Volatile Artest says he wants out of Indianapolis
Ron Artest’s days with the Indiana Pacers might be numbered if his desire to play elsewhere carries any weight with management.
The former NBA defensive player of the year let it be known in various interviews during the weekend that he wants to be traded, that his past “haunts” him in Indianapolis and that the team would be better off without him.
A telephone message seeking comment was left with Pacers spokesman David Benner.
Saturday night, a day after ESPN first broadcast a story about Artest’s unhappiness with the Pacers, coach Rick Carlisle said any talk about a possible trade is “not my department. That’s not something I’m going to talk about.”
Artest, who leads the NBA in steals and is the Pacers’ second-leading scorer with a 19.4 average, has missed three of the past four games with a sore right wrist.
He was at Saturday’s game, an 80-66 win over Memphis, but was not available for comment.
Indiana went 2-1 in the games Artest missed.
Rockets fined for Vegas trip
The Houston Rockets have been fined by the NBA for a trip to Las Vegas last week.
“They took them to Las Vegas in the middle of a road trip, and that’s against salary-cap rules,” league spokesman Tim Frank said Monday night. He declined to disclose the amount of the fine.
Frank said teams are prohibited from providing players with any benefits or compensation that are not included in their contracts.
On the court
Chris Webber had 27 points and 21 rebounds, and Allen Iverson added 19 points and 10 assists to help the Philadelphia 76ers win their third straight game, 90-89 in overtime over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.
Wally Szczerbiak scored 23 points, Kevin Garnett had 19 and Marko Jaric added 14 points and 10 assists for the Wolves, who ended a five-game winning streak that had sent them to the top of the Northwest Division.
Bucks 112, Knicks 92: At New York, reserve Dan Gadzuric scored a season-high 18 points and Michael Redd led the way with 31 as Milwaukee beat New York.
Lakers 109, Mavericks 106: At Dallas, Kobe Bryant swished a shot with 34.9 seconds left that was spectacular even by his standards – about a 30-footer falling away with a hand in his face and the shot clock expiring – to send Los Angeles past Dallas.
Hornets 91, Suns 87: At Phoenix, J.R. Smith scored a season-high 26 points, including four free throws in the last 17.6 seconds as New Orleans beat Phoenix.
Jazz 92, Pistons 78: At Salt Lake City, Andrei Kirilenko had 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists as short-handed Utah ended Detroit’s six-game winning streak with a win over the Pistons.