Tarpley, Motta Find Middle Ground

Dallas Mavericks coach Dick Motta and Roy Tarpley did not put on party hats, blow their noisemakers and ring in the New Year together.

But the icy relationship that led to Tarpley’s one-game suspension last month appears to have thawed. Tarpley has responded to that public spat by playing his best ball of the season. Motta has responded by giving the forward more minutes.

Nothing is permanent. But for now, the two have found a certain level of comfort in their relationship.

“If he’s looking for enemies, he has to hunt for one,” Motta said. “I don’t want to bring it (the suspension) up. I think he’s playing well.

“Roy is a good guy. He doesn’t want to be a troublemaker. I think he was just frustrated with his play and his body. That’s all been rehashed. That’s way, way in the past.”

Tarpley and Motta had a bitter exchange on the bench after the forward was pulled in the first half of a nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 13. Motta suspended Tarpley without pay for the team’s game against Boston two nights later.

In the seven games since that suspension, Tarpley has averaged 15.7 points and 10 rebounds, and is 49 of 86 from the field (56.9 percent). He has played an average of 27.2 minutes in this stretch.

“I don’t know what the deal was with that,” Tarpley said of the suspension. “I didn’t feel that I needed a wakeup call. But yeah, how I’ve played since then makes me feel good. Hopefully, I’ve shut a lot of people’s mouths who still doubted me.”

Streaky Armstrong remains upbeat

It was the best of times for B.J. Armstrong a year ago.

He was on his way to being voted a starting Eastern Conference All-Star. He was averaging 17.5 points per game and shooting 43 percent from 3-point range to rank fifth in the league. The Chicago Bulls were 18-9, and Armstrong, in the parlance, had “stepped up.”

Not so a year later for Armstrong, although he is coming off his best game of the season, 26 points and five 3s in the Bulls’ 133-88 victory over Miami last Friday.

“I’ve never been worried about my shooting,” Armstrong said. “I know as long as I’m shooting the shots I can make, I’ll be fine.”

But there has been some concern on the Bulls this season because Armstrong’s scoring average has slipped to 14 per game and he’s shooting a career-low 45.7 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from the shorter 3-point line. He’s not even among the top 10 in All-Star voting at guard.

“I don’t mind,” Armstrong said. “I’ve always said those things come as a result of how your team plays. I don’t play for individual accolades.”

Various theories have been advanced for Armstrong’s uneven play this season. He’s playing with many new players, and more attention is being paid to him by defenders because the Bulls have so few scoring options.

Armstrong also notes that the moving of the 3-point line and limitations on zone defense actually have tightened the game for him.

“I can’t remember shooting with so many hands in my face, especially from the 3-point line,” Armstrong said. “That’s a shot (where) guys are usually running at you from a distance. Now it seems like they’re right on top of you. It’s bound to happen that you’ll go through a stretch like I’ve had.”

Avent in stitches after knifing

Anthony Avent, a reserve forward for the Orlando Magic, was knifed four times in his left arm during a weekend fight and needed 20 stitches and 20 staples to close the superficial wounds.

“There was no damage that would inhibit him as a basketball player,” Magic spokesman Alex Martins said.

Avent, in his second season with the Magic, is expected to play Wednesday against the New Jersey Nets at the Orlando Arena.

The 6-foot-9 player was cut early Saturday during a fight in Orlando, where he was seen at a nightclub.