RealGM.com and WizFans.com has learned the participants of the 2004 All-Star Slam-Dunk Contest. Two-time defending champion Jason Richardson, of Golden State, will defend his title and will be challenged by newcomers Fred Jones of the Indiana Pacers and Chris Anderson of the Denver Nuggets.  According to a league source, the fourth participant of the Slam-Dunk contest is to be determined in hopes that LeBron James will participate.

CLEVELAND (AP) Day after day, LeBron James politely answers the same humdrum questions.

But Thursday, facing the usual bouquet of microphones and tape recorders, the rookie star was quizzed about something rarely talked about in Cleveland the past few years.

How does it feel to be just two games out of the eighth playoff spot in the NBA's Eastern Conference?

``It's great,'' James said with a smile after practice. ``We've been working hard and I've always said that we're not going to give up.''

Whoa. Excuse the skepticism, but in those immortal, high-pitched words of one-time Indianapolis coach Jim Mora: Playoffs?

Yep. The NBA playoffs.

The Cavaliers, those laughable losers who have dropped at least 50 games in each of the past four seasons and haven't made the postseason since 1998, are on the rise.

With their third straight win, 94-93 over Miami on Wednesday night, the Cavaliers (17-28) have already matched their victory total from last season.

And after going 4-1 in a five-game homestand, they've won five of six games _ something they hadn't done in more than three years.

``It's happening,'' said first-year Cavs coach Paul Silas, whose club seems to improve every time it takes the court. ``We're finding ways to win. We're learning to win.''

The Cavs didn't get win No. 17 until the 2002-03 season-finale, when a victory over Toronto actually jeopardized their chances of winning the NBA draft lottery.

But the pingpong balls bounced their way, the basketball gods dropped James in their laps, tickets flew out of the box-office windows and the Cavs were suddenly chic.

However, the season got off to a rugged start. The Cavaliers opened 6-19, lost their first 13 road games, and some began to wonder if James and Silas could turn things around.

Those doubts are subsiding, though.

Since acquiring Eric Williams, Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown in a six-player deal with Boston last month, the Cavaliers are 11-10. In addition, Cleveland picked up point guard Jeff McInnis in a deal with Portland last week, a move made so James could play shooting guard _ his natural position.

The Cavs are 3-0 since trading Darius Miles for McInnis, who has helped stabilize their backcourt and quickened their offense.

``He has changed the tempo of the game,'' Williams said. ``He has a lot of speed and he has taken a lot of pressure off LeBron, so he doesn't have to bring the ball up and run the offense.''

Lately, the Cavaliers have shown a grittiness that hasn't been seen in Cleveland teams for years.

With James sidelined with a sprained ankle, the Cavs went 2-1, with the lone loss to powerful Sacramento. On Wednesday, Cleveland won despite playing without forward Carlos Boozer, who left the team to attend a family funeral.

Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas picked up the scoring slack, getting 30 points on 14-of-16 shooting, and Dajuan Wagner made two key baskets down the stretch as the Cavs rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Boozer, averaging 23 points and 16 rebounds in his last five games, said the Cavs are more a team than they've been in a long time. And if they can stay that way, they just might be one headed to the playoffs.

``The guys that have needed to step up have stepped up,'' he said. ``It's not a one-person team by any means. We're two games out right now and if we keep winning we'll be there. We definitely want to make the playoffs. It's a goal of ours.''

Silas thinks it's a reachable one.

``If we continue to play well, certainly,'' said Silas, who took the Hornets to the playoffs four years in a row. ``We're only two games out now, so nothing is out of the realm of possibility. But it's still going to be hard.

``We still got a long way to go.''

CLEVELAND (AP) Being named an NBA All-Star is no slam dunk for LeBron James.

Cleveland's rookie said he will not compete in the Slam Dunk contest during the NBA's All-Star weekend next month in Los Angeles because of the ankle injury that sidelined him for three games.

``I thought about it, but with my ankle hurting, put me down (no) on that one,'' he said.

On Tuesday, James was selected to play in the Rookie Challenge next month, an event that the league has moved from Saturday to Friday night in prime time.

James and his good friend, Denver rookie Carmelo Anthony, will be teammates against a squad of the league's second-year players featuring Houston center Yao Ming and Cavs forward Carlos Boozer.

The All-Star starters will be named on Thursday and James is not expected to be one of them. He was fourth in fan voting for the team, trailing Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady and Jason Kidd.

However, James still has a chance to be named to the East team as a reserve.

Eastern Conference coaches will select the seven reserves for the team, and James, who is averaging 20.3 points, will likely get strong consideration.

``I'll definitely consider him,'' said Philadelphia coach Randy Ayers, who would not say if he'd vote for James. ``I know he's on everyone's ballot. A lot of people appreciate his game.''

James said he'd love to make the team but won't be upset if he doesn't.

``I think I've played pretty well the first half of the season,'' he said. ``My team's success isn't where I wanted it to be. It's up to the coaches. If they select me, fine. If not, fine. I'll just keep doing my job.''

CLEVELAND (AP) Cavaliers forward Carlos Boozer missed Wednesday night's game against the Miami Heat so he could be with his family following his grandmother's funeral.

Boozer had planned to fly back from the funeral and arrive right before tipoff. However, after traveling to Washington D.C. for the funeral, he decided to remain with his grieving family.

``It's something you have to deal with,'' Cavs coach Paul Silas said. ``His mom is not doing well and he wants to be with her.''

Boozer's grandmother was buried at Arlington National Cemetery because his grandfather was a Tuskegee Airman.

Boozer is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 20.7 points, 15.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in three games. He posted consecutive 32-point games while the Cavs were without rookie star LeBron James.

The second-year forward has posted five straight double-doubles and is averaging 23.4 points and 16 rebounds in those games. Boozer, who has 18 double-doubles this season, is expected to rejoin the club for practice on Thursday.

Boozer missed six games earlier this season with a sprained ankle and Cleveland went 0-6 without him.

Ira Newble started in Boozer's place against Miami.

NEW YORK (AP) LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony could get a chance to be teammates.

They head the roster of first-year players announced Tuesday for the Rookie Challenge during the Feb. 13-15 NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.

That team will face the league's top second-year players, including 2002-03 Rookie of the Year Amare Stoudemire and 2002 No. 1 overall draft pick Yao Ming. First- and second-year players picked for the All-Star game usually are not required to play in the Rookie Challenge.

Yao trailed Shaquille O'Neal by less than 24,000 votes in balloting through Jan. 11 for the starting center spot on the Western Conference All-Star team.

All-Star starters will be announced Jan. 29, reserves Feb. 3.

CLEVELAND (AP) J.R. Bremer was activated Monday by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are hoping the guard has finally found his shooting touch.

The club also placed center Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje on the injured list with a sprained ankle.

Bremer, who was acquired in a trade last summer from Boston, was shooting just 29 percent from the floor when the Cavs placed him on the injured list five games ago with a sprained ankle.

One of Cleveland's biggest needs is a consistent outside shooting threat. The Cavs have made the second fewest 3-pointers in the league entering Monday's game against Orlando.

As a rookie with the Celtics last season, Bremer made 101 3-pointers.

Boumtje-Boumtje has yet to appear in a game with the Cavs since coming over in a trade last week with Portland.

LeBron James (sprained right ankle) could play in Cleveland's game tonight against the Orlando Magic but it will be a game-time decision.

James was upgraded from doubtful to probable after yesterday's practice but the decision on whether or not to play will be up to him.

``It felt a little stiff at first, but it loosened up a little,'' James said. ``If it feels great at walk-through (today) then I'll give it a shot, otherwise it'll be my fourth game sitting.''

However, James has said he will not play until the ankle is 100 percent, which makes it more unlikely that he will sit out tonight's game.

CLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James will likely miss his third straight game with a sprained ankle.

The Cleveland Cavaliers said their star rookie was at Friday's practice, but did not take part in running drills. The Cavs play the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

James has been out since injuring his ankle Jan. 17 at Utah.

James is the team's leading scorer at 20.4 points per game. He also averages 5.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists.

The Cavs are 1-1 without James.

CLEVELAND (AP) Forward Darius Miles, fined by the Cavaliers for skipping a practice earlier this week, was traded Wednesday to the Portland Trail Blazers for guard Jeff McInnis and center Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje.

Miles has been a major disappointment in 1{ seasons with Cleveland, which acquired him before last season in a deal that sent guard Andre Miller to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 22-year-old Miles, who jumped straight from high school to the NBA in 2000, was averaging 8.9 points in 24 minutes per game. But he has been plagued by inconsistency, and first-year Cleveland coach Paul Silas has been reluctant to play him.

After playing just eight minutes on Saturday at Utah in the final game of Cleveland's road trip and with trade rumors about him circulating, Miles missed practice on Monday, saying he overslept.

Miles was fined $2,500 by the Cavs, but played 17 minutes in Monday's win over Seattle. Miles, who will be a free agent after this season, is making $4.1 million in the final year of his contract.

McInnis, 29, will give Cleveland some depth at point guard and another veteran to surround rookie star LeBron James. McInnis is averaging 11.9 points in 32.5 minutes per game.

``Jeff is one of those guys who will step in and do a good job for us,'' Cavs general manager Jim Paxson said.

Boumtje-Boumtje has been playing less than three minutes per game.

This trade is the second significant deal this season for Paxson, who pulled off a six-player swap with the Boston Celtics on Dec. 15.

The Cavs are 8-9 since acquiring Eric Williams, Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown in exchange for Ricky Davis, Chris Mihm and Michael Stewart.

Miles is joining a Portland team that has been in disarray much of the season and may not be finished making trades. The Trail Blazers (17-23) have lost nine of 11 but had one of their biggest wins of the season on Tuesday, a 109-104 victory over the Sacramento Kings in overtime.

Earlier this season, the club traded guard Bonzi Wells to Memphis, and forward Rasheed Wallace remains the subject of trade rumors.

In addition to the trade, the Cavaliers on Wednesday placed rookie forward Jason Kapono on the injured list with tendinitis in his right knee.

Kapono is averaging 4.1 points in 25 games this season.

It's official: the Blazers have traded Jeff McInnis and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje to Cleveland for small forward Darius Miles.

Miles, who is in his 4th season in the NBA, was the 3rd overall pick by the Clippers in the 2000 draft.

He fell out of favor in Cleveland this past week when he failed to show up for practice without notifying the team. The Cavaliers were so concerned about his whereabouts that they actually sent the police to his home.

An ultra-athletic swingman, Miles was averaging 8.9 ppg, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.0 minutes per game in Cleveland.

McInnis, who was recently demoted to the bench after the strong play of Derek Anderson, was reportedly in head coach Maurice Cheeks' doghouse after complaining about playing time.

McInnis joins a crowded Cleveland backcourt that already includes LeBron James, Kevin Ollie, DaJuan Wagner and J.R. Bremer.