INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Wearing a cast on his non-shooting hand, Ron Artest took nearly 500 shots as he returned to practice with the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

Left thumb surgery will likely keep Artest out of most of the Pacers' remaining 26 regular season games, but the forward was cleared to take part in workouts.

Artest and team officials have refused to set a timetable for his return from surgery to repair torn ligaments. Artest's surgeon told him to wait 72 hours after his Thursday surgery before practicing again.

Al Harrington will continue to start in Artest's place and Jonathan Bender and Austin Croshere have seen their minutes increase. All three have played well in the first two games without their All Star co-captain and best defender.

``In the absence of a guy like Ron Artest, we're going to need other people to step up,'' coach Rick Carlisle said. ``Al Harrington gave us a strong game against Utah and then having Croshere and Bender step up like they did, really at both ends of the floor was critical.''

If that success continues, Artest said he'd be willing to come off the bench when he returns.

``Whatever it takes,'' he said. ``If the team is rolling along, I'll do whatever it takes to get victories.''

On Sunday, Vin Baker's agent, Aaron Goodwin, said that his client should be signed by the end of the week and that the Knicks have a good shot at landing him.

"The Knicks have a great chance," Aaron Goodwin said before the Knicks lost to the Cavs. "It's a great organization and they have number of people who are sensitive to the issues that Vin has gone through. They are also a playoff team and those are the categories we're looking for."

However, because of his grievance against the Celtics for terminating his contract with the Players Association, there might be a hold up but executive director Billy Hunter said on Sunday that Baker should be cleared to sign with another within the next 48 hours.

"We just want to make sure it doesn't negatively impact his arbitration," Hunter said. "We hope to resolve that within the next day or so.

Detroit, Indiana, and Miami are also rumored to be interested in Baker's services.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest will be out indefinitely after having surgery Thursday to repair torn ligaments in his left thumb.

The Pacers had no immediate timetable for his return, but seemed to be bracing for an extended stint without their best perimeter defender and second-leading scorer.

``The good news is it's not his shooting hand, the bad news is it's a surgery,'' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. ``Surgeries take a while to recover from.''

The All-Star first injured the thumb when it got caught in the jersey of New Jersey forward Richard Jefferson during a game against the Nets on Jan. 17. He aggravated it Tuesday night against the New Orleans Hornets when he fell in the third quarter.

Artest clutched his thumb for several possessions, but played the rest of the game. He missed practice to have the thumb examined Wednesday, when it was determined he has a torn ligament. He had surgery for a similar injury when he was a sophomore at St. John's.

Artest flew to New York on Thursday to have the surgery performed by the same doctor who operated on his hand while he was in college.

Al Harrington will start in Artest's place. It's a familiar situation for Harrington, who has started six games this season while filling in for Jermaine O'Neal and Artest, but this will be his first extended action as a starter this season.

Harrington started Tuesday night's game against the Hornets because Artest missed the team's first practice after the All-Star break.

``We definitely have a big piece to our puzzle that's going to be missing for a while,'' guard Reggie Miller said. ``We all know Ron is a man of steel and plays with a lot of pain and, unfortunately, some of that pain has caught up to him.''

Jonathan Bender, Austin Croshere and slam dunk champion Fred Jones also figure to see their playing time increased to fill in for Artest, who is averaging 18 points, 5.3 rebounds and two steals this season.

Artest's versatility will be sorely missed. Not only was he a threat to shoot and take the ball to the basket on the offensive end, but he is also one of the league's top perimeter defenders. He routinely covers the opponent's best offensive player for the Pacers, who at 39-15 have the best record in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

``Defensively is really where it's going to kick in,'' Jones said. ``Everybody has to step up and play together.''

Carlisle said the team was hopeful Artest will be able to return before the playoffs start in mid-April, but that the timing of the injury posed challenges.

``What makes it so serious is that we only have 28 games left in the regular season,'' Miller said. ``When he does come back, is that going to be enough time for him to get his rhythm and get ready for the playoffs? Not knowing at what point and date he's going to get back, that's what makes it tough.''

O'Neal said Artest would be missed, but he was confident the team would get along without him.

``We still plan on keeping things together,'' O'Neal said. ``Sometimes teams play better with their back against the wall. We're not worried. That's the key message we have to send to our fans _ we can still accomplish the goals we set out to accomplish.''

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest missed practice Wednesday to have his injured left thumb examined.

Artest first hurt the thumb on his non-shooting hand during a game at New Jersey on Jan. 17, when it was diagnosed as a sprain. He aggravated it when he fell in the third quarter of Tuesday night's loss to New Orleans.

Artest, who did not start because he was late returning from the All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, clutched his thumb during several possessions and shot 1-for-10 for the game. He made 11 of 13 free throws and finished with 13 points.

He did not speak with reporters after the game.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest was benched for the start of Tuesday's game against New Orleans for missing a practice on Monday night.

Artest missed the workout because he did not return in time from Sunday night's All-Star game in Los Angeles. He was not on the flight that was originally scheduled for him and had to take a later flight.

Artest said he arrived from Los Angeles on Tuesday morning, but did not say why he missed his earlier flight.

Al Harrington started in his place. Artest entered the game with 5:37 to play in the first quarter.

It is the third time Artest has been benched this season.

Artest was benched for the second half of a game against New Jersey on Dec. 27 for what coach Rick Carlisle called ``conduct detrimental to winning.'' He was also taken out of the starting lineup the following game against Memphis for missing the morning shootaround.

Artest was suspended for 12 games last season for his conduct on the court, but has been a much more mature player during his All-Star first half of the season. He was chosen as a captain, along with Jermaine O'Neal and Reggie Miller, during the All-Star break.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Indiana's Fred Jones won the NBA dunk contest practically by default on Saturday night, dethroning two-time champion Jason Richardson when both missed their final jams.

It was hardly a Hollywood ending for Jones, a Pacers reserve competing in his first dunk contest after initially declining an invitation because he wanted a vacation on All-Star weekend instead.

Jones made two impressive dunks earlier in the contest, including a cool one-handed reverse after throwing a bounce pass to himself from the 3-point line. But two misses on his clever final attempt _ on a pass from a friend in the stands _ should have made it easy for Golden State's Richardson to become the contest's first three-time champion.

But Richardson also missed his final dunk, handing the title to Jones.

``It was an honor to be out here, because Jason Richardson is one of the greatest dunkers ever,'' Jones said. ``I was just trying to be creative and do something different.''

Boston's Ricky Davis and Denver's Chris Andersen were eliminated in the first round. Davis made only one dunk, and Andersen got more cheers for his elaborately spiked hair than his jams.

Jones is a longtime fan of the dunk contest who admired Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins before he was tall enough to slam. He was ready for his first crack at the contest: He got a 50 for his first dunk _ a long bounce pass finished off with a hard slam _ and another 50 on his one-handed reverse in the finals.

And in the second round, he brought the crowd to its feet with a leaning, one-handed reverse following a similar pass. Jones rattled the champ, who needed three false starts before making a lackluster 360-degree slam.

Jones needed only a 46 to win, but he went for a difficult original dunk. He passed the ball into the stands to a friend, who threw a high-arching bounce pass toward the basket.

It was a beautiful, unique idea for a slam _ except Jones missed it twice, fumbling good passes. Jones shook his head, while his friends howled their disapproval.

But Richardson missed another unimpressive attempt, and Jones won the contest while sitting on the bench.

``Nobody could really get a grip on the ball,'' Richardson said. ``I'm not even sad about it. I'm happy just winning twice.''

It was the 20th anniversary of the NBA's revival of the contest, which was a cult favorite in the ABA in the 1970s. Phoenix's Larry Nance won the first contest in 1984.

A panel of Lakers greats judged the contest: Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. The crowd didn't care much for their idols' judgments, booing several scores.

Richardson hesitated before agreeing to a second defense of his title. Though he has improved his shooting and defense in each of his three seasons with the Warriors, he was worried about joining Harold Miner, Kenny Walker, Terence Stansbury and others who were labeled pure dunkers without all-around games.

His first dunk was a nondescript one-handed windmill, but Richardson brought down the house with his second dunk of the first round: After a soft toss off the backboard, he leaped to catch the ball with his left hand, passed it between his legs and threw down an impossibly graceful right-handed slam.

All five judges rose with their ``10'' cards in hand, and the crowd stood and cheered.

Andersen was eliminated in the first round despite an impressive two-handed slam following a pass off the backboard. He was the tallest dunker in the competition, and the Nuggets' utility player drew the attention of Lakers superfan Jack Nicholson with his heavy gel and spiked hair.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Fred Jones figures he has seen every slam dunk contest since the NBA revived the event in 1984. The Indiana guard is a dunking aficionado _ and yet he wavered when asked to take on two-time champion Jason Richardson on Saturday.

``I said no at first,'' said Jones, who will participate in his first dunk contest during All-Star weekend. ``I didn't know if I was ready to do it justice. I'm a basketball junkie. I know a lot about all the great champions in this event. I wanted to make sure I could measure up.''

Jones also was looking forward to a weekend vacation from the NBA grind. His friends and family were looking for a break of their own, however: They persuaded Jones to enter the contest so they could get a free trip to Los Angeles.

Jones will join Golden State's Richardson, Boston's Ricky Davis and Denver's Chris Andersen in a slimmed-down version of the event. LeBron James declined an invitation to participate.

Though Michael Jordan will always be Jones' favorite dunker, he ranks Richardson among the best in the event's history. Jones is particularly enamored with Richardson's signature dunk: leaping to catch a high bounce from the floor, then passing the ball between his legs for a one-handed slam.

``People don't understand how tough that is,'' Jones said. ``I could maybe (make that dunk) in college, but I was lighter then. I've been lifting weights too much.''

Andersen is unknown to most casual basketball fans, but the Nuggets' 6-foot-10 utility player has an athleticism that catches everybody's eye. He has a 34-inch vertical leap to go with his height _ and he also has a healthy appreciation for Richardson's work.

``I'm going to try to use some of his stuff against him,'' Andersen said. ``He has a few favorite moves that I think I can put a spin on. I'm a one-footed jumper, and he's a two-footer. Maybe I can use that.''

Though all three challengers are worthy, Richardson is the strong favorite to become the first three-time champion in the event's 19th edition (there was no competition in 1998 or 1999).

Earlier in the week, Richardson claimed he had no special plans or trick dunks for the contest _ just more of the phenomenal slams that have been propelling Warriors fans out of their seats for three years.

``He's going to be tough to stop,'' said former Phoenix star Cedric Ceballos, who won the 1992 contest with his famed blindfold dunk. ``J-Rich has some stuff that nobody has seen before. It's going to be fun to see what he comes up with.''

___

NOWITZKI ISN'T TIRED:@ Dirk Nowitzki thinks Mark Cuban worries too much.

Cuban made headlines last weekend after trading jabs with U.S. coach Larry Brown over NBA players' involvement in the Olympics and other international tournaments.

Cuban would prefer to keep his high-priced players out of international events to safeguard their health, though he hasn't yet made an ultimatum to international regulars Nowitzki of Germany, Steve Nash of Canada and Eduardo Najera of Mexico.

Nowitzki was the Most Valuable Player of the 2002 World Championships. He also participated in the European Championships last summer, and he doesn't think any of it has affected his play for the Mavericks _ quite the contrary, in fact.

``The whole thing is a little overrated,'' Nowitzki said. ``I'm 25 years old. I can take it. If I wasn't playing there, I'd be playing pickup every night. It's just not a big deal.

``When I'm in competition, I'm getting better. You can really improve your game if you're working at it all the time. I don't think it's something to worry about.''

___

3-POINT CONFIDENCE:@ Peja Stojakovic will try for his third straight victory in the Long-Distance Shootout on Saturday, and the Sacramento Kings' All-Star forward might be getting a bit cocky.

``The only way I can lose is if I get in the biggest slump of my life,'' Stojakovic said with a straight face. ``Really. It's over. They should go home.''

Stojakovic then broke into a laugh before praising his competition: Detroit's Chauncey Billups, Philadelphia's Kyle Korver, Seattle's Rashard Lewis, Denver's Voshon Lenard and Houston's Cuttino Mobley.

``This is a great field, and anybody could win it,'' he said. ``I just hope it's me.''

Stojakovic, who will appear in his third All-Star game Sunday, is hoping to become the first three-time champion since Craig Hodges in 1990-92. Larry Bird won the first three editions of the event.

___

T.O. THE REPORTER?:@ It was easily the most bizarre sight of the massive All-Star interview session on Friday, even stranger than seeing Allen Iverson in a Milwaukee Bucks (throwback) jersey: Terrell Owens became a member of the media.

The San Francisco 49ers' star receiver fancies himself an actor and a model, but he makes no effort to conceal his utter disdain for reporters. Owens has boycotted all media on several occasions since he became a superstar four seasons ago, and he has barely spoken to media at all over the past two years.

Yet the NFL Network enlisted Owens to participate in the All-Star weekend as a correspondent, and he provided several clever exchanges with the stars. He tried to jinx Kevin Garnett, who hasn't missed a free throw in an All-Star game, and he traded laughs with Iverson and Baron Davis.

Owens also joined 2000 slam dunk champion Vince Carter to critique the upcoming competition.

``Jason Richardson is great,'' Carter said. ``Just when you think he can't possibly pull out another stunt ...''

``Like pulling a pen out of his sock, so to speak?'' Owens replied.

``Exactly!'' Carter said.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indiana Pacers remember what happened last season. So they're not about to gloat about their success so far.

The Pacers enter the All-Star break with the most wins in the NBA and, at 39-14, their best record ever as an NBA franchise. They've led the Eastern Conference from opening night and have yet to lose more than two games in a row.

Yet coach Rick Carlisle's mantra remains: ``We haven't accomplished anything yet.''

Last year, the Pacers entered the break at 34-15, tied for first place in the East. But they were 14-19 after it amid distractions on and off the court. And they failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs for the third straight season.

Everyone says this year is different.

``It's a stepping-stone process with success in this league,'' CEO Donnie Walsh said.

``The young players took winning for granted and we kind of lost it toward end of the year. This year, they know that can happen and they know what they can do.''

Carlisle and new president Larry Bird have been steadying, disciplined influences and the team hopes to remain healthy.

The Pacers' record is especially impressive given that Carlisle took over when Isiah Thomas was fired during training camp.

``With us making a coaching change a month before the season started, this team was in turmoil,'' Reggie Miller said.

Still, Indiana started the season 14-2 and holds a 6{-game lead over Detroit in the Central Division.

``We've played well. I'm surprised because we have a new coaching staff,'' Walsh said. ``I thought it would take us longer to adjust to the system we're using.''

One reason is that the Pacers have been able to focus on basketball.

Last year Jermaine O'Neal's stepfather tried to commit suicide, Jamaal Tinsley's mother died of cancer, Ron Artest was suspended for 12 games for conduct on the court and Miller was hampered by an ankle injury.

This year, O'Neal and Artest are headed to the All-Star game. O'Neal may be the only legitimate MVP candidate in the Eastern Conference, while Artest is being noticed more for defensive brilliance and solid offense than flagrant fouls or emotional outbursts.

Tinsley has become a leader on the court and offseason ankle surgery has the 38-year old Miller playing like he did five years ago.

Carlisle has been in the middle of it all, preaching his gospel of daily improvement and defensive tenacity.

``I think it's a combination of the way Rick came in with a very structured approach to the game, and the players are a year older and have gone through a tough year last year,'' Walsh said.

Can the Pacers sustain their run for the final 29 games?

``Now we have the experience and we know what it takes to lose games and we know what it takes to win games,'' O'Neal said. ``I think we should have no trouble keeping pace.''

LOS ANGELES (AP) Two-time defending champion Jason Richardson of Golden State and three other players will participate in the NBA's slam-dunk contest Saturday night.

Ricky Davis of Boston, Chris Andersen of Denver and Fred Jones of Indiana also will be part of the event a day before the All-Star game.

No player has won three slam-dunk contests. The competition began in 1984.

It's official. The Pacers and Knicks have reignited their rivalry. Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway shot back at Jermaine O'Neal yesterday for crying about the Knicks' final-second celebration Tuesday.

O'Neal said after the Knicks' victory, "We remember those guys acting like they won the championship, so hopefully the guys on our team will have a long memory about the celebration."

Marbury thought it was a healthy burst of emotion and didn't take kindly to the remark.

"Jermaine O'Neal hasn't won any championships," Marbury said. "If that was Shaquille O'Neal saying it, that's one thing. He has not won one championship. He hasn't won a playoff series playing in Indiana.

"For us, we feel we're making strides," Marbury added. "I'd rather have us feeling like we did (Tuesday) night than to act like we didn't do something. They're a really good team and to beat a really good team from where we came from, we're making steps."

Said Hardaway, "It's immaturity on his part. Anyone can celebrate the way they want to. You lose a game, you've just got to say, hey, they outplayed us. He's too good to be worrying about how we celebrated."