Ruben Patterson on Tuesday said that he is prepared to spend the rest of the season on the inactive list unless the Trail Blazers find a way to play him 25 minutes a game.

Patterson, who was suspended last week for two games, then placed on the inactive list for complaining about his playing time, is scheduled to meet in Portland with Blazers general manager John Nash and coach Nate McMillan either Thursday or Friday.

Nash and McMillan on Tuesday said the meeting will be to determine whether Patterson can accept a reserve role in which he plays limited minutes behind Darius Miles and Zach Randolph. Patterson averaged 19.3 minutes in the first eight games this season -- down from the 28 minutes he averaged last season -- which included an average of 16.3 minutes in his past three games.

Nash said if Patterson can accept the role that McMillan envisions, he will be reinstated to the active list. But Patterson on Tuesday said he is not willing to continue to get fill-in minutes while the team continues its youth movement.

"I don't think my role of playing 13 or 15 minutes a game is acceptable," Patterson said from his home in Columbus, Ohio. "I deserve to play 25-plus minutes, but if they want me to play 12 minutes (like he did in his last game against New York), then they can just put me on the inactive list. I mean, those are rookie minutes."

McMillan said he can't foresee Patterson getting 25 minutes a game.

"I think those are starter minutes," McMillan said. "I don't know how you can give someone off the bench 25 minutes. I mean, he's at a position that Miles (38.5 minutes a game) and Zach (37.8 minutes) are playing."

Josh Smith showed off his leaping ability last year by winning the NBA slam-dunk contest, but some may still doubt he can jump so high without help.

In a controversial call, official Phil Robinson said Smith grabbed the rim to make an offensive rebound with 7.2 seconds left, giving Portland the ball for Darius Miles' winning shot in a 77-75 victory over Atlanta on Sunday.

Miles' bank shot over Zaza Pachulia with 1.3 seconds left gave Portland the win, ending the Hawks' two-game winning streak, but everybody was talking about the ruling on Smith's rebound.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson called it "bogus."

"The guy never even hung on the rim," Woodson said. "I went back and watched it on the tape. It was a bad call."

Smith said he asked Robinson for a clarification.

"They said I grabbed the rim and pulled up to get the rebound," Smith said. "I was shocked."

Asked if he touched the rim, Smith said "No, I didn't. ... That's the call they made. I had to go with it."

Added Atlanta's Al Harrington: "I was standing there. I didn't see him grab the rim. I don't know what (Robinson) saw there. You've got to love our refs, man. They do a great job night in and night out."

After only seeing 44 minute of court time for the season thus far, Martell Webster is trying to stay positive.

"It's horrible," Webster told The Oregonian. "In high school I was playing every minute I possibly could, which was satisfying for me. Then I come in here and you're not the man anymore. You don't [get] the big minutes."

Portland coach Nate McMillan told Webster to stay ready, although he didn't play him in three consecutive games. Webster got a shot in a blowout loss to Miami on Wednesday and made a splash. In the final 7:24, he scored a career-high 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field, including three three-pointers and two cathartic dunks.

Portland lost 100-79, but McMillan said he'd continue to look for situations where the rookie could contribute after the explosive performance.

"I think he wanted to send a message," said McMillan. "The stat sheet doesn't lie. The young fella can stroke the ball."

George Karl does not foresee Denver trading Eduardo Najera to Portland for troubled swingman Ruben Patterson. TNT reported Thursday the Nuggets have discussed such a deal with the Trail Blazers.

"I don't think it will happen," Karl said. "It might be a de-energizer. Right now, we've got to stay strong and figure it out. I love Ruben as a basketball player. But, if he doesn't get minutes, he doesn't get the opportunity, I'm not sure (where he might). We need a bigger body."

The Trail Blazers sent Patterson home for the final six games of an ongoing seven-game trip after he cursed at coach Nate McMillan during a game Sunday at New York regarding lack of playing time. Patterson is averaging 7.0 points in 19.3 minutes.

If the Trail Blazers can't trade him, there is talk they might buy out his contract. He is making $6.4 million this season and $6.8 million next season in the final year of a six-year, $34 million deal. It remains to be seen whether the Nuggets might have interest then.

"That's something I can't control," Najera said of his name being linked to a report about a possible trade. "I don't even want to think about it. It makes you worry if you think about it."

The Trail Blazers have placed forward Ruben Patterson on the inactive list after he cursed at coach Nate McMillan during Sunday's loss to the New York Knicks over his lack of playing time.

Patterson will remain in Portland while the rest of the team is on a six-game road trip.

"We will not tolerate this type of behavior from any player," Blazers GM John Nash said in a statement released Monday. "We will continue to demand a higher level of professionalism and personal responsibility from all of our players or we will continue to take appropriate action."

Sebastian Telfair says it is all going to work out fine.
The great Garden soap opera is, how will Stephon Marbury respond to Larry Brown's tough love and structured offense?

"Whenever a great coach gets a great player, it always turns into victory and I think over time, if they be patient and not blow anything up, I think they will," Telfair said yesterday after the media crowd had left his locker following his best game as a pro.

It's worth noting that despite Telfair's career-high 27 points, his Trail Blazers still couldn't win as Marbury also poured in 27 to lead the Knicks to a 103-92 victory, giving Brown his first Garden Party victory as Knicks coach. The 27 points marked a season high for Marbury.

"Steph knows how to win and he will," Telfair insisted. "I think a lot of people have that misconception that he is not willing to listen and that he is stuck in his ways. He will listen. He's been in the league a long time and he knows what he needs to do win right now and Larry's trying something different, but they will get it together. I'm sure of it."

New York Knicks coach Larry Brown had a feeling that Stephon Marbury was ready for a breakout game.

Marbury scored a season-high 27 points Sunday to help New York beat the Portland Trail Blazers 103-92, giving Brown his first Knicks victory at Madison Square Garden.

''I thought Steph was phenomenal,'' Brown said. ``I loved the way he was being aggressive. I told people before the game he would play great.''

Zach Randolph had 22 points and 10 rebounds and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame an injury to Lincoln's Sebastian Telfair for a 96-93 over the Bulls last night.

The Blazers, who led by as many as nine points in the second half, when starting point guard Telfair rolled his right ankle while turning to pass to Theo Ratliff. Telfair had to be helped off the court.

After the Bulls took an 89-88 lead, Telfair, who finished with eight points, returned and the Blazers rallied for the win.

Nate McMillan's angry voice was so loud, the walls of the Trail Blazers' practice facility could not contain his profanity-laced words.

"Do not come in here and (mess) up practice," the coach yelled at players.

McMillan, unhappy with his players' effort, brought practice to a halt Tuesday and launched into a 15-minute tirade. Although practice was closed to the media at the time, it was impossible not to hear the loud rant.

McMillan yelled that if players don't want to work, they should "take your . . . fine and show up tomorrow for the game."

The outburst comes as the Blazers enter a key week after winning two home games and losing to the Detroit Pistons by three points at the Rose Garden on Friday night. They finish the homestand with games against two solid opponents, starting with the Chicago Bulls tonight.

The Bulls are a young team known for playing hard and hustling throughout each game, but McMillan did not see a similar effort from his players Tuesday.

"If you do not want to practice, don't show up -- do not show up," McMillan told his players.

Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen is vowing "to be patient" with his rebuilding team, which will have a hard time matching even last season's 27-55 record. We'll see if that also means being patient with general manager John Nash, in the final year of his contract.

If not, it won't be surprising if rumblings start about Kiki Vandeweghe, in the final year of his contract as Nuggets general manager, possibly bolting to the Trail Blazers. Indications are there have been few discussions about a possible contract extension for Vandeweghe, making it a good bet he will be a free agent after the season.