it clear that D'Antoni's status remains in limbo, which means the Suns' brass will remain in limbo before its next move.

"There are no negotiations, and there are still no offers," LeGarie said upon returning to the U.S. on Thursday after attending the Euroleague's Final Four.

Chicago has made it known that General Manager John Paxson will continue to interview other applicants. That would suggest that the Bulls will not be making an expeditious decision.

The Bulls might not be able to compete with the type of lucrative, long-term contract New York might offer, but it is not clear if either team will make D'Antoni an offer.

The Knicks are still paying millions to former coaches Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas, and many still believe that Mark Jackson is their front-runner. An ESPN radio station in New York reported that Jackson's hiring would occur soon. ESPN.com reported the opposite Thursday, saying New York was preparing an offer of $6 million or more annually for D'Antoni.

As for Chicago, which several sources say is D'Antoni's preferred destination, there is a question of whether Paxson believes D'Antoni is the right fit or if owner Jerry Reinsdorf is willing to pay for a successful, veteran coach after getting burned on the Scott Skiles' hire and fire.

Ben Wallace left just under four minutes into the game and never returned due to a bizarre case of dizziness.

The Cleveland forward still wasn’t sure about the source of his problem 30 minutes after the game.

“It was like a tough headache, my head was spinning, I couldn’t really turn my head up or down,” said Wallace. “It started as an allergy attack, and then I got dizzy. I got lightheaded and my head started spinning. You can’t play basketball with your head spinning like that.”

Despite the trade that sent their best defender to the Miami Heat, the Suns still have some good defensive players - they just stopped playing defense when Shawn Marion left. Raja Bell is an above average perimeter defender and Boris Diaw has, at times, been top notch, as well. Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire were essentially disinterested in the defensive end of the court, but if someone sparked their interest it makes sense that two seven-footers could be quite a force on the defensive end.

Perhaps that person is Avery Johnson.

We're talking about a coach who took the overrated Erick Dampier and a project in DeSagana Diop and turned them into one of the best defensive tandems in the NBA. Imagine what he could do with Shaq and Amare!

Further offering his support for Rivers, Ainge said he felt the coach made a critical decision to go with veteran Sam Cassell instead of starter Rajon Rondo during the final minutes of Game 1 against Cleveland Tuesday.

“Rajon is a better defensive player than Sam, but (defense) wasn’t hurting us. That wasn’t an issue. That was not the need,” Ainge said. “The need was the floor-spacing and the shot-making, and so Doc went with Sam and good for Doc, because a lot of coaches might have gone with Rajon and we’d be saying ‘Why didn’t we win?’ ”

Utah hosts Game 3 tonight and hopes playing at home can get the Jazz back in the series. Utah went 37-4 at home during the regular season, but the Lakers were one of the four winners, ending a 19-game home win streak for Utah.

Utah coach Jerry Sloan said playing at home wouldn’t do much good if the Jazz don’t get back to running their offense.

“They’re going to defend us. They’re not going to drop off and say, ‘OK, we’re not going to defend you because we’re not in L.A.’ That’s what made them very good. They’re a very good defensive team,” Sloan said.

Allen missed his first shot but then shook loose for a layup a minute into the third quarter. Sure enough, the bunny opened the floodgates. Allen poured in 11 points in the quarter and finished with 16 in the second half.

“It’s just one of those flow situations for me,” Allen said. “I felt good. Even last game I felt good. The first shot (of the game) I thought I got fouled on, but you get to a point where if you start worrying about missing shots you start pressing. I just let it come to me and then attack when it happens.”

With Allen joining the party, the Celtics pushed a 44-36 halftime lead to a dominating 70-51 after three. Paul Pierce (19 points), Kevin Garnett (13) and Leon Powe (11) also reached double figures.

“I don’t let it get in my head,” Allen said. “People ask if I’m in a slump. You just miss. You can miss four in a row and you can make four in a row. That’s my mentality. Just always continue to put that next shot up.”

Allen dresses next to Rajon Rondo in the team’s locker room. He noted that he attempted only four shots in Game One and cracked, “I guess I have to get my point guard here some flowers or something.”