San Antonio Spurs' forward Malik Hairston was today assigned to the Austin Toros, the Spurs' NBA D-League affiliate, announced today.  Hairston is the 13th player to be assigned from an NBA team to the NBA D-League this season.  

Originally selected in the second round (48th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, Hairston was traded to San Antonio where he spent 2008 training camp.  In six preseason games with the Spurs, Hairston averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 assists.  Hairston was waived by the Spurs on Oct. 26 before spending 11 games with the Toros and earning a GATORADE Call-Up to San Antonio on Dec. 22, and has not seen regular season action with Spurs this season.  

Hairston started in 11 Toros games this season and where he averaged 19.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals.  He twice scored a career-high 33 points, originally on Nov. 29 and again on Dec. 18 and was named NBA D-League Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Dec. 15.

The Lakers got exactly what they wanted from Santa Claus on Christmas, some revenge over the Celtics with a holiday win that ended the defending-champion's 19-game win streak.

- Orlando 88, New Orleans 66

Team FIC Differential: Magic +37.6, Hornets -37.6

The Magic (23-6) jumped out to a 30-point lead at halftime and never looked back against the visiting Hornets (16-9). Dwight Howard had 12 points and 15 rebounds; Hedo Turkoglu poured in 20 points, 6 boards, and 5 assists; and Rashard Lewis added 18 points and 6 rebounds. Orlando shot just 40%, but New Orleans made just 33% of their shots. David West led the Hornets with 13 points and 7 rebounds; Chris Paul had 12 points and failed to record a steal for the first time in 109 games.

Game FIC Scores

Rashard Lewis, Orlando ? 15.2

Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando ? 13.2

David West, New Orleans ? 10.1

Tyson Chandler, New Orleans ? 8.4

- San Antonio 91, Phoenix 90

Team FIC Differential: Spurs -4.1, Suns +4.1

Roger Mason Jr. hit a three-pointer with just seconds left on the clock to give the Spurs (19-10) a dramatic win over the rival Suns (16-12). Tony Parker had 27 points and 8 assists; Tim Duncan posted 25 points and 17 rebounds; and Manu Ginobili had 11 points off the bench. Phoenix outrebounded San Antonio by seven and limited the visiting team to 41% shooting, but the Spurs turned the ball over just six times. Amare Stoudemire had 25 points and 13 rebounds; Shaquille O?Neal tallied 23 points and 12 boards; and Steve Nash had 13 points and 8 assists for the Suns.

Game FIC Scores

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 21.6

Tony Parker, San Antonio ? 20.4

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 19.8

Shaquille O?Neal, Phoenix ? 19.8

- L.A. Lakers 92, Boston 83

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +22.4, Celtics -22.4

The Lakers (24-5) ended the 19-game win streak of the Celtics (27-3) with an impressive win on Christmas Day. Kobe Bryant had 27 points and 9 rebounds; Pau Gasol posted 20 points and 5 assists; and Lamar Odom added 10 points and 7 boards off the bench. Both teams shot 46%, but Boston turned the ball over six more times than Los Angeles. Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 9 rebounds; Paul Pierce tallied 20 points and 10 boards; and Rajon Rondo had 6 points and 12 assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Kevin Garnett, Boston ? 21.2

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers ? 18.0

Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers ? 15.8

Paul Pierce, Boston ? 13.8

- Cleveland 93, Washington 89

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +9.4, Wizards -9.4

The Cavaliers (25-4) kept their perfect home record intact with a comeback win over the Wizards (4-23). Mo Williams had 24 points and 6 assists; Anderson Varejao tallied 13 points and 14 rebounds; and LeBron James added 18 points, 6 dimes, and 5 boards on 6-for-13 shooting. Cleveland attempted nineteen more foul shots than Washington and outscored the visiting team by seven in the fourth quarter. Antawn Jamison had 29 points and 6 rebounds; Mike James scored 26 points; and Caron Butler added 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists for the struggling Wizards.

Game FIC Scores

Anderson Varejao, Cleveland ? 17.2

Mike James, Washington ? 16.1

Delonte West, Cleveland ? 15.5

Dominic McGuire, Washington ? 14.8

- Dallas 102 Portland 94

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +16, Blazers -16

The Mavericks (17-11) used an 11-point edge in the fourth quarter to defeat the Blazers (18-12) on Thursday night. Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points; Jason Kidd turned in 6 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds; and Jason Terry added 19 points off the bench. Both teams shot over 48%, but Dallas outrebounded Portland by ten. Brandon Roy led with 22 points and 5 rebounds; Steve Blake posted 14 posted and 7 assists; and Travis Outlaw added 13 points and 4 rebounds off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Jason Kidd, Dallas ? 19.3

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas ? 16.5

Steve Blake, Portland ? 11.9

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 10.4

? 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

Dikembe Mutombo has been spending his time working on various philanthropic efforts while still a free agent, but that will soon change.

"I will be in Boston or San Antonio by the end of the year," said Mutombo.

Manu Ginobili tweaked his surgically repaired left ankle in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game against Minnesota, striking fear in San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich.

"Well, of course," Popovich said of his initial fears after the game. "He's in there talking to the doctors now, just to see what that was. I'm hoping maybe it's just scar tissue, or something like that. Those things are going to happen to him while he's recovering, but we'll find out."

After leaving the game, Ginobili returned for the final minutes. No X-rays or exams were required, and the Spurs have yet to comment on the situation.

Before Luis Scola was traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Houston Rockets in 2007, there was a done deal which had him on his way to join LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Houston Chronicle is reporting.

The Spurs had the deal done to trade Scola?s rights to the Cavaliers, only to have it fall apart. Two hours later, talks heated up with the Rockets and within two more hours, the Rockets acquired the rights to Scola for Vassilis Spanoulis.

Scola went through ups and downs even more trying than the teams?.

?I think about it occasionally,? Scola, who had 11 points and eight rebounds on Tuesday, said. ?I was really, really, really close. Until four hours before I was traded (to Houston) I was 80 percent sure I was coming to Cleveland.

?I was excited. Now, I think the best thing that could happen to me was to go to Houston. I?m really happy with everything, the way it turned out.?

The Lakers narrowly escaped their trip to Memphis with a victory on Monday night. They needed some late game heroics from Kobe Bryant and tough defense to avoid an upset.

- Orlando 113, Golden State 81

Team FIC Differential: Magic +47, Warriors -47

The Magic (22-6) maintained their dominance against the Western Conference with a win over the Warriors (8-21) on Monday night. Jameer Nelson had 22 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds; Dwight Howard posted 11 points and 11 boards; and Rashard Lewis added 21 points in the victory. Orlando limited Golden State to 31% shooting and narrowly out-rebounded the visiting team by three. Jamal Crawford led with 18 points; Marco Belinelli tallied 12 points and 6 rebounds and rookie Anthony Randolph added 11 points and 12 boards off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Jameer Nelson, Orlando ? 25.8

Rashard Lewis, Orlando ? 17.0

Anthony Randolph, Golden State ? 15.5

Kelenna Azubuike, Golden State ? 9.5

- Houston 114, New Jersey 91

Team FIC Differential: Rockets +40.8, Nets -40.8

The Rockets (19-9) built a sizable lead against the Nets (13-14) at IZOD Center and never looked back. Yao Ming had 24 points and 16 rebounds; Aaron Brooks posted 22 points and 6 assists; and Carl Landry scored 13 points off the bench. Houston shot 58% from the floor, including 9-for-19 from behind the three-point line. Keyon Dooling led with 17 points and 5 assists; Yi Jianlian tallied 10 points and 7 rebounds; and Vince Carter added 10 points on 5-for-15 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

Yao Ming, Houston ? 25.8

Aaron Brooks, Houston ? 17.0

Keyon Dooling, New Jersey ? 11.4

Brook Lopez, New Jersey ? 10.3

- L.A. Lakers 105, Memphis 96

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +19.6, Grizzlies -19.6

The Lakers (22-5) pulled out a comeback win over the Grizzlies (9-18), who held a lead in the closing minutes. Kobe Bryant starred with 36 points; Lamar Odom tallied 12 points and 6 rebound; and Pau Gasol added 15 points, 7 boards, and 6 assists against his younger brother?s club. Los Angeles shot 54% on the night and clamped down on defense in the fourth quarter to rally from a late six-point deficit. Rudy Gay paced the Grizzlies with 23 points and 7 rebounds; rookie O.J. Mayo posted 22 points and 6 assists; and Marc Gasol added 8 points and 7 rebounds in Pau?s return to Memphis.

Game FIC Scores

Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers ? 19.0

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers ? 18.3

Rudy Gay, Memphis ? 13.6

O.J. Mayo, Memphis ? 12.9

- San Antonio 101, Sacramento 85

Team FIC Differential: Spurs +19.5, Kings -19.5

The Spurs (17-10) enjoyed five double-digit scorers in their win against the Kings (7-22) at AT&T Center on Monday night. Tony Parker led with 18 points and 5 assists; Manu Ginobili had 10 points and 5 rebounds; and Tim Duncan attempted just five shots for 10 points in the triumph. San Antonio shot 52% and out-rebounded Sacramento by eight. John Salmons scored 22 points; Beno Udrih tallied 15 points and 4 rebounds; and rookie Jason Thompson added 9 points and 5 boards off the bench for the Kings.

Game FIC Scores

Beno Udrih, Sacramento ? 13.0

John Salmons, Sacramento ? 11.9

Matt Bonner, San Antonio ? 10.5

Michael Finley, San Antonio ? 10.0

- Denver 97, Portland 89

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +23.7, Blazers -23.7

The Nuggets (18-10) ended their three-game losing streak with a win against the Blazers (17-11), even without Carmelo Anthony. Chauncey Billups had 19 points and 10 assists; Nene had 19 points and 11 rebounds; and Linas Kleiza scored 17 points off the bench. Denver limited Portland to 41% shooting, and out-rebounded the visiting team by eleven. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 20 points; Steve Blake tallied 14 points and 4 assists; and Brandon Roy struggled through a 3-for-11 shooting night to post 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 dimes.

Game FIC Scores

Nene, Denver ? 18.0

Chauncey Billups, Denver ? 15.9

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 12.0

Steve Blake, Portland ? 11.0

- Toronto 97, L.A. Clippers 75

Team FIC Differential: Raptors +52.4, Clippers -52.4

The Clippers (8-20) lost their twentieth game of the season on Monday against the Raptors (11-17) at STAPLES Center. Chris Bosh had 31 points and 7 rebounds; Jermaine O?Neal tallied 23 points and 9 boards; and Jose Calderon contributed 8 points and 9 assists in the win. Toronto held Los Angeles to just 32% shooting and won the rebounding battle by a margin of ten. Zach Randolph had 19 points and 8 rebounds; Baron Davis had 16 points and 9 assists; and rookie DeAndre Jordan turned in 8 points and 8 boards in a reserve role.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 22.9

Jermaine O?Neal, Toronto ? 19.3

Zach Randolph, L.A. Clippers ? 10.5

DeAndre Jordan, L.A. Clippers ? 9.6

? 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

Malik Hairston of the Austin Toros was today named the NBA D-League Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Dec. 15, 2008.  

In a related move, Hairston signed with the Spurs.

Hairston led the Toros to three straight wins this week, averaging 24.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while tying a season-high when he scored 33 points in Thursday's win over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.  He finished the week 27-of-46 from the field (.587).  The Toros have now won six consecutive games.

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have recalled Anthony Tolliver from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League (D-League).

Tolliver appeared in six games for the Toros this season where he averaged 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 38.3 minutes. He was assigned to the Toros on 12/12.

Brandon Roy turned in a career performance on Thursday night as the Blazers topped the Suns in Portland.

- Orlando 90, San Antonio 78

Team FIC Differential: Magic +21.4, Spurs -21.4

Dwight Howard returned after missing a few games to lead the Magic (20-6) over the Spurs (15-10). Jameer Nelson had 24 points and 7 assists, Rashard Lewis posted 15 points and 5 rebounds, and Howard turned in 14 points, 13 boards and 2 blocked shots. Orlando outrebounded San Antonio by five and limited the Spurs to just 37% shooting on the night. Tim Duncan led with 19 points and 9 rebounds, Manu Ginobili tallied 10 points and 8 boards, and Tony Parker added just 9 points and 4 assists on 3-for-17 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

Jameer Nelson, Orlando ? 16.3

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 11.8

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 11.8

Roger Mason, San Antonio ? 9.8

- Portland 124, Phoenix 119

Team FIC Differential: Blazers +10.6, Suns -10.6

Brandon Roy scored a career-high 52 points as the Blazers (17-10) used a third quarter run to edge the Suns (15-11). Steve Blake had 22 points and 10 assists, LaMarcus Aldridge tallied 16 points and 5 rebounds, and Roy added 6 assists and 5 boards to go along with his 52 points. Both teams shot over 50%, but Portland outrebounded Phoenix by three and turned the ball over just six times. Amare Stoudemire starred with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, Steve Nash posted 15 points and 11 dimes, and Matt Barnes added 22 points off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 34.4

Steve Blake, Portland ? 26.2

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 24.4

Matt Barnes, Phoenix ? 16.0

? 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

Dikembe Mutombo said recently that he hopes to sign with an NBA team after the Christmas holiday and that Boston, Miami, and San Antonio have expressed interest.

"You'll see me in the next two weeks," Mutombo said. "I will be somewhere. I really need to go back to playing. I've just got to make sure that I go to a place where I can be happy. There are about four to five teams that I've been looking at and about seven teams that have shown interest. It's up to me to make my decision."

He also admitted that the Rockets, for whom he played last season, have "not answered" him regarding a return.