The New Orleans Hornets did not extend a second, 10-day contract to forward/center Anthony Tolliver.

Tolliver's contract came to an end after Friday's game against the Golden State Warriors and he did not travel with the team to San Antonio for Saturday's game.

Kobe Bryant has the most popular jersey in the NBA, moving past Kevin Garnett to regain the No. 1 spot on the NBA?s list. With the Western Conference best record, the Lakers top the list of Most Popular NBA Team Merchandise. The rankings are based on sales at the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com since the start of the 2008-09 NBA season through January 2009.  

Garnett drops one spot to No. 2 while the Cleveland Cavaliers? LeBron James holds on to the No. 3 spot on the list. The New Orleans Hornets? Chris Paul and Detroit Pistons? Allen Iverson round out the Top 5 at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. New York Knicks? David Lee enters the list for the first time at No. 14. Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers moved to No. 6, up from No. 15 last year.

December was the best sales month in history for both the NBA Store and NBAStore.com, with combined sales up 10 percent over the same time period last year.

Top 15 Players

Kobe Bryant ? Los Angeles Lakers
         
Kevin Garnett ? Boston Celtics
               
LeBron James ? Cleveland Cavaliers
     
Chris Paul ? New Orleans Hornets
   
Allen Iverson ? Detroit Pistons
         
Pau Gasol ? Los Angeles Lakers
         
Paul Pierce ? Boston Celtics
               
Dwyane Wade ? Miami Heat
           
Derrick Rose ? Chicago Bulls
               
Nate Robinson ? New York Knicks
         
Steve Nash ? Phoenix Suns
           
Dwight Howard- Orlando Magic
               
Ray Allen ? Boston Celtics
     
David Lee ? New York Knicks

Carmelo Anthony ? Denver Nuggets

The New Orleans Hornets today signed Iowa Energy forward Anthony Tolliver, making him the fifth GATORADE Call-Up of the 2008-09 NBA Development League season and the 124th overall since the league began play in 2001.

Tolliver, 6-9, has appeared in three games for the Energy this season, averaging 10.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 28.3 minutes.  Prior to his stint with the Energy, Tolliver played in 19 games for the San Antonio Spurs where he averaged 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.9 minutes.  During his time with the Spurs, Tolliver was assigned to the team?s NBA D-League affiliate Austin Toros where he saw action in six games and averaged 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.

The Orlando Magic?s Jameer Nelson and the New Orleans Hornets? Chris Paul today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Jan. 12, through Sunday, Jan. 18. Nelson and Paul also shared Player of the Week honors for the week of Dec. 15.

New Orleans' center Tyson Chandler left the team's victory over Indiana on Monday with a severely twisted left ankle.

Chandler landed on the foot of Pacers guard T.J. Ford after jumping for a rebound in the second quarter.

He had to be carried off the court by teammates and left the arena on crutches with his ankle taped.

The NBA provided its fans with a bloated slate of games on Martin Luther King Day on Monday, and the action on the court didn't disappoint.

- New York 102, Chicago 98

Team FIC Differential: Knicks +0.7, Bulls -0.7

The Knicks (16-24) made their free throws down the stretch and held on against the Bulls (18-24) on Monday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Quentin Richardson had 24 points and 6 rebounds, David Lee contributed 11 points and 10 boards, and Chris Duhon turned in 19 points and 3 assists. Chicago outrebounded New York by seventeen, but the Knicks attempted eleven more foul shots and forced seventeen turnovers. Luol Deng led with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Derrick Rose posted 20 points and 8 assists, and Joakim Noah turned in 7 points and 18 boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Luol Deng, Chicago ? 18.0

Quentin Richardson, New York ? 17.5

Joakim Noah, Chicago ? 17.3

Chris Duhon, New York ? 15.0

- Dallas 95, Philadelphia 93

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +1.6, 76ers -1.6

Dirk Nowitzki hit a jumper as time expired to give the Mavericks (24-17) a thrilling win over the 76ers (20-21) at the Wachovia Center. Jason Kidd led with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, Jason Terry posted 20 points and 4 dimes off the bench, and Nowitzki added 24 points and 6 boards. Philadelphia outrebounded Dallas by seven, but the Mavericks had the hotter shooting hand. Louis Williams scored a game-high 25 points, Andre Iguodala tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Andre Miller turned in 12 points, 8 boards and 7 assists in the demoralizing loss.

Game FIC Scores

Jason Kidd, Dallas ? 26.5

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 13.0

Jason Terry, Dallas ? 12.0

Andre Miller, Philadelphia ? 11.8

- Atlanta 87, Toronto 84

Team FIC Differential: Hawks -9.3, Raptors +9.3

The Hawks (24-16) kept the Raptors (16-27) off the scoreboard in the final seconds to preserve a narrow home victory. Joe Johnson led with 28 points and 6 rebounds, Josh Smith posted 22 points and 14 boards, and Mike Bibby turned in 23 points and 5 assists. Toronto outrebounded Atlanta by nine, but the Hawks attempted five more free throws and held the Raptors to 2-for-18 shooting from three-point land. Chris Bosh had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Andrea Bargnani tallied 20 points and 10 boards, and Anthony Parker contributed 12 points, 9 boards and 9 assists in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 20.0

Josh Smith, Atlanta ? 19.5

Anthony Parker, Toronto ? 17.5

Mike Bibby, Atlanta ? 15.9

- Houston 115, Denver 113

Team FIC Differential: Rockets -8.6, Nuggets +8.6

Kenyon Martin missed a pair of foul shots in the final seconds that could have sent the game to overtime as the Nuggets (27-15) fell at the hands of the Rockets (26-16). Yao Ming starred with 31 points, Rafer Alston posted 18 points and 11 assists, and Luis Scola turned in 16 points and 8 rebounds. Both teams shot over 50%, but Houston forced Denver to turnover the ball twenty times. J.R. Smith had 24 points and 7 rebounds, Nene tallied 23 points and 12 boards, and Chauncey Billups contributed 13 points and 12 assists for the Nuggets, who are still without Carmelo Anthony.

Game FIC Scores

Rafer Alston, Houston ? 18.5

J.R. Smith, Denver ? 18.5

Yao Ming, Houston ? 15.6

Nene, Denver ? 15.3

- San Antonio 86, Charlotte 84

Team FIC Differential: Spurs +4.3, Bobcats -4.3

The Spurs (27-13) outscored the Bobcats (16-25) by seven in the fourth quarter to earn a comeback victory. Tim Duncan had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, Tony Parker tallied 13 points and 10 assists, and Roger Mason Jr. added 12 points in the win. San Antonio Charlotte outrebounded San Antonio by seven, but the Bobcats shot just 36% at home. Raja Bell led with 25 points and 6 rebounds, Boris Diaw posted 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Raymond Felton turned in 13 points and 9 assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 18.9

Raja Bell, Charlotte ? 16.9

Raymond Felton, Charlotte ? 14.1

Tony Parker, San Antonio ? 13.2

- New Orleans 103, Indiana 100

Team FIC Differential: Hornets +8.7, Pacers -8.7

Chris Paul hit a three-pointer a second after Danny Granger tied the game with a triple of his own to push the Hornets (25-13) past the Pacers (15-26) at New Orleans Arena. Peja Stojakovic scored 26 points, Rasual Butler posted 17 points and 5 rebounds, and Chris Paul starred with 27 points, 9 assists and 5 boards. New Orleans attempted twelve more foul shots than Indiana and hit 12-of-26 three-pointers. Danny Granger led with 30 points, Troy Murphy posted 17 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists, and Jarrett Jack added 11 points, 5 boards and 4 dimes for the Pacers.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 17.5

Peja Stojakovic, New Orleans ? 17.5

Danny Granger, Indiana ? 16.5

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 14.6

- Minnesota 94, L.A. Clippers 86

Team FIC Differential: Timberwolves +9.3, Clippers -9.3

The Timberwolves (13-26) jumped out to an early lead and held off a late charge to defeat the Clippers (9-31) at the STAPLES Center. Al Jefferson led with 20 points and 17 rebounds, Craig Smith tallied 20 points and 8 boards, and Randy Foye contributed 17 points and 4 assists. Minnesota outrebounded Los Angeles by four and forced the Clippers to turn the ball over fifteen times. Eric Gordon starred with 25 points, Al Thornton posted 12 points and 9 rebounds, and Steve Novak scored 18 points off the bench in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 20.3

Craig Smith, Minnesota ? 15.8

Eric Gordon, Los Angeles ? 14.5

DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles ? 13.5

- Golden State 119, Washington 98

Team FIC Differential: Warriors +33.9, Wizards -33.9

The Warriors (13-29) used a very strong fourth quarter to put the Wizards (8-32) away at ORACLE Arena. Jamal Crawford led with 28 points and 8 assists, Stephen Jackson posted 26 points, 6 rebounds and 5 dimes, and Andris Biedrins contributed 7 points and 15 boards. Golden State shot 53% and outrebounded Washington by four. Andray Blatche had 22 points and 9 rebounds, Antawn Jamison tallied 22 points and 5 boards, and Dominic McGuire contributed 5 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists for the reeling Wizards.

Game FIC Scores

Andris Biedrins, Golden State ? 17.5

Stephen Jackson, Golden State ? 16.6

Andray Blatche, Washington ? 16.5

Dominic McGuire, Washington ? 13.9

- Detroit 87, Memphis 79

Team FIC Differential: Pistons +13.9, Grizzles -13.9

The Pistons (23-17) erased a third quarter deficit with a 20-10 advantage over the final twelve minutes. Allen Iverson starred with 27 points and 5 rebounds, Richard Hamilton posted 14 points and 6 assists, and Antonio McDyess added 8 points and 16 boards off the bench. Detroit held Memphis to 41% shooting and turned the ball over just ten times. Marc Gasol excelled with 12 points and 13 rebounds, Rudy Gay tallied 15 points and 8 boards and Hakim Warrick contributed 12 points and 10 boards as a spark off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Antonio McDyess, Detroit ? 18.0

Allen Iverson, Detroit ? 14.0

Marc Gasol, Memphis ? 13.8

Mike Conley, Memphis ? 10.8

- Boston 104, Phoenix 87

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +30.9, Suns -30.9

The Celtics (34-9) got out to an early lead and never looked back against the Suns (23-16) at the TD Banknorth Garden on Monday night. Rajon Rondo starred with 23 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds, Ray Allen scored 20 points, and Paul Pierce contributed 12 points, 8 boards and 8 dimes. Both teams shot 47%, but Phoenix turned the ball over 23 times. Shaquille O?Neal had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Steve Nash posted 12 points and 8 assists, and Louis Amundson added 13 points and 4 boards off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Kevin Garnett, Boston - 19.8

Rajon Rondo, Boston - 17.9

Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix - 14.8

Louis Amundson, Phoenix - 11.9

- Portland 102, Milwaukee 85

Team FIC Differential: Blazers +41.5, Bucks -41.5

The Trail Blazers (25-16) outscored the Bucks (20-24) in every quarter en route to a relatively easy win. Greg Oden starred with 24 points and 15 rebounds, LaMarcus Aldridge posted 22 points, 9 boards and 5 assists, and Travis Outlaw added 18 points and 8 rebounds. Portland outrebounded Milwaukee by twenty-eight and attempted sixteen more free throws. Charlie Villanueva had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Richard Jefferson tallied 23 points and 7 boards, and Michael Redd scored 13 points on 6-for-14 shooting in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Greg Oden, Portland ? 24.1

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 19.5

Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee ? 14.3

Richard Jefferson, Milwaukee ? 11.9

- L.A. Lakers 105, Cleveland 88

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +22, Cavaliers -22

The Lakers (32-8) dominated the second half against the Cavaliers (31-8) on Monday night to hand Cleveland a rare loss. Pau Gasol had 22 points and 12 rebounds, Kobe Bryant tallied 20 points, 12 assists and 6 boards, and Lamar Odom turned in 8 points and 10 rebounds. Los Angeles shot 52% and outrebounded Cleveland by three. LeBron James starred with 23 points and 9 rebounds, Andersen Varejao posted 10 points and 12 boards, and Mo Williams contributed 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the Cavs.

Game FIC Scores

Pau Gasol, Los Angeles ? 20.5

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles ? 15.6

Andersen Varejao, Cleveland ? 15.0

J.J. Hickson, Cleveland ? 12.9

? 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

Miguel Paul, a freshmen point guard for the University of Missouri, listed NBA star Chris Paul as his first cousin in the team's media guide.

However, when a student from the university, Michael Kelly, came to the Hornets' practice on Tuesday to do a story for an NBC affiliate, Chris said he had no idea who Miguel was.

"Who? I never heard of him," Paul said, before asking teammate James Posey if he had heard of him.

MU basketball spokesman Dave Reiter told the Columbia Tribune that Miguel Paul is, in fact, related to Chris Paul, just more distantly than he, and, therefore, the team?s media guide, has said.

The Hornets lost two games to the Lakers this season prior to Tuesday night's battle, and coach Byron Scott believes Phil Jackson's crew underestimated them.

"For our psyche, we've got to play one of those games where we know we can beat them," Scott said before the game.

"I don't think right now they think we can although I know in my heart I think we can."

New Orleans defeated Los Angeles 115-106, thanks to star performances from David West and Chris Paul.

The Bobcats shocked the Celtics in overtime on Tuesday night to further the skid of the defending-champions.

- Orlando 89, Washington 80

Team FIC Differential: Magic +28.5, Wizards -28.5

The Magic (27-8) held the Wizards (7-26) to just 6 points in the second quarter en route to a victory. Hedo Turkoglu had 22 points and 7 assists; Dwight Howard posted 15 points and 16 rebounds; and Rashard Lewis added 12 points and 8 boards. Orlando outrebounded Washington by ten and limited them to just 39% shooting. Caron Butler led with 29 points; Antawn Jamison tallied 13 points and 9 rebounds; and Andray Blatche contributed 8 points and 7 boards off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando ? 21.8

Caron Butler, Washington ? 17.4

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 16.5

Darius Songaila, Washington ? 7.8

- Philadelphia 104, Houston 96

Team FIC Differential: 76ers +19.1, Rockets -19.1

A huge third quarter run helped the 76ers (14-20) topple the Rockets (21-15) on Tuesday night. Andre Iguodala scored a game-high 28 points; Louis Williams tallied 15 points and 8 assists; and rookie Marreese Speights turned in 15 points and 8 rebounds. Philadelphia shot 56% from the field while holding Houston to just 42% shooting. Luis Scola led with 18 points and 17 rebounds; Tracy McGrady posted 14 points and 9 assists; and Carl Landry contributed 14 points and 9 boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Luis Scola, Houston ? 19.2

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia ? 17.6

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 17.0

Yao Ming, Houston ? 12.5

- Charlotte 114, Boston 106

Team FIC Differential: Bobcats +17.3, Celtics -17.3

Paul Pierce made a jumper to force overtime, but the Bobcats (13-22) dominated the extra period in their shocking win over the Celtics (29-7). Raymond Felton led with 25 points and 8 assists; Emeka Okafor tallied 13 points and 17 rebounds; and Gerald Wallace turned in 23 points and 6 boards. Charlotte went 7-for-16 from behind the three-point line while limiting Boston to 44% shooting. Pierce had 28 points and 6 rebounds; Kevin Garnett posted 14 points and 13 boards; and Rajon Rondo added 16 points and 6 assists in the Celtics? fifth loss in their last seven games.

Game FIC Scores

Emeka Okafor, Charlotte ? 17.1

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte ? 17.0

Paul Pierce, Boston ? 16.5

Ray Allen, Boston ? 12.6

- Minnesota 94, Memphis 87

Team FIC Differential: Timberwolves +9.6, Grizzles -9.6

The Grizzlies (11-24) rallied last to tie the game at 87, but the Timberwolves (9-25) scored the last seven points of the game to secure the victory. Randy Foye scored 23 point; Al Jefferson tallied 19 points and 12 rebounds; and Sebastian Telfair added 10 points and 9 assists. Minnesota turned the ball over 19 times, but Memphis shot just 41% in the loss. Hakim Warrick led with 22 points and 6 rebounds; O.J. Mayo posted 20 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists; and Rudy Gay added 12 points and 6 rebounds for the Grizzlies.

Game FIC Scores

O.J. Mayo, Memphis ? 16.5

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 15.8

Randy Foye, Minnesota ? 13.8

Hakim Warrick, Memphis ? 11.8

- Oklahoma City 107, New York 99

Team FIC Differential: Thunder +41, Knicks -41

The Thunder (5-30) jumped out to an early lead against the Knicks (13-20) and never looked back in their fifth win of the season. Kevin Durant led with 27 points and 12 rebounds; Jeff Green posted 27 points and 7 boards; and Russell Westbrook contributed 22 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds. Oklahoma City shot 52% and outrebounded New York by eleven. Al Harrington scored 21 points; David Lee tallied 14 points and 13 rebounds; and Chris Duhon turned in 18 points and 6 assists in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City ? 20.1

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City ? 17.9

Al Harrington, New York ? 14.8

David Lee, New York ? 13.5

- Chicago 99, Sacramento 94

Team FIC Differential: Bulls +17.2, Kings -17.2

The Bulls (15-20) trailed in the second quarter but came back to defeat the Kings (8-28) at United Center. Ben Gordon scored 24 points; Drew Gooden posted 18 points and 10 rebounds; and Derrick Rose contributed 16 points and 8 assists. Chicago shot just 38% but outrebounded Sacramento by seven and attempted more twelve foul shots. Kevin Martin scored 29 points; Brad Miller tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds; and rookie Jason Thompson added 7 points and 7 boards for the Kings.

Game FIC Scores

Brad Miller, Sacramento ? 19.8

Ben Gordon, Chicago ? 16.4

Derrick Rose, Chicago ? 14.3

Beno Udrih, Sacramento ? 8.3

- Dallas 107, L.A. Clippers 102

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +15.9, Clippers -15.9

The Mavericks (21-13) held off a late charge by the Clippers (8-26) at America Airlines Center on Tuesday. Dirk Nowitzki scored 34 points; Josh Howard posted 22 points and 6 rebounds; and Jason Kidd contributed 3 points, 12 boards, and 8 assists. Dallas shot 47%, which allowed them to overcome Los Angeles? nine-rebound advantage. Eric Gordon led with 32 points and 6 assists; Marcus Camby tallied 10 points and 19 rebounds; and Al Thornton added 25 points and 8 boards.

Game FIC Scores

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas ? 21.8

Marcus Camby, Los Angeles ? 17.8

Mardy Collins, Los Angeles ? 16.4

Jason Kidd, Dallas ? 15.5

- New Orleans 116, L.A. Lakers 105

Team FIC Differential: Hornets +12.1, Lakers -12.1

The Hornets (21-10) used a 27-13 run in the fourth quarter to knock off the Lakers (27-6) at STAPLES Center. David West starred with 40 points and 11 rebounds; Chris Paul posted 32 points and 15 assists; and Tyson Chandler added 12 points and 8 boards in the victory. New Orleans shot 50% while outrebounding Los Angeles by five. Kobe Bryant had 39 points and 7 assists; Derek Fisher tallied 19 points, 6 dimes, and 5 rebounds; and Pau Gasol contributed 10 points and 8 boards in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 30.4

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles ? 26.8

David West, New Orleans ? 24.9

Derek Fisher, Los Angeles ? 13.5

? 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

Tyson Chandler of the New Orleans Hornets has been
suspended one game without pay for throwing an elbow and  striking Portland?s Joel Przybilla in the neck.

In addition, Przybilla has been fined $7,500 for his role  in the incident and assessed a Flagrant Foul Penalty One for a forearm to the chest of Chandler, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, in which Chandler was also assessed a Flagrant Foul Penalty Two and ejected from the game, occurred with 6:16 remaining in the third period of New Orleans? 92-77 win over the Trail Blazers last night at the
Rose Garden.

Chandler will serve his suspension tonight when the Hornets visit the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center.