There were thirteen games on the docket Wednesday night as the NBA prepared for the Thanksgiving holiday.

- Atlanta 102, Milwaukee 96

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +10.2, Bucks -10.2

The Hawks (9-5) held off a tough challenge from the Bucks (7-10) to get back on the right track. Al Horford had 21 points and 9 rebounds, Joe Johnson posted 15 points and 9 assists, and Ronald Murray added 16 points off the bench. Atlanta shot 50% from the field and made ten three-pointers. Richard Jefferson led with 25 points and 6 rebounds, Ramon Session tallied 21 points, 8 assists and 7 boards, and Charlie Villanueva added 19 points in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Ramon Sessions, Milwaukee ? 19.6

Al Horford, Atlanta ? 19.1

Marvin Williams, Atlanta ? 14.5

Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee ? 10.4

- Toronto 93, Charlotte 86

Team FIC Differential: Raptors +19.2, Bobcats -19.2

Even without Jermaine O?Neal (knee, ankle), the Raptors (7-7) were able to down the Bobcats (4-10). Chris Bosh led with 39 points and 11 rebounds, Andrea Bargnani posted 11 points and 9 boards, and Joey Graham added 17 points and 6 boards off the bench. Toronto shot 50% from the field and limited Charlotte to 18% shooting from downtown. Emeka Okafor led with 16 points and 14 rebounds, Gerald Wallace posted 23 points and 8 rebounds, and rookie D.J. Augustin added 13 points and 4 assists.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 29.5

Emeka Okafor, Charlotte ? 21.4

Jose Calderon, Toronto ? 12.3

Jared Dudley, Charlotte ? 12.1

- Cleveland 117, Oklahoma City 82

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +54.7, Thunder -54.7

The Cavaliers (12-3) only needed 17 minutes of play from LeBron James to beat the Thunder (1-15) on Wednesday night. James had 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, Delonte West posted 8 points, 10 dimes and 5 boards, and Daniel Gibson tallied 15 points and 4 rebounds. Cleveland shot 60% from the floor, while holding Oklahoma City to just 35% on the night. Kevin Durant had just 13 points, Chris Wilcox posted 14 points and 5 rebounds, and rookie Russell Westbrook added 13 points, 5 assists and 4 boards.

Game FIC Scores

Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland ? 17.0

Delonte West, Cleveland ? 15.5

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City ? 11.0

Chris Wilcox, Oklahoma City ? 9.8

- Boston 119, Golden State 111

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +9.2, Warriors -9.2

The Celtics (14-2) held off a serious charge from the Warriors (5-10) en route to yet another victory. Ray Allen led with 25 points, Kevin Garnett had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo added 22 points, 8 boards and 7 assists. Boston outrebounded Golden State by thirteen, but allowed them to shot 49% from the floor. Corey Maggette scored 32 points, Stephen Jackson tallied 30 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and Jamal Crawford added 18 points, 6 boards and 6 dimes.

Game FIC Scores

Stephen Jackson, Golden State ? 25.1

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 24.3

Kevin Garnett, Boston ? 17.6

Corey Maggette, Golden State ? 13.0

- Orlando 96, Philadelphia 94

Team FIC Differential: Magic +1.7, 76ers -1.7

Dwight Howard paced the Magic (11-4) with a double-double against the 76ers (7-8) on Wednesday night. Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds, Tony Battie scored 20 points off the bench, and Hedo Turkoglu added 12 points, 7 assists and 5 boards. Orlando shot 47% from the floor and attempted six more free throws than Philadelphia. Elton Brand had 21 points and 6 rebounds, Andre Iguodala posted 17 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds, and rookie Marreese Speights added 12 points and 3 boards.

Game FIC Scores

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 17.8

Elton Brand, Philadelphia ? 15.6

Tony Battie, Orlando ? 13.6

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 12.9

- Detroit 110, New York 96

Team FIC Differential: Pistons +23.7, Knicks -23.7

The Pistons (9-5) thoroughly dominated the Knicks (7-8) for yet another New York loss. Eight players reached double-figures for Detroit, with Richard Hamilton (17), Rodney Stuckey (13 points and 11 assists) and Amir Johnson (12 points and 13 rebounds) leading the way. Detroit shot 51% from the field, while holding New York to just 38% on the night. Al Harrington had 25 points and 7 rebounds, David Lee had 17 points and 15 boards, and Tim Thomas added 12 points and 6 boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Amir Johnson, Detroit ? 18.3

David Lee, New York ? 18.3

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit ? 17.8

Wilson Chandler, New York ? 14.0

- Phoenix 110, Minnesota 102

Team FIC Differential: Suns +15.5, Timberwolves -15.5

The Suns (11-5) cruised to an early lead and held off the Timberwolves (3-10) on Wednesday night. Steve Nash had 20 points and 6 assists, Shaquille O?Neal tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Amare Stoudemire added 16 points in the win. Phoenix shot 53%, but were outrebounded by thirteen. Al Jefferson had 28 points and 17 rebounds, Randy Foye tallied 17 points and 5 assists, and Rashad McCants added 12 points off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 22.5

Shaquille O?Neal, Phoenix ? 16.1

Steve Nash, Phoenix ? 15.3

Corey Brewer, Minnesota ? 9.9

- Indiana 91, Houston 90

Team FIC Differential: Pacers +3.0, Rockets -3.0

Danny Granger made a tip-in to give the Pacers (6-8) an important road victory against the Rockets (10-6). Granger had 16 points and 6 rebounds, Troy Murphy tallied 21 points and 14 boards, and rookie Brandon Rush added 12 points off the bench. Indiana outscored Houston by 11 points in the fourth quarter, and held the home team to just 34% shooting. Luis Scola led with 15 points and 18 rebounds, Yao Ming had 19 points and 10 boards, and Ron Artest added 19 points against his former team.

Game FIC Scores

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 22.8

Luis Scola, Houston ? 16.3

Carl Landry, Houston ? 12.4

Danny Granger, Indiana ? 10.9

- San Antonio 98, Chicago 88

Team FIC Differential: Spurs +22.3, Bulls -22.3

The Spurs (8-6) remained with a win over the Bulls (7-9). Tim Duncan had 21 points and 8 rebounds, rookie George Hill posted 19 points and 11 boards, and Roger Mason added 9 points and 6 boards in the win. San Antonio outrebounded Chicago by nine and attempted 22 more free throws. Drew Gooden had 20 points and 12 rebounds, rookie Derrick Rose tallied 10 points, 6 boards and 6 assists, and Ben Gordon added 23 points in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 17.6

George Hill, San Antonio ? 16.8

Ben Gordon, Chicago ? 14.0

Drew Gooden, Chicago ? 11.8

- Utah 117, Memphis 100

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +41.5, Grizzles -41.5

Deron Williams returned and the Jazz (10-6) dominated the Grizzles (4-11) at EnergySolutions Arenas on Wednesday. Williams had 11 points and 15 assists, Paul Millsap tallied 24 points and 16 rebounds, and Mehmet Okur added 21 points and 10 boards. Both teams shot 53%, but Utah outrebounded Memphis by fourteen. Rudy Gay had 27 points and 7 rebounds, rookie O.J. Mayo scored 22 points, and Marc Gasol contributed 12 points and 8 boards.

Game FIC Scores

Paul Millsap, Utah ? 24.3

Mehmet Okur, Utah ? 21.0

Rudy Gay, Memphis ? 16.3

Marc Gasol, Memphis ? 12.3

- Portland 106, Miami 68

Team FIC Differential: Blazers +73, Heat - 73

The Blazers (10-6) cruised to an impressive 38-point win over the Heat (7-8) thanks to a double-double from Greg Oden. LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points and 7 rebounds, Oden tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Channing Frye added 17 points off the bench. Portland shot 49% from the field, held Miami to 34% on the night and outrebounded them by twenty-seven. Michael Beasley had 14 points and 4 rebounds, Dwyane Wade contributed 12 points, 6 boards and 6 assists, and Marcus Banks scored 11 points off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 15.6

Nicolas Batum, Portland ? 15.0

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 11.8

Marcus Banks, Miami ? 9.1

- New Jersey 116, Sacramento 114 (OT)

Team FIC Differential: Nets -5.5, Kings +5.5

Devin Harris made a turnaround jumper in the final moments to give the Nets (7-7) a dramatic win over the Kings (5-12). Harris had 18 points and 7 assists, Brook Lopez tallied 20 points and 8 boards, and Vince Carter scored 25 points in the win. Sacramento outrebounded New Jersey by nine, but shot just 42% from the floor. John Salmons starred with 38 points and 7 rebounds, Brad Miller tallied 20 points, 13 boards and 6 assists, and Beno Udrih added 16 points and 10 dimes. Carter was carried off with a leg injury in the victory.

Game FIC Scores

John Salmons, Sacramento ? 21.8

Brad Miller, Sacramento ? 19.8

Vince Carter, New Jersey ? 16.6

Brook Lopez, New Jersey ? 15.6

- Denver 106, L.A. Clippers 105

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +1.5, Clippers -1.5

The Nuggets (10-5) withstood a strong run by the Clippers (2-13) in the fourth quarter to notch a win on Wednesday. Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 11 rebounds, Kenyon Martin added 17 points and 10 boards, and Chauncey Billups added 7 points and 11 assists. Denver outrebounded Los Angeles by five, but allowed them to post a 34-27 edge in the final quarter. Rookie Eric Gordon led with 24 points, Baron Davis tallied 18 points and 10 assists, Marcus Camby put up 17 points and 11 rebounds against this old team.

Game FIC Scores

Eric Gordon, L.A. Clippers ? 21.8

Kenyon Martin, Denver ? 18.8

Marcus Camby, L.A. Clippers ? 18.8

Carmelo Anthony, Denver ? 14.5

? 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

Five games were played in the NBA on Sunday night, with the Raptors hosting the defending-champion Celtics in a matinee affair.

- Boston 118, Toronto 103

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +18.4, Raptors -18.4

The Celtics (13-2) used 12-point advantages in the first and third quarters to easily defeat the Raptors (6-7) on Sunday afternoon. Ray Allen led with 21 points, Kevin Garnett had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, and Kendrick Perkins added 12 points and 8 boards in the win. Boston shot 61% from the floor and outrebounded Toronto by seven, while holding the home team to 44% shooting. Chris Bosh posted 24 points and 6 rebounds, while Jose Calderon tallied 14 points, 9 assists and 5 boards. Jermaine O?Neal, who played despite spraining his knee on Friday, left in the second quarter after missing a jumper.

Game FIC Scores

Kevin Garnett, Boston ? 17.8

Ray Allen, Boston ? 15.8

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 14.0

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto ? 12.8

- Philadelphia 89, Golden State 81

Team FIC Differential: 76ers +2.8, Warriors -2.8

The 76ers (7-6) held off a late charge by the Warriors (5-8) thanks to a dominant performance by Elton Brand. Andre Miller had 9 points and 8 assists, Samuel Dalembert posted 8 points and 16 rebounds, and Brand led with 23 points and 12 boards. Philadelphia shot just 39%, but outrebounded Golden State by sixteen. Kelenna Azubuike starred with 16 points and 5 rebounds, Stephen Jackson tallied 12 points, 7 boards and 7 assists, and Andris Biedrins added 10 points and 8 boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Elton Brand, Philadelphia ? 16.6

Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia ? 16.5

Andris Biedrins, Golden State ? 14.2

Kelenna Azubuike, Golden State ? 14.0

- Minnesota 102, Detroit 80

Team FIC Differential: Timberwolves +42.0, Pistons -42.0

The Timberwolves (3-9) surprisingly outplayed the Pistons (8-5) over the full forty-eight minutes in their shocking victory Sunday afternoon. Randy Foye had 23 points and 14 assists, Ryan Gomes posted 20 points and 7 rebounds, and Al Jefferson contributed 19 points and 8 boards in the victory. Minnesota shot 53% and outrebounded Detroit by nine. Tayshaun Prince scored 20 points, Rasheed Wallace added 7 points and 10 rebounds, and Allen Iverson added 9 points on 3-for-11 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

Randy Foye, Minnesota ? 27.5

Ryan Gomes, Minnesota ? 19.4

Tayshaun Prince, Detroit ? 15.4

Jason Maxiell, Detroit ? 9.0

- Denver 114, Chicago 101

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +45.2, Bulls -45.2

The Nuggets (9-5) used a 31-16 edge in the fourth quarter to down the Bulls (6-8) on Sunday night. Kenyon Martin had 26 points and 8 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony tallied 21 points, 13 boards and 8 assists, and Chauncey Billups added 21 points and 8 dimes. Denver shot 54% and attempted twenty more free throws than Chicago. Ben Gordon led with 28 points, Drew Gooden posted 21 points and 7 rebounds, and rookie Derrick Rose added 15 points and 6 assists in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Kenyon Martin, Denver - 23.0

Carmelo Anthony, Denver - 22.8

Ben Gordon, Chicago - 18.1

Drew Gooden, Chicago - 12.3

- L.A. Lakers 118, Sacramento 108

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +13.8, Kings -13.8

The Lakers (11-1) remained hot with a win over the Kings (5-10). Kobe Bryant starred with 24 points, Andrew Bynum had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Trevor Ariza added 11 points, 11 boards and 5 assists off the bench. Los Angeles outrebounded Sacramento by seven and attempted fifteen more free throws, allowing them to outcome the hot-shooting (53%) of the Kings. John Salmons led with 24 points, rookie Jason Thompson tallied 15 points and 7 rebounds, and Bobby Brown added 21 points and 7 assists off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Trevor Arizona, L.A. Lakers - 18.0

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers - 16.8

Jason Thompson, Sacramento - 16.1

Bobby Brown, Sacramento - 13.2

? 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

Antonio McDyess has reportedly decided to return to the Pistons.

McDyess, who drew the interest of eighteen NBA teams, including Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland and San Antonio, will re-sign with Detroit on Dec. 3.

McDyess must wait for the league-mandated 30-day waiting period to expire. The Pistons traded McDyess to the Nuggets, who bought out his contract, roughly three weeks ago.

"It was a very difficult decision for him. He was weighing good offers financially, along with other variables he thought were important," agent Andy Miller told ESPN.com. "But going into the year he had a team goal set, and to not finish up with it, he didn't want to do that. He wants to finish the year, finish what he started in Detroit, then reevaluate after the season is over."

A number of teams have complained about Boston forward Kevin Garnett's antics recently, and the league has taken note.

Garnett has been going after smaller guys lately, including Jose Calderon and Luke Ridnour, and it's beginning to hurt his reputation.

"He's nothing but an instigator," one executive said of Garnett.

Jermaine O'Neal started for the Raptors on Sunday against the Celtics despite a strained his knee but ended up leaving in the second quarter.

O'Neal scored six points in the loss, leaving the game against Boston after missing a jump shot and falling.

Toronto had listed the forward as day-to-day after he suffered the injury against New Jersey.

Timberwolves' GM Kevin McHale claims that he is still very happy with the seven-for-one trade that sent Kevin Garnett to the Celtics.

"I do like the deal," McHale said. "Like I said at the time, it was going to be a change, and there'll be some growing pains on the thing. But yeah, I couldn't be happier with Al and his progression and the fact that he's 23. That was the thing. You gained 10 years in age on the primary assets in the trade. So yeah, I like the deal."

Boston won an NBA title less than one year after the blockbuster trade.

Al Jefferson, who was the centerpiece of the deal in Minnesota's eyes, doesn't feel any pressure.

"I don't feel pressure at all," Jefferson said. "It's two franchises headed in opposite directions. Boston was looking to win now, which is exactly what they did. We were looking to rebuild. You can't rebuild a team overnight."

Boston Celtics guard/forward Bill Walker was assigned to the Utah Flash, the Celtics? NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today.  

Walker joins fellow Celtics rookie JR Giddens with the Flash.  

Walker, 6-6, has appeared in two games for the Celtics this season, scoring two points in six minutes of action.  In seven preseason games with Boston, he averaged 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 12.3 minutes.  

Originally selected in the second round, 47th overall, of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, Walker was acquired by Boston on June 28, 2008.  

In two years at Kansas State, Walker averaged 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 26.6 minutes earning Third Team All-Big 12 honors from the Associated Press and the league coaches as a redshirt freshman in 2007-08.  He also earned Big 12 All-Rookie Team honors and was twice selected as Big 12 Rookie of the Week.  

Walker, the season?s sixth player to be assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate, is expected to join the Flash in Orem, Utah today, in time for Saturday?s preseason game against the Idaho Stampede in Burley, Idaho.

Last season Kevin Garnett appeared in Minnesota with the Celtics to a standing ovation, but he never took the court because of an abdominal strain.

The Timberwolves were disappointed that Garnett didn't play, but he is expected to finally take the court against his former team in Minnesota on Friday night.

"Actually, if he doesn't want to play (Friday) night, that's fine," Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said with a smile.

"The things he did here, how can you not love him?" Al Jefferson said Thursday. "I watched him as a kid growing up in middle school and high school. The fans have every right to love him and respect him."

The Timberwolves haven't been a hot ticket so far this season, but the Target Center figures to be packed on Friday night with KG in town.

"I know Kevin did a lot of great things for this city, but I'm looking at it as just going out there and just trying to beat the Boston Celtics," guard Randy Foye said. "I hope the crowd gives him a standing ovation and everything.

"But other than that, when the ball is tipped up, it's now the Timberwolves versus the Celtics. He's got that green jersey on and we've got that white jersey on so everybody in that building should be cheering for us, not for him."

There were only two games on the schedule in the NBA on Thursday night, but both were marquee matchups with the Pistons and Celtics battling in Boston and the Lakers and Suns taking the court in Phoenix.

- Boston 98, Detroit 80

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +32.5, Pistons -32.5

The Celtics (11-2) used a decisive 28-19 run in the second quarter to defeat the Pistons (8-4) in Boston on Thursday night. Rajon Rondo had 18 points and 8 assists, Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 4 rebounds, and Tony Allen added 13 points and 6 boards off the bench. Boston shot 49% from the floor, while outrebounding Detroit by five and held them to 42% shooting. Allen Iverson led with 16 points, Rasheed Wallace tallied 13 points and 6 rebounds, and Jason Maxiell added 10 points and 6 boards off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 16.0

Tony Allen, Boston ? 15.5

Rasheed Wallace, Detroit ? 9.8

Jason Maxiell, Detroit ? 7.8

- L.A. Lakers 105, Phoenix 92

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +18.4, Suns -18.4

The Lakers (9-1) outscored the Suns (8-5) by 13 points through the first three quarters en their way to a big win. Kobe Bryant had 24 points and 5 rebounds, Lamar Odom tallied 13 points and 9 boards, and Andrew Bynum added 10 points and 7 boards in the win. Phoenix outrebounded Los Angeles by five, but the Suns turned the ball over fifteen times. Amare Stoudemire had 21 points and 8 rebounds, Shaquille O?Neal posted 15 points and 9 boards, and Steve Nash added 8 points and 10 assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers ? 15.5

Vladimir Radmanovic, L.A. Lakers ? 13.3

Boris Diaw, Phoenix ? 10.8

Matt Barnes, Phoenix ? 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

Neither Quentin Richardson and Zach Randolph were pleased with the things the Celtics were saying to them during Boston's victory over the Knicks on Tuesday night.

"I'd be just real curious to see what a lot of those guys would say if we weren't in a basketball arena, where there are no referees and NBA officials to stop certain things," Richardson said. "I mean it wouldn't be the same story. They are the world champions and rah-rah-rah, the tough talk I don't buy. I come from a neighborhood where you can say what you want to say and until you do something with it it don't mean nothing.

"Some of those guys woofing about 'Get a ring' and blah, you ain't been in the league long enough to talk like that to some people who's got as many years as we got over here. I don't got a lot of respect for that."

"They do a lot of talking," said Randolph. "They know they are protected on (the) court. That's why I don't pay that no mind. Because a lot of guys get off the court and they tuck their tails (between their legs)."