The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports: The Sonics weren’t counting on Robert Swift for big things in the early season, and they found out this week that the fourth-year center likely will miss another month with knee tendinitis and plantar fasciitis. Swift, who will turn 22 on Monday, has played in just five of the Sonics’ 16 games because of soreness in his surgically repaired right knee. Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo said Friday morning that Swift had his knee examined by Lakers team doctor Stephen Lombardo, who performed the anterior cruciate ligament surgery a year ago.

Bucks notes:

The Bucks are 7-6 and tonight in New York will start Mo Williams and Michael Redd at guard, Desmond Mason and Yi Jianlian at forward, and Andrew Bogut at center. The usual crew. Michael Ruffin remains out with a left wrist fracture.

Early in November the Bucks assigned Ramon Sessions to the team’s D-League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers.

Mo Williams went a perfect 9-of-9 for 23 points in Atlanta on Wednesday. Over the last seven games he’s close to averaging a double-double with 16.4 points and 9.7 assists per game.

Andrew Bogut has six double-doubles, the most of any Bucks player. on Tuesday he stepped up with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Tonight, in New York, the Bucks begin their fourth back-to-back set of games so far this season.

It’s a block party when the Bucks play. They’re 3rd in the league with 5.6 blocks per game. They’re led by Bogut’s 2.2 bpg, which is 7th in the league.

Bucks star shooting guard Michael Redd now has 9,274 career points. He’s only 16 points behind Terry Cummings for 9th all-time in Bucks history. Redd has led the team in scoring 11 of their 13 games so far in 2007-08.

Three games ago the Bucks beat Dallas by two points. But their last two games were losses to the 76ers and Hawks, two of the weakest teams in the league.

In 7 home games this season the Bucks have averaged 15,332 fans per game. They’ve had one home sellout. And home is where the Bucks have succeeded. They’re 6-1 in their own building and just 1-5 on the road.

The NBA today denied a game protest filed by the Dallas Mavericks over their 111-107 loss to the Indiana Pacers on November 23.

The Mavericks filed the protest because a basket by Indiana’s Troy Murphy with 9:59 remaining in the second quarter was mistakenly recorded as a 3-point field goal instead of a 2-point field goal (making the score 41-25 in Indiana’s favor), and the Mavericks contended that this extra point had a clear impact on the outcome of the game.

The NBA’s review confirmed that Murphy’s shot was mistakenly recorded; the Official Scorer erroneously believed that one or more referees had given the signal for a 3-point field goal. In fact, no referee made such a signal, nor was any referee aware until after the game that the Official Scorer had awarded 3 points to Indiana as a result of Murphy’s shot.

Although he concluded that an inadvertent error was made by the Official Scorer, NBA Commissioner David Stern determined that it did not have such a clear impact on the outcome of the game that a replay of the contest should be ordered. Murphy’s shot occurred with almost 34 minutes of regulation time remaining in the game, providing Dallas with a substantial opportunity to overcome the 1-point error. Dallas lost the game by four points.

Although NBA rules would have allowed the game officials to correct the scoring error at any time prior to the end of the game, it was not brought to their attention until after the game.

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have assigned guard Darius Washington to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League (D-League).

The 6-2, 195-pound Washington has appeared in 15 games for the Spurs, averaging 2.8 points and 1.10 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per contest.  He finished with a season-high 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting vs. Milwaukee on Nov. 11.

The University of Memphis product was signed by San Antonio as a free agent on October 1.

Washington is the second player - Ian Mahinmi was assigned on 11/21 - the Spurs have assigned to the Toros since Spurs Sports & Entertainment purchased the Austin franchise on June 28, 2007.

NBA News: At an NBA-best 11-2, the Boston Celtics are off to one of the best starts in franchise history. They opened the season 8-0 — the fourth best start for this storied organization — and have yet to lose at TD Banknorth Garden, where they are 7-0. The Celtics, not only will look to remain perfect at home tonight when they host the New Knicks on national TV (8 p.m. ET, TNT), they’ll go for a knockout punch.

Boston has outscored its opponents at home by an average of 18.3 points, the highest point-differential in the league. The Utah Jazz ranks second in that category (16.7), followed by the San Antonio Spurs (14.1), the Denver Nuggets (13.5), and the Detroit Pistons (11.2).

At home, the Celtics are out-rebounding teams by an average of 6.4; dishing out 10.6 more assists; recording 10.6 steals per game compared to 7.9 for the opposition; and shooting .525 from the field, while holding teams to under 40 percent (.398).

Perhaps the most significant reason for the Celtics’ dominance at home has been how seamlessly Kevin Garnett has acclimated to his new surroundings. His averages at home include 22.1 points, 13.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists, and he’s shooting a blistering .604 from the field and .871 from the free throw line. His road averages are 19.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists, and his percentages from the field and charity stripe are .511 and .806, respectively.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson has made a decision on his future. The Los Angeles Times reports:

Coach Phil Jackson has decided to sign a contract extension that keeps him with the Lakers for two more seasons. Jackson met Wednesday with Jerry Buss and informed the Lakers owner of his decision. Jackson, 62, will get a modest raise from the three-year, $30-million contract he signed in June 2005, which was the richest per-annum coaching deal in U.S. pro sports history. Jackson is expected to make $11 million or $12 million a season in his new deal.

It’ll be interesting to see what type of roster changes the team makes this season and summer.

Pat Riley made a statement today on Smush Parker: “We are currently investigating the reported incident. Until we have concluded it, Smush will not be with the team. He has not been suspended and is currently on our inactive list. This is a legal matter and we will have no further comment until the legal process runs its course.”

The statement is in response to the following, as reported by the Miami Herald:

A Miami woman accusing Heat guard Smush Parker of twisting her arm during a dispute over a valet fee is seeking criminal charges against the five-year NBA player. Yomaira McKenzie, 41, said Parker ”lost it” Tuesday morning when he was asked to pay the $12 valet parking charge he allegedly owed at a condo building at 355 Biscayne Blvd. McKenzie is an assistant manager at Standard Valet, which services the building. According to a Miami police incident report, Parker, 26, claimed he had paid the fee in advance a night earlier. He said he did not have any available cash to pay Tuesday. Tension apparently escalated when Parker, denied his keys until he settled the debt, allegedly pushed a valet podium and grabbed McKenzie’s arm in an attempt to get his keys, according to the incident report. Parker was not arrested or charged at the scene Tuesday, which is standard procedure in most simple misdemeanor battery cases that aren’t witnessed by police.

Remember, it’s just an accusation. Parker’s innocent, until proven otherwise.

The Denver Nuggets have signed F/C Jelani McCoy. He’s 6-10, 245 pounds and comes from the D-League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders team. The Nuggets have injuries up front and needed some extra size. They recently cut Mike Wilks.

McCoy is a pretty good player and I think he belongs in the league, towards the end of a bench, but with a legit deal.

Hit InsideHoops.com for more details about the transactions.

The Phoenix Suns have assigned rookie forward Alando Tucker to their NBA Development League affiliate Albuquerque Thunderbirds, it was announced today by Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr.

The 29th overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, Tucker has made appearances in two games for Phoenix this season, averaging 6.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 8.0 minutes of action.  A product of the University of Wisconsin, Tucker finished his college career as the all-time leading scorer with 2,217 points, averaging 16.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 134 games.  During his senior season he earned Big Ten Player of the Year and was named First-Team All-American by the Associated Press.

Tucker is the record-setting 12th NBA player assigned to the D-League this season.  On this date last year there had been a total of three players assigned to the D-League, while in 2005-06 there were eight players assigned to the NBA Development League at this point.

Tucker joins an Albuquerque squad with a 2-1 record on the season, coached by 1984 NBA All-Star Jeff Ruland and features 2004 NBA champion Darvin Ham.

The San Jose Mercury News reports: Ann Barnes, mother of the Warriors’ Matt Barnes, died Tuesday after battling cancer. Matt has apparently told the Warriors that he wants to play tonight in Sacramento, which is home for him and is where he returned to be with his mother often over the last few fateful weeks. I can’t say anything more than his teammates have already said: They’re with him, they support him, they want whatever’s best for him.

Cavaliers forward LeBron James left tonight’s game versus the Detroit Pistons at halftime with a left index finger sprain and did not return to the game. The injury occurred with 4:41 remaining in the second quarter. X-rays taken at the arena were negative. He will travel with the team to Toronto tonight and be re-evaluated Thursday. His status will be updated as appropriate.

Jorge Garbajosa completed an examination with Dr. Mark Myerson of Baltimore on Monday afternoon. Dr. Myerson’s report concurs with the recommendation of the Toronto Raptors medical staff that Garbajosa’s injury requires further surgery.

No surgery date has been determined and no timing has been established for a return to basketball activity. Garbajosa will remain on the Inactive List indefinitely.

The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned guard Coby Karl to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Karl was signed by the Lakers as a free agent on July 30, 2007.  He has appeared in two games this season, averaging 1.0 points and 1.0 assists in 2.0 minutes.

The 6’5” guard from Boise State averaged 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a senior and was named First Team All-WAC.  Karl’s 1,698 career points ranks third on Boise State’s all-time scoring list while leaving Boise State as the all-time leader in games played (127) and three-pointers made (266).

The Timberwolves bench continued its production in New Orleans on Monday night. The bench exploded for a season-best 54 points compared to 25 points for the Hornets. Three Wolves reserves scored in double figures - Sebastian Telfair (20 points), Antoine Walker (17 points) and Craig Smith (10 points).

Wolves’ reserves have now outscored their opponents in 10 of the team’s 12 games. Antoine Walker’s 24 points vs. Denver on Friday night is the single-game high this season.

The Denver Nuggets have waived G Mike Wilks, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.

Wilks was signed on Oct. 27 and appeared in eight games for the Nuggets, averaging 3.0 ppg and 1.5 rpg.

McGrady to the Rescue: Tracy McGrady registered 36 points (13-26 FG, 8-8 FT), eight rebounds and six assists at the L.A. Clippers (11/26/07), marking his sixth 30-point outing of the season. McGrady, who also had 35 points (13-23 FG) in the previous game vs. Denver (11/24/07), led the Rockets with 19 fourth-quarter points and 28 second-half points against the Clippers. The respective totals marked Houston’s best quarter and half performances of the season.

Playing Defense: Houston limited the Clippers to opponent season lows in points (71), field goals made (25) and field goal percentage (.329, 25-76 FG) at Los Angeles (11/26/07). The 71 points by the Clippers were the fewest ever scored in a game against the Rockets in the all-time series between these two teams. The previous low was 77 points (done three times, last on 11/4/00).

Double-Digit Victories: Houston’s 88-71 (+17) win at the L.A. Clippers (11/26/07) ended a three-game slide on the road and gave the Rockets their first consecutive set of victories by a double-digit margin this season. Houston also posted a 109-81 (+28) win vs. Denver (11/24/07).

Washington looks to snap a seven-game losing streak at San Antonio tonight.  The last time Washington won in San Antonio was Dec. 11, 1999 — during the 1999-00 NBA season.  San Antonio’s Tim Duncan is the lone holdover on either team’s roster from that game; a 99-89 Wizards’ win.

After averaging a combined 63.0 points per game in Washington’s last four games, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are now averaging a combined 45.9 points per game this season.  Butler and Jamison currently rank as the NBA’s sixth highest scoring duo…behind Anthony-Iverson (DEN), McGrady-Ming (HOU), Davis-Jackson (GSW), James-Gooden (CLE) and James-Ilgauskas (CLE).

Antawn Jamison has averaged 29.0 points per game in Washington’s last six games, after averaging 17.8 points per game in the Wizards’ first eight.  Jamison is not the only Wizard to have picked up his scoring in the last six games in the absence of Gilbert Arenas.

After connecting on a career-high five three-pointers in Washington’s last game, Caron Butler has now hit 14 three-pointers through 14 games this season.  Last season, Butler connected on 18 three-pointers in 63 games.  He hit a career-high 41 three-point field goals in 75 games in 2005-06.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James and the San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Nov. 19 through Sunday, Nov. 25.

James led the Cavaliers to a 3-1 week averaging 36.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists. He became the first player since Bob Sura (April 9-10, 2004) to post triple-doubles on consecutive nights when he recorded 37 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a win over Toronto on Nov. 24, and 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a win at Indiana on Nov. 25. In each of the team’s four games this week, James scored 30-plus points, including a season-high-tying 45 points on Nov. 21 at Minnesota.

Parker led San Antonio to a 4-0 week by averaging 26.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 8.3 assists. He set his season high with 32 points on Nov. 21 in a win over Orlando and twice tied his season high in assists after tallying nine on Nov. 20 at Atlanta and against Orlando on Nov 21.

Other nominees for Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Dallas’ Devin Harris, Golden State’s Baron Davis, Indiana’s Jamaal Tinsley, Milwaukee’s Michael Redd, New Jersey’s Richard Jefferson, Orlando’s Dwight Howard, Phoenix’s Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, Toronto’s Chris Bosh, and Washington’s Antawn Jamison.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric may be one of the luckiest men alive. Word is, he’s dating Victoria’s Secrets Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports: Wolves point guard Marko Jaric recently began dating Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima. She is one of the highest paid models in the world, most famous for her work with Victoria’s Secret. Years ago, she was engaged to rock star Lenny Kravitz, but the relationship didn’t survive. She was once even falsely linked to Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Lima is supportive of Jaric. She flew to Denver on Thanksgiving and attended the Wolves’ game there the next day… Teammate Antoine Walker didn’t know Jaric is dating a supermodel but quipped: “He’s overachieving.”

The Toronto Raptors medical staff has determined that Jorge Garbajosa requires further surgery on his left leg and ankle.

Garbajosa also met with Dr. Mark Myerson in Baltimore today for a consultation. We are awaiting Dr. Myerson’s written report.

No surgery date has been determined and no timing has been established for a return to basketball activity.

Garbajosa will remain on the Inactive List indefinitely.