Josh Howard tried to test his sore ankle on Saturday night when the Mavericks battled the Kings, but after just a few minutes he went to the locker room in pain.

Coach Rick Carlisle said Howard has been diligent while rehabbing the ankle, but has no timetable for the forward's return.

When asked if the team's medical staff gave him any reason to be optimistic about Howard's return during the Mavericks upcoming seven-game home stand, Carlisle said:

"I?m hopeful. I?d like to say that I?m optimistic, but really it?s up to Mother Nature at this point. I know that he?s doing everything he can do in terms of treatment to try and condition the ankle as it progresses. But I don?t have a crystal ball right now. Obviously the sooner the better for us."

The Mavericks have reportedly been rejecting all offers for point guard Jason Kidd.

Kidd has quietly been playing well for Dallas, and they would prefer to put off trading Kidd as they give the team time to gel under new coach Rick Carlisle.

The Mavericks also reportedly want to play out the season without taking back any salary that extends past next season and into the free-agent bonanza that will follow.

Mavericks' coach Rick Carlisle faced off against Danny Granger and the Pacers on Tuesday night and believes that the forward will be an All-Star sooner rather than later.

"The deal he just signed is a deal he deserves because he's stepped up his game every single year," Carlisle said. "He gained my confidence very early as a rookie. He's going to be an All-Star player. He may be an All-Star this year if he continues at this pace. Their team is going to be good in the East."

Granger, who was coached by Carlisle in his first two NBA seasons, signed a $60 million contract extension with the Pacers on Oct. 31.

Mavericks' forward Josh Howard missed his third consecutive game on Tuesday with a sprained left ankle.

It's still uncertain if Howard will be able to return on Friday night against the Lakers.

"It's a lot better, but still day-to-day," Howard said. "I'm very eager. I've just got to get my foot together first and make sure I come back at full strength."

Howard claims that the injury hasn't allowed him to cut.

"An athletic guy like myself, I want to be able to play the game the way I can," Howard said. "As soon as I get that range of motion back, I'll be good."

Dallas has won five-straight.

There were a number debuts in the NBA on Tuesday night, and not all of them were successful.

- Washington 124, Golden State 100

Team FIC Differential: Wizards +34.7, Warriors -34.7

Ed Tapscott led the Wizards (2-10) to a win over the Warriors (5-9) in his coaching debut on Tuesday night. Caron Butler had 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists; Antawn Jamison posted 25 points and 11 boards; and Andray Blatche added 25 points, 12 boards, and 5 assists. Washington shot 50% from the floor and outrebounded Golden State by eighteen. Corey Maggette led with 17 points; Stephen Jackson tallied 16 points and 8 assists; and Andris Biedrins added 15 points and 9 rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Caron Butler, Washington ? 30.9

Andray Blatche, Washington ? 30.5

Stephen Jackson, Golden State ? 18.1

Andris Biedrins, Golden State ? 13.4

- Cleveland 119, New York 101

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +41, Knicks -41

LeBron James and the Cavaliers (11-3) spoiled Al Harrington?s debut for the Knicks (7-7) with a convincing victory. James starred with 26 points; Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 11 points and 10 rebounds; and Daniel Gibson added 10 points and 7 assists. Cleveland hit 52% of their shots, outrebounded New York by five, and forced seventeen turnovers. Quentin Richardson scored 22 points; David Lee had 12 points and 13 rebounds; and Harrington contributed 13 points and 9 boards for the Knicks.

Game FIC Scores

David Lee, New York ? 16.9

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 16.4

Tim Thomas, New York ? 12.4

Anderson Varejao, Cleveland 11.5

- Phoenix 99, Oklahoma City 98

Team FIC Differential: Thunder +12, Suns -12

Matt Barnes hit a three-pointer with 27 seconds left on Tuesday night to give the Suns (10-5) a stunning victory over the Thunder (1-13). Amare Stoudemire had 22 points and 7 rebounds; Steve Nash posted 20 points, 15 assists, and 8 boards; and Boris Diaw contributed 11 points and 6 boards. Phoenix shot 53% from the field, but Oklahoma City led for a majority of the game. Kevin Durant scored 29 points; Jeff Green had 13 points and 6 rebounds; and rookie Russell Westbrook added 16 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists.

Game FIC Scores

Steve Nash, Phoenix ? 23.0

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City ? 18.0

Earl Watson, Oklahoma City ? 16.0

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 15.3

- Dallas 109, Indiana 106

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +11.4, Pacers -11.4

The Mavericks (7-7) used a 32-23 run in the fourth quarter to edge the Pacers (5-8). Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points and 8 rebounds; Jason Terry scored 29 points off the bench; and Antoine Wright added a career-high 22 points in the win. Dallas shot 50% from the field and attempted eleven more free throws than Indiana. Danny Granger posted 24 points and 7 rebounds; Troy Murphy tallied 21 points and 11 boards; and Marquis Daniels added 12 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Jason Kidd, Dallas ? 23.4

Jason Terry, Dallas ? 20.3

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 18.0

Marquis Daniels, Indiana ? 11.3

- L.A. Lakers 120. New Jersey 93

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +38.5, Nets -38.5

The Lakers (12-1) used a strong second half to put away the Nets (6-7) on Tuesday night. Pau Gasol led with 26 points and 8 rebounds; Jordan Farmar had 18 points and 5 boards; and Andrew Bynum added 15 points and 6 boards. Los Angeles shot 50% from the floor, and they outrebounded New Jersey by six. Devin Harris had 21 points and 6 assists; rookie Brook Lopez posted 17 points and 10 rebounds; and Yi Jianlian added 13 points and 9 boards.

Game FIC Scores

Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers ? 19.8

Jordan Farmar, L.A. Lakers ? 16.0

Brook Lopez, New Jersey ? 15.8

Yi Jianlian, New Jersey ? 15.2

? 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

Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban plans on taking the appeals process as far as he can to ensure that former Mavericks' coach Don Nelson has to wait as long as possible to get his $7.1 million, the Dallas Morning News is reporting.

This in spite of e-mails in court documents that were examined Monday that state in an e-mail from Cuban's attorney, Geoffrey Harper, to Nelson's attorney, Don Colleluori: "I think the team is making a business decision [I don't think anyone expects this to end differently than the current judgment; but apparently, it is cheaper to use the money and pay later. I'm not sure I understand it, to be candid].

Another of Nelson's attorneys, John O'Connor said the situation simply makes Cuban look petty.

"When you see this pattern of conduct, you wonder why any baseball owner would even consider associating with this guy," O'Connor said.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune has written that word around the league is that the Mavericks will not trade forward Dirk Nowitzki this season.

Dallas owner Mark Cuban reportedly won't trade the former MVP regardless of how bad things get.

After dealing Jamal Crawford to the Warriors for Al Harrington, the Knicks are working on a trade that would land Zach Randolph in Dallas.

Jerry Stackhouse has expressed a desire to be traded but his contract is half the value of Randolph's deal.

Unless another player is thrown into the trade, there is a possibility that the Knicks will recruit a third team to make the Randolph deal work.

The Clippers, however, are still hoping to acquire Randolph for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley.

"I don't discuss trade speculation," Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson told the Dallas Morning News.

Dwyane Wade exploded for 40 points on Wednesday night against the Raptors, but it didn?t matter as the Heat fell.

- Atlanta 91, Washington 87

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +14.5, Wizards -14.5

The Hawks (7-4) bounced back after a tough loss on Tuesday night to defeat the Wizards (1-8) at Phillips Arenas. Mike Bibby had 25 points; Marvin Williams tallied 21 points and 14 rebounds; and Zaza Pachulia added 18 boards in the win. Atlanta shot just 39% from the field but outrebounded Washington by eighteen and attempted ten more free throws. Caron Butler had 32 points and 7 rebounds, and Antawn Jamison added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards.

Game FIC Scores

Caron Butler, Washington ? 25.3

Marvin Williams, Atlanta ? 24.8

Antawn Jamison, Washington ? 15.3

Zaza Pachulia, Atlanta ? 14.3

- Detroit 96, Cleveland 89

Team FIC Differential: Pistons +6.7, Cavaliers -6.7

The Pistons (8-3) used a 9-point edge in the fourth quarter to defeat the Cavaliers (9-3). Allen Iverson scored 23 points, and Rasheed Wallace posted 21 points and 15 rebounds. Detroit shot 50% from the field and turned the ball over just twelve times. LeBron James tallied 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists for the Cavaliers while Mo Williams added 25 points in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Rasheed Wallace, Detroit ? 21.3

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 16.8

Allen Iverson, Detroit ? 13.0

Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland ? 11.3

- Toronto 101, Miami 95

Team FIC Differential: Raptors +6.4, Heat -6.4

The Raptors (6-5) withstood Dwyane Wade?s 40 points and 11 assists in a win over the Heat (6-6). Andrea Bargnani scored 25 points; Jermaine O?Neal had 16 points and 17 rebounds; and Chris Bosh posted 15 points and 11 boards in the win. Toronto held Miami to 44% shooting and outrebounded them by two. Shawn Marion posted 20 points and 14 rebounds while Daequan Cook was the only other Miami player in double figures with 10 points.

Game FIC Scores

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 29.4

Shawn Marion, Miami ? 20.5

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto ? 16.8

Jermaine O?Neal, Toronto ? 16.5

- Sacramento 105, New Orleans 96

Team FIC Differential: Kings +3, Hornets -3

The Kings (5-8) used a strong second half to upset the Hornets (5-5) at New Orleans Arena. John Salmons had 29 points and 6 assists, and four other players reached double figures for Sacramento, who shot 54% from the field and outscored New Orleans by eight in the fourth quarter. Chris Paul had 20 points, 15 assists, and 4 steals while Tyson Chandler posted 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 22.4

John Salons, Sacramento ? 21.0

Bobby Jackson, Sacramento ? 13.0

Tyson Chandler, New Orleans ? 11.6

- Dallas 96, Houston 86

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +14.2, Rockets -14.2

The Mavericks (5-7) got 31 points off the bench from Jason Terry in their win over the Rockets (7-5) on Wednesday night. Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Jason Kidd added 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists in the win. Dallas outrebounded Houston by six and held them to 37% shooting from the floor. Tracy McGrady, who played despite tweaking his injured knee on Monday, had 16 points. Ron Artest tallied 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets, who were without Yao Ming (foot).

Game FIC Scores

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas ? 17.4

Rafer Alston, Houston ? 17.3

Jason Kidd, Dallas ? 12.3

Ron Artest, Houston ? 11.3

- Minnesota 102, Philadelphia 96

Team FIC Differential: Timberwolves +18.6, 76ers -18.6

The Timberwolves (2-8) earned their second win of the season against the 76ers (5-6) at the Target Center. Al Jefferson led with 25 points and 8 rebounds; Mike Miller contributed 10 points, 10 boards, and 6 assists; and Craig Smith scored 21 points off the bench. Minnesota shot 51% from the field while holding Philadelphia to 1-for-11 shooting from three-point land. Andre Miller posted 20 points and 6 assists, and Elton Brand added 19 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Mike Miller, Minnesota ? 16.3

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 16.1

Andre Miller, Philadelphia ? 12.8

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 12.6

- L.A. Clippers 108, Oklahoma City 88

Team FIC Differential: Clippers +40, Thunder -40

The Clippers (2-9) got a strong win Wednesday night, thanks to a strong second half. Chris Kaman posted 25 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 assists; Al Thornton had 20 points and 7 boards; and Baron Davis added 14 points and 8 dimes in the victory. Los Angeles forced twenty Oklahoma City turnovers and limited them to only 39% shooting. Kevin Durant scored 18 points, and rookie Russell Westbrook added 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Kaman, L.A. Clippers ? 31.6

Al Thornton, L.A. Clippers ? 17.3

Damien Wilkins, Oklahoma City ? 12.3

Earl Watson, Oklahoma City ? 9.5

- Denver 91, San Antonio 81

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +9.9, Spurs -9.9

Chauncey Billups continues to invigorate the Nuggets (8-4), who defeated the Spurs (5-6) despite a 27-16 San Antonio run in the fourth quarter. Billups had 22 points and 6 assists; Carmelo Anthony posted 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 dimes; and Kenyon Martin added 18 points and 7 boards. Denver outrebounded San Antonio by four and limited them to a mere 38% shooting from the floor. George Hill led with 20 points, and Tim Duncan contributed 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Chauncey Billups, Denver ? 17.9

Nene, Denver ? 15.5

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 12.9

Matt Bonner, San Antonio ? 10.3

- Utah 105, Milwaukee 94

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +38.5, Bucks -38.5

The Jazz (8-4) used a 31-18 edge in the final twelve minutes to defeat the Bucks (5-8) in Salt Lake City. C.J. Miles had 25 points; Carlos Boozer posted 20 points and 11 rebounds; and Andrei Kirilenko added 16 points and 7 boards off the bench. Utah shot 51% from the floor and forced seventeen Milwaukee turnovers. Richard Jefferson starred with 25 points; Andrew Bogut tallied 16 points and 20 rebounds; and Ramon Sessions added 15 points off the bench. The Jazz were without Deron Williams yet again.

Game FIC Scores

Andrei Kirilenko, Utah - 21.8

Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee ? 18.3

Carlos Boozer, Utah ? 14.8

Richard Jefferson, Milwaukee ? 12.3

- Portland 116, Chicago 74

Team FIC Differential: Blazers +74.7, Bulls -74.7

The Blazers (7-5) jumped on the Bulls (5-7) early and often in a 42-point rout at the Rose Garden. Brandon Roy had 20 points; Joel Przybilla posted 14 points and 9 rebounds; and Greg Oden had his second-straight double-double with 11 points and 10 boards. Portland hit 50% of their shots and outrebounded Chicago by sixteen. Drew Gooden posted 11 points and 5 rebounds while rookie Derrick Rose struggled through a 1-for-8 performance with 6 points, one assist, and 3 turnovers.

Game FIC Scores

Joel Przybilla, Portland ? 20.0

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 15.3

Joakim Noah, Chicago ? 5.8

Tyrus Thomas, Chicago ? 5.5

? 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

Jerry Stackhouse has revealed that it may be time for him to move on from Dallas, but he should not expect a buyout from the Mavericks, team owner Mark Cuban has told the Dallas Morning News.

"I won't buy him out. I like having Stack around," Cuban said.

"Stack's an emotional guy, and I give him credit for doing what he thinks will help the team. He was honest with us. And the guy wants to play."

Stackhouse has asked his agent and the team to explore trade options to get him somewhere where more minutes will be available.