DALLAS (AP) Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will give away $1 million of his own money this summer as host of a reality TV show called ``The Benefactor.''

About 30 contestants will compete on the six-episode series for the billionaire's cash on ABC-TV.

``Everyone has dreamed of getting rich, and I want to help one lucky person get there,'' Cuban said Tuesday.

He said the show won't be a traditional contest.

``You don't need special talents,'' he said. ``I'm not looking to find out who is the grossest, funniest, prettiest, smartest or able to go without food or water the longest.

``The right person is going to get on my good side at the right time, and whoever that is, is going to walk away with a check from me for $1 million.''

Cuban has grown accustomed to giving away his money in recent years: He's been fined repeatedly by the NBA since buying the Mavericks in January 2000, mostly for criticizing referees. The penalties totaled more than $1 million.

The largest fine was $500,000 for saying he wouldn't hire the NBA's head of officials to manage a Dairy Queen. Cuban later poked fun at himself by working behind the counter of an ice cream shop, serving cones.

DALLAS (AP) The Dallas Mavericks activated guard Tony Delk on Friday and placed guard Travis Best on the injured list with inflammation in his right Achilles' heel.

Delk has missed 17 games with a sprained left ankle. He was averaging 6.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 16.3 minutes a game before that.

Best is averaging 3.2 points and 2.0 assists in 14.2 minutes.

CLEVELAND (AP) Dallas assistant coach Del Harris doesn't speak very much Chinese, but he isn't worried it will be a problem when he leads the Chinese national team at the Athens Olympics.

``Pick and roll is really pick and roll in any language,'' Harris said Wednesday.

Harris will become the first foreigner to guide China in international play.

``It's an honor,'' the longtime NBA coach said. ``The people of China are looking at this as a very significant, landmark event. It's important for sports, but it's also symbolic of the new, open China that they want to put forward to the world.

``For the Chinese people, this is another step in showing the openness of their country.''

Harris, who has extensive experience coaching international basketball, said the Chinese sports ministry approved him as coach on Tuesday.

During the Summer Games, Harris will coach Houston All-Star center Yao Ming, who is thrilled that his country's team will be coached by someone with Harris' background.

``(Rockets president) Carroll Dawson told me Yao was so excited he could hardly sleep,'' said Harris.

Harris said his NBA coaching background as well as his international resume _ he has been involved with national teams from Puerto Rico, Canada and the United States _ gave him an edge over other candidates for the Chinese job.

Harris was an assistant to Rudy Tomjanovich on the 1998 U.S. team at the World Championships in Athens.

The 66-year-old Harris, who has more than 500 career NBA coaching victories, sees his affiliation with the Chinese team as a positive in many ways.

``It's good for the Mavericks and it's good for the NBA,'' he said. ``It's good for the city of Dallas.''

Harris will not join the Chinese team until the Mavericks' season is over. Former Dallas star Rolando Blackman, now the Mavs' director of player development, will be an assistant on his staff during this summer's games.

Before leaving for Greece, the Chinese team will train in Dallas, Harris said. He's hoping to schedule exhibition games there as well as in San Francisco.

Harris said that Dallas owner Mark Cuban, who has been critical of his players participating in the Olympics, has been supportive of him coaching in Athens.

``I asked him before I agreed to do it and he had no problem with it at all,'' Harris said. ``I think it enhances the Mavericks.''

Dallas coach Don Nelson supports Harris' decision.

``It's quite a sacrifice, giving up your whole summer,'' Nelson said. ``But if it's something he wants to do, I'm happy for him.''

With potential trades centering on Rasheed Wallace and Michael Doleac, the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Michael Lee talked to Hawks GM Billy Knight in New Jersey, where Wallace may or may not play his first (and last?) game as an Atlanta Hawk.

The focus doesn't seem to be on the Hawks/Nets game there, however, it's about what general manager Billy Knight plans to do by 3 p.m. Thursday.

"Until then, I guess anything is possible," Knight said. "I can't promise something is going to happen. I can't say that nothing is going to happen."

Wallace has been around for only two practices with the Hawks, and his name has already been mentioned in trade rumors. Detroit, Dallas and New York reportedly are interested in the talented 6-foot-11 forward who is being paid $17 million in the final year of his deal. Knight sounded positive that Wallace will be wearing the No. 36 for the Hawks tonight, but he didn't deny the trade rumors.

"I don't have anything to say about that," Knight said. "But Rasheed is a heck of a player, a heck of a talent. It's good to see him at our practices. He's done some things that I haven't seen done here for a long time."

NEW YORK (AP) Knicks forward Kurt Thomas was suspended for one game without pay by the NBA on Wednesday for head-butting Mavericks forward Josh Howard.

Thomas tangled with Howard midway through the second quarter of Dallas' 105-90 victory on Tuesday night.

Thomas was to serve his suspension during the Knicks' game at New Orleans on Wednesday night.

Shaquille O'Neal's only complaint was directed at himself.

``After my brief little suspension, I was trying to get 50 and make a statement. But I missed too many at the line,'' he said.

O'Neal missed 11 free throws Wednesday night but still managed to score a season-high 37 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-106 overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James had a chance to win the nationally televised game at the buzzer in regulation, but his 21-footer was an airball.

In other games, Atlanta surprised Minnesota 97-89, New Jersey topped Miami 99-88, Dallas downed New Orleans 113-104, Portland beat Phoenix 104-97, Toronto defeated Orlando 110-90, Memphis edged Washington 103-101, Chicago beat Utah 95-79, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated Boston 95-86 and Houston beat Milwaukee 103-89.

Gary Payton added a season-high 30 points as the Lakers improved to 2-1 on a seven-game road trip _ the club's longest since 1992.

O'Neal was back after serving a one-game suspension for profanely criticizing officials during a live TV interview following a win at Toronto on Sunday. Although he apologized earlier this week, O'Neal said he doesn't regret any of his comments.

``I said what I felt,'' he said. ``People are trying to control people. But you can never control me. I'm a 31-year-old juvenile delinquent.''

O'Neal was able to foul out both of Cleveland's 7-foot centers, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and DeSagana Diop, and attempted 20 free throws.

Los Angeles scored its final 10 points from the line, sinking its final eight tries while outscoring the Cavs 19-14 in overtime.

Hawks 97, Timberwolves 89

At Atlanta, Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 32 points, 14 rebounds and a key steal late in the game as the Hawks pulled off a stunner.

Jason Terry added 20 points, Stephen Jackson scored 17 and rookie Boris Diaw had the best game of his brief career with 10 rebounds, eight assists and seven points.

Sam Cassell finished with 20 points and Kevin Garnett had 17 for the Timberwolves, who lost for only second time in 10 games.

``We didn't do anything to deserve to win,'' Cassell said.

Mavericks 113, Hornets 104

At New Orleans, Dirk Nowitzki's 28 points and 11 rebounds led the Mavericks as they extended the Hornets' losing streak to four games.

Michael Finley scored 22 and banked in a 3-pointer from nearly 30 feet that put Dallas ahead 101-92 with about 2{ minutes left. Steve Nash added 18 points and 12 assists as the Mavericks won for the 11th time in 13 games.

Nets 99, Heat 88

At East Rutherford, N.J., Kenyon Martin celebrated his first All-Star selection with 24 points and 13 rebounds, and New Jersey remained unbeaten under coach Lawrence Frank.

Jason Kidd added 18 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as the Nets won their sixth straight overall and their fifth in a row since Byron Scott was fired.

Trail Blazers 101, Suns 97

At Phoenix, Zach Randolph had 19 points and 10 rebounds and Damon Stoudamire added 14 points and 11 assists.

In winning for the fifth time in six games, the Trail Blazers shot 63.6 percent in the first half and led by as many as 22. The Suns had a chance to tie it at 100, but Shawn Marion's 3-pointer from 25 feet bounced off the back rim with 3 seconds left.

Raptors 110, Magic 90

At Toronto, Donyell Marshall had a season-high 32 points and Jalen Rose had 21 as the Raptors enjoyed a rare blowout. The Raptors went 11-for-14 from behind the 3-point arc and had their largest margin of victory this season.

Orlando star Tracy McGrady missed the game because of back spasms. He's listed as day-to-day for the Magic, who have lost four straight.

Grizzlies 103, Wizards 101

At Washington, James Posey scored a season-high 31 points, and Pau Gasol made two clutch baskets in the final 70 seconds.

The victory gave Memphis coach Hubie Brown his 500th pro victory _ 396 in the NBA and 104 in the ABA. The Grizzlies need one more victory to tie the franchise record of 28 set last season.

Bulls 95, Jazz 79

At Salt Lake City, Eddy Curry scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to help Chicago snap a five-game losing streak and win on the road for the first time in more than a month.

Clippers 95, Celtics 86

At Boston, Quentin Richardson made eight 3-pointers and scored 36 points, and Elton Brand had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, which sent the Celtics to their fifth straight loss.

Rockets 103, Bucks 89

At Houston, Maurice Taylor scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Rockets snapped a four-game losing streak, their longest of the season.

Warriors guard Nick Van Exel wants to play for one of the three Texas (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio) teams.

"All the teams are close to contenders, and just being close to home in Texas, I think that's what it all boils down to,'' Van Exel said before the Warriors' 107-93 loss in Dallas.

Van Exel has a home in Houston and his son lives in a Dallas suburb.

He can opt-out of the final two years of his contract this offseason but probably won't due to the large amount of money he would be giving up.

"Depends on where I'm at,'' he said when asked if he will opt out after the season. "That's a lot of money to give up. I gave up a lot of money already. ... I doubt if I'd do it again. But you never know, I'm pretty stubborn. Once I make up my mind, it's a done deal.''

DALLAS (AP) The Dallas Mavericks were reeling. They had a four-game losing streak and their toughest stretch of games was still ahead.

Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash combined for just 10 points in a game. Michael Finley had missed five games with an injured big toe that was still bothering him.

Then, Dallas' big three turned things around, and so did the Mavericks. It's no coincidence.

``When everybody's clicking, we're a tough team to beat,'' Finley said. ``When everybody's on the same page offensively, as well as defensively, it's a beautiful thing to watch and be a part of.''

Starting with a Christmas Day comeback at Sacramento, Dallas is on a 14-6 surge to go from just three games above .500 to 29-18 overall. Most of that came during a brutal January stretch that included five sets of back-to-back games _ eight of those 10 games on the road.

``Really as poorly as they played early, the schedule still saved us and got us above .500,'' coach Don Nelson said. ``And we looked into (January) and said `Oh, my goodness, if they don't start playing, we're going to have a hard time.' They did and we got through the month in good position.''

It took a little longer for things to come together this season because of all of the offseason changes made around the big three, each of them two-time NBA All-Stars. From last year's team that won a franchise-record 60 games, the only other player who has played the past month is 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley.

Before consecutive losses, the last 107-102 Saturday against Denver after blowing a 20-point lead, the Mavs had a season-best nine-game winning streak. They won 11 games in January, a monthly mark that has been exceeded only three times in team history _ including last season's 14-0 start.

``We're just more comfortable. We know each other better,'' Nash said. ``All of the new guys, shooting together more, there is much more certainty amongst our team.''

Finley has averaged 25.8 points the last 11 games, including four of his five 30-point games, and his rebounding average has also improved. His 37 points Saturday against the Nuggets included a 20-point quarter.

Nowitzki had a career-high 43 points and Finley a late blocked shot last week at Seattle in the last game of the winning streak. During the Mavs' surge, Nowitzki's scoring average has increased from 18.7 to 21.0 points a game, tied for 12th in the league.

``It came naturally. It was just a matter of knowing our roles better,'' Nowitzki said. ``We knew we had to get going again. We knew we had to pick it up.''

Nash, who missed one game and most of another during the winning streak with a sore hip, shot 51 percent his last 11 games. He also had at least 10 assists in nine of his 19 games since that December losing streak.

``I used to hate going up against these guys. Now it's a luxury,'' said Antawn Jamison, one of the newcomers. ``It's a luxury to have a point guard like Steve who's always working to get everybody open and knows how to work a team. Michael's a true professional on and off the court and Dirk's game speaks for itself. Those guys are making this team go.''

Not much was working before Christmas.

After Nowitzki had six points and Nash four in a loss at Portland, Finley's first game back from the toe injury, the Mavericks were 15-12. It was the third time Nowitzki and Nash were both held under 10 points, something that never happened last season.

They already had their longest losing streak, and two days later were down by 16 at halftime against Pacific Division-leading Sacramento. But Nowitzki scored 22 of his 31 points in the second half of a 111-103 win.

The nine-game winning streak started two weeks later with an overtime win at New York in which Finley, Nash and Nowitzki each had at least 25 points. That streak also included a double-overtime win over Philadelphia after owner Mark Cuban met with Nelson to clear up rumors about the coach's future, a rare win over the Lakers and another win against the Kings.

``When we were going through the hard times and the threats of early retirement for me, we just kept teaching and trying to figure it out,'' Nelson said. ``There's a better feel for everybody and our big three's healthy and playing well. And, of course, they're going to carry the rest of the team.''