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Iverson agrees terms with the 76ers

Allen Iverson has agreed terms with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he spent the bulk of his career and won the league MVP award in 2001 after leading the team to the NBA Finals.

"He wants to come back here to play and to show people he can still play," Philadelphia\’s general manager Ed Stefanski told a new conference announcing the signing. "He said he knows he has to play well to get the minutes.

"He did not really have a lot of questions for us as opposed to he just really wanted to come back to Philadelphia."

The 34-year-old Iverson, a 10-times All-Star, had said he was intending to retire having left the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this season after only three games.

The four-time NBA scoring champion played 10 seasons with the 76ers, was traded to Denver in Dec. 2006, and then dealt to Detroit early last season before joining Memphis.

An injury to Lou Williams, who is expected to miss about eight weeks due to a broken jaw, opened the door to talks about Iverson\’s possible return to Philadelphia.

"When Lou got hurt, Allen\’s name came into play," Stefanski said. "He (Iverson) … is the best person available for what we need right now."

Iverson, who has averaged 27 points a game over his 14-year career, is expected to make his 76ers debut on Monday against the Nuggets.

Nets matches NBA worst record of losing start
"Whoever takes over on Monday will have our support. We just have to find a way to win," Devin Harris, the New Jersey Nets point guard, said on Sunday as they flopped to 0-17, matching the worst start to a season in the NBA history.
The Nets will host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday as they try to avoid setting a new record for the NBA\’s worst ever start.
The Nets fired coach Lawrence Frank while assistant Tom Barrise assumed the head role early in the morning before the game started. However this adjustment failed to serve its purpose to end the Nets misery.
Following their 106-87 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Nets became the league\’s worst team of the season, joining the 1988-89 Miami Heat and 1999 Los Angeles Clippers on the list of futility.
Kobe Bryant initiated a shooting showcase with five 3-pointers and 30 points. With Pau Gasol added 20, Los Angeles put the game away before halftime when they took a 59-34 advantage.
New Jersey made its first two shots and led 8-5 before a ruthless 22-2 Lakers\’ run.
Brook Lopez led the Nets with 26 points and 12 rebounds, and Harris showed good signs in his second game since being restored to the starting lineup after a groin injury.

Kobe, LeBron lead NBA All-Star vote
Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are still in the leading positions of the NBA All-Star votes after four-round balloting.
Bryant of the LA Lakers and James of the Cleveland Cavaliers were the leading vote-getters in their respective Western and Eastern Conference according to the 2010 NBA All-Star Game balloting released by the league on Thursday.
Bryant, currently the league\’s top scorer, is the overall leader with 1,793,782 votes. James, the reigning league Most Valuable Player, is second with 1,769,287 tallies.
A three-time All-Star MVP, who shared the honours with Shaquille O\’Neal in last year\’s mid-season showpiece, Bryant is joined at guard by Houston Rockets\’ Tracy McGrady (746,625 votes).
McGrady leads Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns despite playing only 47 minutes this season and has taken a leave of absence from the team.
Denver Nuggets\’ Carmelo Anthony (1,568,259) and German Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks (826,130) hold down the forward spots. The Phoenix Suns\’ Amar\’e Stoudemire (1,304,470) takes the West\’s center.
In the East, Boston Celtics\’ Kevin Garnett (1,467,365 votes), MVP of the 2003 All-Star Game, stands up as the forward. Miami Heat\’s Dwyane Wade (1,719,359) and Philadelphia 76ers\’ Allen Iverson (930,713) are the guards.
Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic (1,681,897) plays at center.
The announcement for the All-Star starters will be released on Jan. 21.
Following the completion of the voting and the starting line-up announcement, the head coaches will vote in the remaining All-Stars in their respective conference, which will be announced on January 28.
The 59th NBA All-Star Game will be played on February 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas before a crowd of more than 80,000.

Bulls\’ Noah fined 15,000 dollars for throwing ball
Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was fined 15,000 dollars for tossing a basketball into the stands, the NBA announced on Monday.
The incident took place 4:41 into the third quarter of Toronto\’s 110-78 victory at Chicago on Saturday.
Noah, the son of French tennis legend Yannck Noah, was ejected after picking up technical fouls in the first and third quarters.
The lack of emotional control by Noah upset Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro.
"He has to control his emotions," Del Negro said. "We\’ve talked about this, not just with Joakim but with other players. He has to understand how important it is that he is on the floor with us."
The incident came one night after Noah complained to NBA superstar LeBron James after the NBA Most Valuable Player did a victory dance during Cleveland\’s 101-87 victory over the Bulls.
Noah was seated on the bench when James hit a free throw and began his dance, what has become a common victory move.

Iverson to start for Sixers the season: coach

Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson warms up before playing against the Denver Nuggets in their NBA basketball game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 7, 2009. Iverson has returned to the 76ers after being traded to the Nuggets in 2006.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Allen Iverson will start for the Philadelphia 76ers in their home game against Denver and also the whole season, said Philadelphia coach Eddie Jordan on Monday.
Iverson will play his first game with Philadelphia since 2006 against Denver Nuggets, one of three teams he played for after leaving Philadelphia, on Monday night.
"I feel like I am home," Iverson said at shoot around. "Just seeing people I\’m accustomed to seeing, seeing the reporters, seeing some of the fans when I go out to eat. Just the smell of Philadelphia when I go outside."
Iverson\’s not sure how many minutes he can play because of his limited basketball activity over the past year. His stint in Detroit was cut short with a back injury and he played only three games for Memphis this season.
Iverson said he has some concerns about playing in game condition.
"If I can\’t get my scoring on like I want to, I just want to do other things on the basketball court that will help us win," Iverson said.
The Sixers have lost nine straight games and hope Iverson can lead them back into the win column. He\’ll play against Denver.
Iverson, traded to the Nuggets in December 2006, always considered Philly home and dreamed of a return to the team he led to the 2001 NBA finals.
"In your dreams, you always hope for the best," he said. "That\’s what I\’m doing. I love these people here. They know that. They love me back. Hopefully, it\’ll just be a great experience.
Iverson broke down in tears at his press conference after he signed a non-guaranteed deal with the 76ers last week.
Jordan said he\’ll likely play Iverson in short bursts.
Jordan said he envisioned eventually pairing Iverson with injured point guard Lou Williams in the backcourt.
Williams is out about six more weeks with a broken jaw. His injury sparked 76ers management to consider bringing back Iverson.
Rookie Jrue Holiday, who started for Williams, is out for Monday\’s game with a strained right rotator cuff.
Leading scorer Andre Iguodala will start after missing Sunday\’s practice with an ankle injury.

Garnett, Boozer named Players of the Week
The Boston Celtics\’ Kevin Garnett and the Utah Jazz\’s Carlos Boozer were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week respectively on Monday.
For games played Monday, Nov. 30, through Sunday, Dec. 6, Garnett led the Celtics to a 3-0 week on the road, averaging 19.7 points on 70.6 percentage point of shooting from the field, 7.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
In 26 minutes against Charlotte on Dec. 1, Garnett scored 16 points and added seven rebounds and five assists, helping Boston to a 108-90 win.
On Dec. 3, Garnett led the team with 23 points and eight rebounds in a 105-87 win over Oklahoma City, giving the Celtics their seventh straight win.
Boozer averaged 26.7 points on 62.7 percentage point of shooting from the field, 13.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals, leading the Jazz to a 2-1 week.
On Dec. 4, Boozer led the Jazz with 35 points and 13 rebounds in a 96-87 win over Indiana. Boozer has scored at least 21 points and shot at least 54.5 percent from the floor in each of Utah\’s last seven games.
Boozer is one of only two players in the league to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds this season. The other one is Chris Bosh of Toronto Raptors.

Knicks snap three straight, eyeing NBA playoffs
From a NBA most defense-less franchise to a defense prone team, New York Knicks are undergoing a transition of style.
With the transformation under head coach Mike D\’Antoni, Knicks are rallying towards a playoff opportunity after a disastrous 1-9 start to the season.
After Thursday\’s 97-93 win over visiting Charlotte Bobcats in a defense bout, Knicks snatched three triumphs in a row and are poised suddenly toward a potential Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Wilson Chandler scored a season-high 27 points, including two foul shots to ice the game, and Danilo Gallinari hit three 3-pointers in the fourth period to nail the jigsaw game.
"We knew it was so important for us. It was a great win for us," said Gallinari, who scored nine of his 17 in the fourth, including back-to-back treys that put New York up 93-86.
"I was feeling good. When you score those baskets with this incredible crowd, it\’s great."
David Lee added 22 on 11-for-17 shooting as the Knicks evened up the season series with Charlotte (15-19) at 2-2.
The Knicks (15-20) have won four of five and seven of 10 to pull within a half game of Milwaukee for the eighth playoff spot in the East.
The Knicks trailed 71-61 late in the third but rattled off a 15-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to take a 76-71 lead.
Nate Robinson, recently out of D\’Antoni\’s doghouse, scored eight during the spurt, hitting two 3-pointers and driving the lane for a dunk, who was tagged by the coach as spark-giver, but no much.
Robinson ran fast in an energetic way but turned ball over fast either, handling seven turnovers in his 19 minutes on court, including a bad pass that ended up in Gerald Wallace\’s hands and helped cut the Charlotte deficit to two in the final seconds.
In Knicks\’ starters, Jared Jeffries is credited to play critical role on defense, who grabbed 10 rebounds, two blocks as well as six points.
Jeffries stepped off Gerald Wallace under the basket and alertly moved toward Flip
Murray, who was about to launch a short jumper from the elbow.
Jeffries leaped and blocked the shot, and the rebound landed in Chris Duhon\’s hands. The Knicks were in transition and Lee scored on the other end for an 84-78 lead.
Charlotte scored back-to-back 3-pointers to pull even at 84, but Duhon responded with another 3 from the top of the arc before Gallinari drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the lead to 93-86, earning a cascade of applause from the fans.
The Bobcats had won three straight, with victories at Miami and Cleveland and at home against Chicago.
But the giant killer couldn\’t hold onto a 10-point lead at Madison Square Garden.
The teams combined to make 24-for-50 3-pointers, with New York making six in the fourth.
Gallinari leads the NBA in 3-pointers made so far, who proved to be the match hammer for the decade long stagnant Knicks.
The win came as Knicks forward Al Harrington was sidelined with a strained left calf, who was on the court for a pregame workout but was later scratched after meeting with the medical staff.
"I told him there\’s too many games left," D\’Antoni said, "so if you\’re not feeling 100 percent, don\’t go."
The Knicks begin a three-game road trip Saturday at Houston. Knicks rookie Marcus Landry, who recently earned a guaranteed contract for the season, will face his older brother, Carl Landry, at Toyota Center.

LeBron, Kaman named Players of the Week
The Cleveland Cavaliers\’ LeBron James and the Los Angeles Clippers\’ Chris Kaman were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week respectively on Monday, for games played January 4 through January 10.
James topped the NBA in scoring with 33.0 points per game, ranked third in the Eastern Conference in assists of 7.7 per game and added 7.7 rebounds, while leading the Cavaliers to a 2-1 record.
On January 10, he scored 41 points and collected 10 rebounds for his fifth game of at least 40 points and 12th double-double of the season. The award is James\’ third of the season.
Kaman led the Clippers to a 3-0 week by averaging a double- double with 21.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. He posted consecutive double-doubles in wins over the Los Angeles Lakers (21 points, 14 rebounds) and Miami Heat (22 points, 14 rebounds).
Kaman scored 20 or more points in each game to earn his second Western Conference Player of the Week award in 2009-10 season.

LeBron, Kobe to lead East, West in All-Star
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, this year\’s leading vote-getter in the NBA All-Star Balloting program presented by T-Mobile with 2,549,693 votes, became the first player in balloting history to draw at least 2.5 million votes on three separate occasions. James is making his sixth All-Star appearance and will start for the Eastern Conference for the sixth time in his career. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the second leading vote-getter with 2,456,224, paced the Western Conference.

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Through the 2010 NBA All-Star Balloting program presented by T-Mobile, fans worldwide were responsible for voting in the starters for the 59th NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages. The game will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 — the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game — on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010.

Bryant, the youngest All-Star in NBA history in 1998, is making his 12th appearance and was the All-Star MVP in 2002 and 2007, and co-MVP along with Shaquille O\’Neal in 2009. Bryant is joined in the Western Conference starting backcourt by the Phoenix Suns\’ Steve Nash (1,222,235). The Denver Nuggets\’ Carmelo Anthony (2,137,560) and the San Antonio Spurs\’ Tim Duncan (1,156,696), who is making his 12th appearance and was the co-MVP along with Shaquille O\’Neal of the 2000 All-Star Game, are the starting forwards. The Suns\’ Amar\’e Stoudemire starts at center (1,824,093).
In selecting the reserves, the 30 NBA head coaches must vote for seven players within their conference, including two guards, two forwards, a center and two players regardless of position. Coaches are not permitted to vote for players on their team. After the coaches select the reserves, if a player is unable to participate in the All-Star Game, NBA commissioner David Stern will select a replacement. Reserves will be announced Jan. 28, on TNT.

NBA All-Star 2010 in Dallas will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league\’s history for a global celebration of the game. The week leading up to the 59th NBA All-Star Game will feature a full slate of community-enhancing activities and fan festivals, including NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas and the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge &Youth Jam. This will be the second NBA All-Star in Dallas. The city also hosted the event in 1986.
In conjunction with All-Star Balloting, 2K Sports will give fans the opportunity to experience Dallas and the best of basketball by entering the NBA 2K10 Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to NBA All-Star 2010 and have their likeness as a digitized player incorporated in next year\’s game, NBA 2K11.

Knicks vs Pistons: 99-91

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Wilson Chandler (above) of New York Knicks passes the ball during the NBA basketball game against Detroit Pistons in New York, the United States, Jan. 18, 2010. Knicks won 99-91.? (Xinhua/Shen Hong)??