Sam Cassell has been injured with torn cartilege in his left hip. It may require surgery in the offseason, and "it is unlikely the injured veteran will play again this spring."

'Cassell's back spasms are due to the trauma in the hip, the medical staffer said, and rest and rehabilitation might be enough to fix the problem. It isn't impossible that Cassell could try to play again on the damaged hip.

But Cassell even raised a white flag of sorts Sunday, saying he definitely would not play in Game 6 tonight. And after that? "Let's get through tomorrow first," said Cassell, 34. "Anything's possible. I'm just day to day right now. It's me understanding the situation and making the right decision."'

So Cassell is probably out for the rest of the season. How long the rest of the season is for his team is the big question.

There is no truth to all the rumors that the Suns have a deal in place with 7-foot-3 18-year old Martynas Andriuskevicius of Lithuania. Andriuskevicius wants to stay in Europe for another year and his agent is saying that he has to be a top-five pick to stay in the draft. Plus he is too much of a project and the Suns just don?t need that right now.

More than likely the Suns will keep the pick, because of the potential that a player drafted seventh could have on an organization. The Suns are hoping that either high school sensation Josh Smith or Iguodala fall to them at #7. Smith, the 6-foot-8 small forward from Oak Hill Academy is considered the best pure athlete in the draft. Iguodala, at 6-foot-6, is a better basketball player than Smith now and could help a team like the Suns right away.

DraftCity's Jonathan Givony conducts another of his trademark interviews with NBA lottery prospect Josh Smith.

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Ramos being scouted extensively, Howard not interested in Clippers? Ainge in love with Robert Swift? Josh Childress a top 5 pick? Slokar and Splitter playoff updates.

(click to read)

Sam Cassell will be out for the second straigh game with back spasms and a hip injury.  Oddly enough the Timberwolves have won the games that Cassell has played thirty second or less.  However, both games were home games for the Timberwolves.

``It's killing me, personally, knowing what I can do for us against the Lakers,'' Cassell said Sunday.

Fred Hoiberg will be the point guard in the absence of Cassell.  The Lakers lead the series 3-2.  Game 6 in is Los Angeles.

Hold your horses Rockets fans, on top of being 25 years old with back problems and not doing a thing to prevent them, McGrady to Houston may not be anything more than a simple flirt.

In order to get McGrady in the first place, the Rockets would have to include Steve Francis, something they just are not in the business of. The Jeff Van Gundy / Steve Francis problems have been grossly exaggerated.

On top of that, Francis seems to have become much more of a Van Gundy player, especially with his strong playoff showing. Although he is turnover-prone and had his worst shooting season from the perimeter and as a finisher, he does get teammates open outside shots every night, and he is willing to defer to Yao.

Rip Hamilton helped hand Indiana their first defeat at Consececo Fieldhouse, scoring a career playoff high on 12-of-22 shooting, including one three-pointer.

"Tonight we just wanted to come out and hit first," Hamilton said. "We wanted to come out and not get down and get on top early. I think it was all mental from the last game. We had an opportunity to make some ground up last game and we came out relaxed and we ended up playing a way that we're not used to play. Tonight we said we'd play together at both ends of the floor. Move the ball side-to-side and make plays. Both teams are great defensive teams and do a great job of zoning up. When I was in Washington coach Doug Collins said, 'If you keep moving nobody can guard that.' "

If the Pistons win Game 6 on Tuesday in Detroit, they will advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since the 1989-90 season when they won their second championship.

John Lucas is at it once again, this time not being afraid of a fine. The former Nuggets assistant and NBA coach has been preparing Oak Hill (Va.) Academy senior forward Josh Smith in Houston for his predraft workouts.

The McDonald's All- American has been working on his perimeter shooting against Houston guard Cuttino Mobley and Portland guard Damon Stoudamire.

Smith's agent, Brian Dyke, doesn't think his client will drop past Phoenix's seventh pick.

"I think he is going to rise," Dyke said. "He's a much better skilled player than people think. They think he's raw. I don't think these people in Houston think he's raw."

While the Kings look for a new arena, an old financial debt came into view recently. Apparently the Kings still owe $83 to the city of Sacremento.

"They've been in the arena a number of years and it looks like nothing has been paid on the principal," said Joe Sullivan, president of the Sacramento County Taxpayers Association. "How much has the city really gotten back?"

"They were not able to put any capital into the business to keep it going, for players or any other expenses," Friery said. "They never got a dime coming back to help pay for basketball operations. And meanwhile, the costs of basketball continued to rise."

Terri Hardy reports that the Sacramento City Council and Thomas settled on a loan of $70 million. The city would go to a bank, borrow the cash and float 30-year bonds. The Kings would own the arena and make payments on the loan each year.

Although the loan contract addresses what is necessary if the Kings were to move out of the city, it does not specify requirements if the team moves to another arena in Sacramento.

Sullivan, of the taxpayers group, said his members are concerned that if a new arena deal is forged, the old loan will be waived.

"That's a lot of money to forgive," Sullivan said. "That's not the way our tax money should be spent."

Councilman Steve Cohn said even though the contract does not specifically outline a new arena scenario, he believes the Maloofs would be required to pay the loan.

"I don't think there is a circumstance where they can get out of it," Cohn said. "That could mean wrapping it up in a new loan or paying it off in its entirety."

John Thomas said no matter what happens with a new arena, the Maloofs intend to pay the loan.

"The clear view we have is that the loan is a debt obligation that we intend to fulfill; it's one of the Maloofs' family values that we pay our bills on time or earlier," Thomas said. "At no time have Joe or Gavin asked or discussed being let out of the loan. We have no expectation of that."

Lately, Michael Olowokandi has been racking up foul calls faster than Kobe Bryant is accruing frequent flier miles.  

Olowokandi was productive in 33 minutes in the series opener:  10 points, 11 rebounds, 4 fouls.  

But he logged just 33 minutes total in Games 2, 3 and 4:  0 points, 6 rebounds, 13 fouls.  That?s an average of one foul every two minutes and thirty-two seconds.

So enough was enough.  Wolves coach Flip Saunders angrily disputed the unfair treatment of his big center in Game 5 and got hit with a technical foul.

And just when it seemed that everything was going against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Candy Man in Game 5 ? with the Lakers making a strong push to come all the way back and take the series ? the referees called Shaqille O?Neal for a three-second violation on a crucial possession that turned the tide of the game back in the Wolves? favor.  Fred Hoiberg hit a big three-point shot on the Wolves? ensuing possession and the game was in the W column.

Olowokandi tallied 7 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in Game 5.  He will start at center again in Game 6.