Cleveland forward LeBron James turned 24-years-old on Tuesday but believes that he's much older than that on the inside.

"Someone asked me how old I was turning," James said. "I told them 24. I'm young but I have an old soul. "

James is a team captain, a father, an Olympic champion, and is head of an international business enterprise.

"At the end of the day I am not perfect, but I have a good sense about life, and my family's life, and what direction we want to head it," James said.

"That keeps me calm, the security we have is under control."

The Cavaliers' LeBron James and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant Monday were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 22, through Sunday, Dec. 28.

James guided the Cavaliers to a 3-0 mark, with home wins over the Rockets, Wizards and Heat, improving Cleveland's mark at Quicken Loans Arena to 16-0, tops in the NBA. He averaged 26.0 points on 53 percent shooting, while adding 6.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists, as Cleveland improved to 26-4, the best start in franchise history.

Bryant led the Lakers to a 4-0 week, averaging 30.0 points on 54 percent shooting, to go with 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He tallied a game-high 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists, as the Lakers defeated Boston on Christmas Day, 92-83, snapping the Celtics' 19-game winning streak.

Bobcats' forward Gerald Wallace's name remains a mainstay in trade rumors, and the Cavaliers could have interest.

Many believe that Wallace would work well off the bench for Cleveland, and a deal involving Eric Snow, Sasha Pavlovic, and Tarence Kinsey might be able to get the job done.

The Cavaliers will be without Wally Szczerbiak for at least their next two games because of a right knee contusion.

He suffered and aggravated the injury recently and underwent an MRI on Friday. The team expects to be without him for roughly one week.

Szczerbiak is averaging 6.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 19 minutes a game.

The Lakers got exactly what they wanted from Santa Claus on Christmas, some revenge over the Celtics with a holiday win that ended the defending-champion's 19-game win streak.

- Orlando 88, New Orleans 66

Team FIC Differential: Magic +37.6, Hornets -37.6

The Magic (23-6) jumped out to a 30-point lead at halftime and never looked back against the visiting Hornets (16-9). Dwight Howard had 12 points and 15 rebounds; Hedo Turkoglu poured in 20 points, 6 boards, and 5 assists; and Rashard Lewis added 18 points and 6 rebounds. Orlando shot just 40%, but New Orleans made just 33% of their shots. David West led the Hornets with 13 points and 7 rebounds; Chris Paul had 12 points and failed to record a steal for the first time in 109 games.

Game FIC Scores

Rashard Lewis, Orlando ? 15.2

Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando ? 13.2

David West, New Orleans ? 10.1

Tyson Chandler, New Orleans ? 8.4

- San Antonio 91, Phoenix 90

Team FIC Differential: Spurs -4.1, Suns +4.1

Roger Mason Jr. hit a three-pointer with just seconds left on the clock to give the Spurs (19-10) a dramatic win over the rival Suns (16-12). Tony Parker had 27 points and 8 assists; Tim Duncan posted 25 points and 17 rebounds; and Manu Ginobili had 11 points off the bench. Phoenix outrebounded San Antonio by seven and limited the visiting team to 41% shooting, but the Spurs turned the ball over just six times. Amare Stoudemire had 25 points and 13 rebounds; Shaquille O?Neal tallied 23 points and 12 boards; and Steve Nash had 13 points and 8 assists for the Suns.

Game FIC Scores

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 21.6

Tony Parker, San Antonio ? 20.4

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 19.8

Shaquille O?Neal, Phoenix ? 19.8

- L.A. Lakers 92, Boston 83

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +22.4, Celtics -22.4

The Lakers (24-5) ended the 19-game win streak of the Celtics (27-3) with an impressive win on Christmas Day. Kobe Bryant had 27 points and 9 rebounds; Pau Gasol posted 20 points and 5 assists; and Lamar Odom added 10 points and 7 boards off the bench. Both teams shot 46%, but Boston turned the ball over six more times than Los Angeles. Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 9 rebounds; Paul Pierce tallied 20 points and 10 boards; and Rajon Rondo had 6 points and 12 assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Kevin Garnett, Boston ? 21.2

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers ? 18.0

Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers ? 15.8

Paul Pierce, Boston ? 13.8

- Cleveland 93, Washington 89

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +9.4, Wizards -9.4

The Cavaliers (25-4) kept their perfect home record intact with a comeback win over the Wizards (4-23). Mo Williams had 24 points and 6 assists; Anderson Varejao tallied 13 points and 14 rebounds; and LeBron James added 18 points, 6 dimes, and 5 boards on 6-for-13 shooting. Cleveland attempted nineteen more foul shots than Washington and outscored the visiting team by seven in the fourth quarter. Antawn Jamison had 29 points and 6 rebounds; Mike James scored 26 points; and Caron Butler added 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists for the struggling Wizards.

Game FIC Scores

Anderson Varejao, Cleveland ? 17.2

Mike James, Washington ? 16.1

Delonte West, Cleveland ? 15.5

Dominic McGuire, Washington ? 14.8

- Dallas 102 Portland 94

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +16, Blazers -16

The Mavericks (17-11) used an 11-point edge in the fourth quarter to defeat the Blazers (18-12) on Thursday night. Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points; Jason Kidd turned in 6 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds; and Jason Terry added 19 points off the bench. Both teams shot over 48%, but Dallas outrebounded Portland by ten. Brandon Roy led with 22 points and 5 rebounds; Steve Blake posted 14 posted and 7 assists; and Travis Outlaw added 13 points and 4 rebounds off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Jason Kidd, Dallas ? 19.3

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas ? 16.5

Steve Blake, Portland ? 11.9

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 10.4

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.?
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

LeBron James will be wearing a "chalk" version of his signature Nike shoe on Thursday against the Wizards.

The shoe is a tribute to his pre-game ritual of tossing and blowing hand rosin into the air above the scorer's table before he takes the court.

Nike will provide packets of confetti for fans to throw along with James, who began the routine a few years ago.

The "Chalk" shoe is the ninth edition of James' Zoom LeBron VI line.

The defending-champion Celtics continued their assault on history Tuesday night with their 19th straight victory, setting a new NBA history for the best start to a season in the process.

- Cleveland 99, Houston 90

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +16, Rockets -16

The Cavaliers (24-4) stayed perfect at home with an impressive win over the Rockets (19-10) on Tuesday evening. LeBron James had 27 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, Mo Williams scored 23 points, and Daniel Gibson added 11 points and 6 boards off the bench. Cleveland outrebounded Houston by nine and made 88% of their foul shots. Rafer Alston led the Rockets with 20 points, Luis Scola tallied 11 points and 8 rebounds, and Yao Ming contributed 19 points and 5 boards in limited time due to foul trouble.

Game FIC Scores

Mo Williams, Cleveland ? 16.4

Rafer Alston, Houston ? 15.8

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 15.1

Aaron Brooks, Houston ? 10.6

- New Jersey 108, Indiana 107

Team FIC Differential: Nets -8.5, Pacers +8.5

Danny Granger hit a jumper with 10 seconds left, but Devin Harris countered with a shot of his own to give the Nets (14-14) a buzzer-beating victory over the Pacers (10-18). Vince Carter had 38 points and 8 rebounds, Keyon Dooling posted 11 points off the bench, and Harris turned in 28 points, 11 assists and 5 boards. New Jersey attacked the basket, attempting twenty more free throws than Indiana. Danny Granger returned from a viral infection with 26 points, rookie Brandon Rush had 22 points and 8 rebounds, and Jeff Foster contributed 12 points and 14 boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Devin Harris, New Jersey ? 26.5

Vince Carter, New Jersey ? 22.9

Brandon Rush, Indiana ? 20.8

Jeff Foster, Indiana ? 17.2

- Charlotte 80, Washington 72

Team FIC Differential: Bobcats +23.5, Wizards -23.5

The Bobcats (10-19) used a strong second half to defeat the Wizards (4-22) at Time Warner Cable Arena. Emeka Okafor starred with 29 points and 18 rebounds, Gerald Wallace tallied 16 points and 8 boards, and Raja Bell poured in 11 points for the home team. Charlotte outrebounded Washington by eleven, and limited them to 31% shooting. Caron Butler had 31 points and 6 rebounds and Antawn Jamison posted 14 points and 6 boards for the Wizards, who have lost seven consecutive games.

Game FIC Scores

Emeka Okafor, Charlotte ? 33.4

Caron Butler, Washington ? 20.5

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte ? 12.2

DeShawn Stevenson, Washington ? 3.5

- Atlanta 99, Oklahoma City 88

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +25.2, Thunder -25.2

The Hawks (18-10) used a dominant fourth quarter to put away the Thunder (3-26) at Philips Arena on Tuesday night. Joe Johnson had a triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, Marvin Williams posted 21 points and 7 boards, and Mike Bibby added 14 points, 7 rebounds and 6 dimes in the win. Oklahoma City outrebounded Atlanta by twelve, but shot just 37% on the night. Kevin Durant had 28 points and 6 rebounds, Jeff Green turned in 18 points and 14 boards, and Chris Wilcox added 19 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Joe Johnson, Atlanta ? 20.8

Mike Bibby, Atlanta ? 18.9

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City ? 17.9

Jeff Green, Oklahoma City ? 14.8

- Boston 110, Philadelphia 91

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +24.2, 76ers -24.2

The Celtics (27-2) won their nineteenth straight game on Tuesday night, setting an NBA record for the best start to the season with their victory over the 76ers (12-16). Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo both had 18 points, Ray Allen posted 16 points and 6 rebounds, and Paul Pierce added 10 points and 7 assists. Boston went 7-for-14 from three-point land, while Philadelphia missed all eleven off their attempts from long-range. Louis Williams posted 16 points and 8 assists, Andre Miller had 14 points, 8 dimes and 5 rebounds, and Samuel Dalembert contributed 8 points, 13 boards and 3 blocks in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Leon Powe, Boston ? 16.8

Ray Allen, Boston ? 16.5

Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia ? 15.0

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia ? 13.6

- Miami 96, Golden State 88

Team FIC Differential: Heat +22.5, Warriors -22.5

The Heat (15-12) used a decisive run in the second quarter to down the Warriors (8-22) at American Airlines Arena. Dwyane Wade starred with 32 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, Daequan Cook scored 20 points off the bench, and Shawn Marion added 9 points and 16 boards in the win. Miami shot 51%, while limiting Golden State to just 37% from the field. C.J. Watson led with 18 points, Kelenna Azubuike tallied 16 points and 9 rebounds, and Anthony Randolph contributed 10 points and 6 boards for the Warriors.

Game FIC Scores

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 26.3

Shawn Marion, Miami ? 15.0

Andris Biedrins, Golden State ? 11.3

Brandan Wright, Golden State ? 9.8

- L.A. Lakers 100, New Orleans 87

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +10, Hornets -10

The Lakers (23-5) looked strong against the formidable Hornets (16-8) at New Orleans Arena on Tuesday. Kobe Bryant had 26 points and 6 rebounds, Pau Gasol turned in 20 points and 7 boards, and Andrew Bynum added 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Los Angeles attempted ten more foul shots than New Orleans, and outscored the home team by fifteen in the second period. Chris Paul had 17 points, 10 assists and 6 steals, Tyson Chandler tallied 9 points and 10 boards, and David West added 13 points, 6 boards and 5 dimes in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 18.5

Pau Gasol, Los Angeles ? 16.6

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles ? 14.4

Rasual Butler, New Orleans ? 11.0

- Detroit 104, Chicago 98

Team FIC Differential: Pistons +14, Bulls -14

The Pistons (15-11) withstood a late rally by the Bulls (13-15) to move back to four games over .500. Rodney Stuckey exploded for 40 points, Tayshaun Prince had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists, and Antonio McDyess added 10 points and 11 boards. Chicago shot 47%, but turned the ball over sixteen times. Ben Gordon had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, Tyrus Thomas posted 16 points and 12 boards, and Andres Nocini contributed 18 points and 8 rebounds for the Bulls.

Game FIC Scores

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit ? 23.6

Tyrus Thomas, Chicago ? 20.5

Tayshaun Prince, Detroit ? 18.0

Andres Nocioni, Chicago ? 13.0

- Milwaukee 94, Utah 86

Team FIC Differential: Bucks +18.3, Jazz -18.3

The Bucks (14-16) outscored the Jazz (17-13) in three of the game?s four quarters on Tuesday night at Bradley Center. Michael Redd starred with 27 points and 6 rebounds, Luke Ridnour had 11 points and 11 assists, and Luc Mbah a Moute contributed 10 points and 9 boards. Both teams shot under 40%, but Utah turned the ball over 23 times. Deron Williams led with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, Andrei Kirilenko posted 22 points and 11 boards, and Paul Millsap turned in 11 points and 9 rebounds in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Luke Ridnour, Milwaukee ? 16.8

Paul Millsap, Utah ? 11.3

Michael Redd, Milwaukee ? 10.9

Andrei Kirilenko, Utah ? 10.9

- Dallas 100, Memphis 82

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +42.3, Grizzles -42.3

The Mavericks (16-11) book-ended the game with strong efforts in the first and fourth quarter to defeat the Grizzles (9-19) handily at American Airlines Center. Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points and 8 rebounds, Jason Terry posted 17 points and 5 assists, and Erick Dampier added 13 points and 9 boards for the Mavs. Dallas shot 50% and outrebounded Memphis by eleven. Hakim Warrick scored a team-high 17 points, Rudy Gay tallied 16 points and 9 rebounds, and Kyle Lowry added 15 points and 4 assists for the Griz.

Game FIC Scores

Erick Dampier, Dallas ? 19.5

Jason Kidd, Dallas ? 15.3

Kyle Lowry, Memphis ? 12.5

Hakim Warrick, Memphis ? 10.3

- San Antonio 99, Minnesota 93

Team FIC Differential: Spurs +24.2, Timberwolves -24.2

The Spurs (18-10) withstood a furious rally by the Timberwolves (4-23) in the fourth quarter to avoid a sizable upset. Tony Parker starred with 36 points and 8 assists, Tim Duncan posted 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Michael Finley turned in 13 points and 6 boards in the victory. San Antonio shot 48% and turned the ball over just eight times. Randy Foye excelled with 26 points and 16 rebounds, Al Jefferson tallied 28 points and 6 boards, and Sebastian Telfair added 16 points on the strength of 10-for-12 shooting from the foul line.

Game FIC Scores

Tony Parker, San Antonio ? 26.5

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 21.1

Randy Foye, Minnesota ? 18.9

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 16.5

- Portland 101, Denver 92

Team FIC Differential: Blazers +15.1, Nuggets -15.1

The Blazers (18-11) used an eight-point edge in the fourth quarter to defeat the Nuggets (18-11) on Tuesday night. LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and 8 rebounds, Joe Przybilla posted 10 points and 19 boards, and Brandon Roy turned in 19 points and 6 assists. Portland outrebounded Denver by five and limited the visiting them to 42% shooting. Linas Kleiza scored a team-high 20 points, Nene tallied 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Chauncey Billups scored 17 points in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Nene, Denver ? 23.0

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 18.9

Joe Przybilla, Portland ? 17.0

Linas Kleiza, Denver ? 13.8

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.?
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Before Luis Scola was traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Houston Rockets in 2007, there was a done deal which had him on his way to join LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Houston Chronicle is reporting.

The Spurs had the deal done to trade Scola?s rights to the Cavaliers, only to have it fall apart. Two hours later, talks heated up with the Rockets and within two more hours, the Rockets acquired the rights to Scola for Vassilis Spanoulis.

Scola went through ups and downs even more trying than the teams?.

?I think about it occasionally,? Scola, who had 11 points and eight rebounds on Tuesday, said. ?I was really, really, really close. Until four hours before I was traded (to Houston) I was 80 percent sure I was coming to Cleveland.

?I was excited. Now, I think the best thing that could happen to me was to go to Houston. I?m really happy with everything, the way it turned out.?

The Cleveland Cavaliers survived what LeBron James called a heavyweight fight to defeat the Houston Rockets 99-90 on Tuesday night and still remain the league's only undefeated team at home, the Associated Press is reporting.

"That's a great team," James said. "They're a proven team from the West, and we're a proven team from the East, and we bumped heads together."

James punctuated one of Cleveland's closest wins at Quicken Loans Arena -- and a heated game -- by slapping Yao Ming's layup attempt into the backboard in the final minute.

Another week of the 2008-09 season is in the books, and the Cavaliers remain on top with a sizable lead over the other 29 teams in the NBA.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: 27.7

The Cavaliers are third in field goal percentage and second in field goal percentage allowed.

2. Boston Celtics: 23.3  

The Celtics have had 22 player technical fouls while Doc Rivers has five, which puts the club as the leaders in NBA this season.

3. Los Angeles Lakers: 16.3

If Jordan Farmar misses significant time, the Lakers will need to address their lack of depth at point guard.

4. Utah Jazz: 12.9  

Between Carlos Boozer's contract comments and quad injury, this has been a tough stretch for the Jazz although they had two quality wins at New Jersey and Detroit before losing to Derrick Rose and the Bulls on Saturday.

5. Portland TrailBlazers: 11.6  

The Blazers followed up a week with three straight losses to the Magic, Jazz, and Clippers by defeating the Kings and Suns at home last week.  The win against Phoenix included 52 points by Brandon Roy, who has averaged 36.4 over his previous five games.

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