NBA Headlines

Carter looked great and was fearlessly attacking the basket, resulting in 9-of-10 free throws. He is healthy and motivated to lead the young Nets, and could end up being a steal for his owners. Oct. 12 - 4:46 pm et

Rowell went right at Mullin after announcing the suspension, which costs Ellis around $3 million: "Chris Mullin made it perfectly clear...that he didn't think this was a big deal at the beginning, and we happen to think it's a very big deal," Rowell said. Public excoriation of top executives indicates that trouble is brewing in Oakland. Don Nelson tried to stay above the fray, saying, "That's really not my territory." Oct. 12 - 1:46 am et

"I'm a little sore right now," Billups said. "I just tweaked it. I'll be all right." In the meantime, consider Rodney Stuckey's 15 points, 10 assists and five steals as proof that his value would skyrocket if Billups (or Rip Hamilton) ever goes down for an extended period of time. Oct. 11 - 11:06 pm et

McGrady didn't anticipate playing, but said afterward, "I was experiencing some pain in my knee, but it’s more of a mental thing. Sometimes I find myself favoring it. I get off balance, especially when I push off (the right) leg." He continues to stress that it's mostly mental at this point, and we continue to stress that fantasy owners should let someone else deal with T-Mac this season. Oct. 11 - 10:55 pm et

There's no need to rush Carter back for a preseason game, so don't be surprised if he doesn't play or sees only a few minutes. Eduardo Najera (wrist) and Jarvis Hayes (hamstring) will not play but Keyon Dooling is "available" and will likely make his Nets debut. Oct. 11 - 5:32 pm et

Four preseason games will count toward the suspension, making Ellis eligible to return on December 17th. He isn't expected to be in game shape until around then anyway, so this basically amounts to a $3 million fine. Ellis compounded the injury by lying about its cause, but we're guessing both sides are eager to put this whole incident behind them. Oct. 11 - 5:02 pm et