As it turns out, LeBron James isn't the only No. 23 in the NBA who'll be opting for a change next season. Wesley Matthews confirmed Friday that he has requested to wear No. 11 in 2010-11. Read Full Article

Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry told reporters Friday that he rates Kobe Bryant over Michael Jordan, when it comes to making big shots at the end of the game. "He's the best closer in the history of the NBA," said the former Clippers coach. Read Full Article

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili may be back in the team's starting lineup, but don't expect to see him logging the sort of minutes he played in the first two games since coach Gregg Popovich changed his opening lineup. Read Full Article

Three-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul was medically cleared Friday to begin running, and he could be a week to 10 days from returning to the New Orleans Hornets' lineup. Read Full Article

Rick Carlisle has tried his best lately to reduce the hysteria about rookie Roddy Beaubois, who has averaged 18 points in the last five games. Carlisle doesn't want Beaubois, or anybody else, thinking he's arrived. Read Full Article

Jason Terry said he didn't make a single shot in practice Friday. Couldn't see the floor in front of him, really, much less the rim. On top of that, he said he looked terrible in a mask. Terry was back on the court with his teammates a week after having facial surgery. He was his usual, jovial self, even baiting the gaggle of reporters around him. Read Full Article

The alarm bells were sounded in Charlotte by Bobcats captain Gerald Wallace, who vented following a recent blowout loss to Boston. Wallace had seen his team play inspired basketball earlier in the season, performing at a high level that had many believing of a promising spring run. Read Full Article

Since arriving from the Milwaukee Bucks almost a month ago, shooting guard Jodie Meeks has played 16 minutes with the 76ers. Meeks has appeared in five of the team's 11 games, averaging 1.8 points in 3.2 minutes a game. Read Full Article

As bad as the Knicks are these days, they're still an attractive destination to Memphis' Rudy Gay. "That's an appealing style they play," Gay, the former UConn star, said before his Grizzlies took on the Knicks Friday night. Read Full Article

You don't have to tell Kendrick Perkins that he's not playing as well as he did earlier in the season. You don't need to add that he's not playing the same minutes he was for most of December and January. But the Celtics center refuses to see those facts in any reverse cause-effect relationship. Read Full Article