The NBA has stepped in hoping to put an end to the war of words between the Timberwolves and the Nuggets leading up to Game 5.

According to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post NBA vice president of operations Stu Jackson told members of both teams to zip it.

"He spoke to the teams and the players who made comments and told them that wasn't appropriate," NBA spokesperson Tim Frank said.

Things heated up between the teams after the Nuggets Francisco Elson called Minnesota superstar "gay" for hitting him in the groin in Game 4.  Elson later apologized to the gay and lesbian community for his comments.

"I would like to apologize to the gay and lesbian community for my comments about Kevin Garnett. I realize my comments were insensitive and they were out of character for me. However, I take full responsibility, and I have learned a valuable lesson."

"I didn't mean anything negative towards them or towards anybody about it," Elson said. "I said it, I apologized, enough said. Hopefully they will respect me and take my apology as it is."

Despite the warning from the league, the verbal comments did continue on Thursday.

Asked whether he expected more cheap shots tonight in what has become a physical series, Nuggets guard Jon Barry said: "You worry about that, them sending some thug like that, like Oliver Miller, to knock somebody out or something like that, at the end of the game if it gets out of hand."

Minnesota coach Flip Saunders is disappointed at the talking coming from Denver players.

"They can say all they want. No one wants to fight. These guys are not fighters. ... We're not going to get caught up in all that. I'm sure they're not. First of all, they are professional players. They are here to represent the league. The league isn't about fighting."

Down 3-1 and facing elimination, Carmelo Anthony rated his chances of playing in Game 5 as '50-50' after it was revealed that he had suffered a mild spain of his left knee.

Anthony sustained the injury Tuesday night after bumping with teammate Marcus Camby while grabbing a rebound and then landing awkwardly on his left leg in the third quarter of Denver's 84-82 loss to the Timberwolves.

"I came down and I was surprised I didn't break my ankle. ... I thought I was done," said Anthony.

Coach Jeff Bzdelik is siding with caution if it comes down to a split decision, using Grant Hill's situation in the 2000 Playoffs where he played on a bad knee.  The decision has all but cost Hill his career.

"That's probably when he ruined his career," Bzdelik said. "Not probably. That's when he ruined his career. He's out there trying to limp through a playoff series and all of us were like, 'Hey, Grant, get off the court.' He hasn't been the same since."

The Nuggets may have not picked up his option, but listening to Rodney White all indications are that Denver still wants him and he is excited about Denver.

White was upbeat about information passed to him by his agent, Dan Fegan, who met with Denver GM Kiki Vandeweghe on Saturday.

"Dan told me that Denver wants me back," White said. "We'll see what happens. Dan said that Kiki was really proud of me and everybody upstairs was really impressed with my play and the way I handled myself all year and that I'll be in the picture this summer."

"I love Rodney," Vandeweghe said. "I'm very, very proud of what he's done under tough circumstances. I would definitely like to retain him."

While the Minnesota Timberwolves will be without Wally Szczerbiak for Game 4, the Denver Nuggets are not going to be at full strength either.

Forwards Rodney White and Ryan Bowen are both expected to miss today's battle with injuries, White with a sprained left ankle and Bowen with injured ribs.

"This is the high part of our season, and I can't even participate right now," White said. "It's real tough. I want to be part of this. I think I can help the team win."

"What I'm looking at for (today) is being available in a desperate situation," Bowen said. "Who knows. Maybe (today) I'll wake up and feel a lot better."

Andre Miller's small shove on Wolves superstar Kevin Garnett late in Game 3 was no big deal to either player if you listen to them now, but according to Steve Aschburner and Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune it did have the potential to blow up into something bigger.

"It really wasn't a big deal," Miller said. "I didn't say too much, just pushed him out of the way and the ref gave me a tech."

With the Denver Nuggets already feeling relaxed and playful with the game in the bag Carmelo Anthony held the ball over at the Denver bench after a whistle, Garnett got peeved, and Nuggets guard Andre Miller stepped in with a small shove.  Miller was hit with a technical, but Garnett was all alone in Nuggets territory in front of the opposition bench, his teammates oblivious to what was happening.

Said Garnett: "No big deal in my eye, either. Part of the game. You go in some 'hood on the blacktop right now, it'd be worse than that."

Garnett did not feel the Nuggets got under his team's skin, even with the romping and celebrating.

"Not at all. That's what they're supposed to do," he said. "Hell, it was their first win in nine years or something [in the] playoffs. You can't worry about it. They're home, this is where the heart is. We can't let that be factored into the series."

Rick and Jon Barry, living close to each other for the first time in Jon's 12 year career thanks to his contract with the Nuggets, have made great strides working on their relationship this season.

If the Sonics only offer fellow Brent, Jon's brother, a three year contract rather than four father Rick believes that the Nuggets have a strong chance of luring the free agent guard into the mountains to join the fold.

"If they're willing to give him four years at the midlevel, I'm sure he would certainly consider it," Rick said referring to the Sonics.

The Nuggets, who are expected to make a run for Brent this offseason, are under the salary cap despite making this year's playoffs, meaning they not restricted to the mid level exception worth approximately $5 million next season to sign free agent(s).

A common rumor in the NBA is altitude being one of the things a team must contend with when they play in Denver.  Being higher up means less oxygen which means... well.. it depends on who you ask says Steve Aschburner of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

"It's not just a myth. It's a physiological fact," said Denver backup center Michael Doleac, who already is studying medicine for his post-NBA career. "Your body's not used to that. It's also a mental thing, where you have to fight through it. So I think it's an issue."

But Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik said after practice Friday: "It's only a factor if we make it that way, through our effort. It's not just altitude, it's our play that's going to win us a game or make us competitive."

Minnesota's Latrell Sprewell and his good friend Denver's Marcus Camby might be going against each in the first round of this year's playoffs but they still have a great friendship that goes back to the day they were Knicks teammates.

"We spent hours and hours the last couple days just talking and reminiscing together, which is cool," Camby said Tuesday. "It's fun to be around him again."

"You put the friendship aside, definitely," Sprewell said. "It's a business, and it's all about winning the game. I'd like to be on the same team with him considering we're such friends, but it's fun. It's very competitive, and that's what it's all about."

The Pistons don't expect Michael Redd to have another game like he did Sunday in their playoff opener.

They don't expect him to shoot 4-for-10 from the field.

They don't expect him to score only 11 points.

They don't expect him to commit seven turnovers. Six came in the disastrous third quarter, including two offensive fouls and a strip by Lindsey Hunter that led to an easy basket.

There's definitely a Redd alert in the Pistons' camp. Game 2 is tonight at the Palace, and "I'd be real surprised" if Redd has a second straight off game, said Pistons coach Larry Brown.

"Michael Redd had a phenomenal year, and it's a great matchup, Rip and Michael Redd."

Rip Hamilton won round one with 21 points and eight assists, both team highs.

When Hamilton wasn't hounding Redd, Hunter and Mike James took turns. Redd averaged 24.8 points against the Pistons during the regular season and shot 46.8 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 89.5 percent from the free throw line.

The Bucks need similar numbers tonight from Redd, who averaged 21.7 points overall for the season.

"Ask Carmelo which he would rather have, the Rookie of the Year Award or a spot in the playoffs," Denver GM Kiki Vandeweghe said to Rocky Mountain News writer Bernie Linicombe. "Everybody in Denver, everybody in the nation, knows what he will say."

"Kiki told me to ask you which you would rather have, rookie of the year or the playoffs?" I asked like the good little parrot I am.

"Playoffs," Anthony said immediately.

Sigh. No controversy here. Not even that much disagreement. James won the thing by 78-40 in first-place votes, a real rout, and didn't need the Supreme Court to make it official. Maybe there's something in that, huh?

What about that vote spread, 78-40? That means almost twice as many voters didn't like you as did.

"A lot of people want to be in my position right now," Anthony said.