After Phoenix's loss to Miami on Friday, center Amare Stoudemire expressed his unhappiness with the team's system.

"Sorta, kinda," Stoudemire said when asked if the offense puts him in the right spots. "Consistency for me would be great. That way, I know what to look forward to and how to attack. That way, when I do get it, I'm not off-balance or surprised I have it."

Asked if the team's system can provide him the chances he wants, Stoudemire said, "I really don't know. I know I put in a lot of hard work this off-season to really take that next step, to really be in the class of the D-Wades (Dwyane Wade) and the LeBrons (LeBron James) and the Dwights (Dwight Howard). I put in the hard work this off-season to be in that class. Right now, I'm a little frustrated."

Phoenix center Shaquille O'Neal doesn't have any ill towards Miami, as he prepares to do battle with his former team on Friday night.

"I don't really have any bad feelings," O'Neal said. "I love all those guys down there."

O'Neal claims that harsh comments attributed to him toward team president Pat Riley, the team's medical staff, and even supporting players were all fabrications.

"I understand that business had to be taken care of for him to rebuild and rebuild around D-Wade, and that's the perfect guy to rebuild around," he said. "I understand that. I've been a businessman my whole career."

O'Neal did, however, admit that he hasn't spoken with Riley since the Heat traded him to the Suns last season.

Leandro Barbosa is back with the Phoenix Suns after having to return to Brazil following the passing of his mother, the Arizona Republic is reporting.

Barbosa took part in practice on Sunday.

Barbosa, who will play Tuesday at Oklahoma City, talked but could not say "Mama," whom he called several times a day when she was not in Phoenix.

"I don't like to be by myself, because every time I'm by myself, it makes me think about my family," Barbosa said. "As much as I can be doing something, the better, especially now."

Barbosa's older brother, Arturo, and two nephews live with him, and he has his teammates, including close friends Steve Nash and Matt Barnes, who lost his mother a year ago.

"He (Barnes) has been talking to me a lot, and I appreciate everything he's been doing and for the love he's been showing me and for my family," Barbosa said. "Since he got here, we got tight. We are really close friends. It came at a good time."

Suns' point guard Steve Nash believes that thinking about the 2010 offseason is fun for the fans, but it isn't something players can worry about.

"It's fun for fans and media," said Nash, who will see his contract expire in 2010. "As players, it's the most idiotic thing in the world to think about two years from now."

Doesn't it affect all players, though, with teams trading guys and opening up space to sign MVP-caliber pieces?

"Yeah, teams that aren't very good," Nash added. "Teams that are trying to get in the playoffs or teams that want to be in the playoffs or win a championship, they're not thinking about two years from now. Teams can protect their future and have a long-term outlook in the backs of their minds, a Phase 2, but they're still thinking about right now.

"Maybe it will be something to talk about in two years, but right now I've got my hands full trying to get us to a higher level."

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

The now famous Shaquille O'Neal interview with the Sacramento Bee that ran last week and included comments about Phil Jackson and possibly going back to the Lakers was done in the preseason in Phoenix by the Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper, a former Los Angeles Times writer whom O'Neal knows.

With public perception already settled, O'Neal was questioned Wednesday even though the original interview never asked him specifically about free agency in 2010.

"I have a great relationship with Steve Kerr," said O'Neal. "When I'm done here, we'll see what happens. Going back that way, no, it never came out of my mouth."

O'Neal said his comments about Jackson were intended as a compliment.

"Phil has always done right by me," O'Neal said Wednesday. "We had a great relationship.

"It would be idiotic for me to say something bad about him."

Carlos Boozer's big night against the Suns highlighted Monday night's action in the NBA.

- Houston 100, Oklahoma City 89

Luis Scola led the Rockets (7-4) over the Thunder (1-10) with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Yao Ming posted 19 points and 12 rebounds while Ron Artest added 17 points and 11 boards in the victory. Houston shot 50% on the night and outrebounded Oklahoma City by nine. Kevin Durant led with 29 points and 7 rebounds, and fellow sophomore Jeff Green tallied 16 points and 5 boards of his own in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Yao Ming, Houston ? 20.0

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City ? 19.4

Luis Scola, Houston ? 14.9

Robert Swift, Oklahoma City ? 11.0

- Utah 109, Phoenix 97



The Jazz (7-4) overcame a 9-point deficit after the first quarter against the Suns (8-4) to win without Deron Williams. Carlos Boozer posted 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists while Paul Millsap added 11 points and 9 boards for Utah. Phoenix shot 47% from the field, but the Jazz outrebounded them by eighteen. Amare Stoudemire starred with 30 points and 8 rebounds, and Matt Barnes contributed 19 points and 5 boards for the Suns. Williams has only played two games for the Jazz this season because of an ankle injury.

Game FIC Scores

Carlos Boozer, Utah ? 21.6

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 17.3

Andrei Kirilenko, Utah ? 16.5

Steve Nash, Phoenix ? 12.3

- San Antonio 86, L.A. Clippers 83

Roger Mason Jr. made a three-pointer with 12 seconds left to give the Spurs (5-5) a victory over the still-struggling Clippers (1-9). Mason had 21 points, and Tim Duncan added 20 points and 15 rebounds in the hard-fought contest. Los Angeles outrebounded San Antonio by eleven, but they shot just 41% from the field. Chris Kaman posted 17 points and 13 rebounds while Baron Davis tallied 11 points and 8 assists on 5-for-17 shooting in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 29.0

Chris Kaman, Los Angeles ? 21.1

Marcus Camby, Los Angeles ? 16.4

Roger Mason Jr. ? 9.2

? 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

Shaquille O'Neal was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Monday for the verbal abuse of an official and failure to leave the court in a timely manner after he was ejected in a 104-86 win over the Pistons in Phoenix on Sunday, the Associated Press is reporting.

"Doesn't matter to me," O'Neal said after the Suns' 109-97 loss in Utah. "I'm not the one that can be controlled with fines, so that doesn't matter to me."

Six games were on the schedule in the NBA on Sunday night, with a pair of intriguing inter-conference battles taking place. The Knicks hosted the Mavericks and the Pistons traveled to Phoenix to battle the Suns.

- Toronto 107, Miami 96

The Raptors (5-4) used a 15-point advantage in the second half to down the Heat (5-5) at the Air Canada Centre. Chris Bosh had 27 points and 7 rebounds, Will Solomon tallied 15 points and 11 assists and Jermaine O?Neal added 11 points and 18 boards in the win. Toronto outrebounded Miami by seventeen and limited the Heat to 40% shooting. Dwyane Wade had 29 points and 8 assists, while Udonis Haslem contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Kris Humphries, Toronto ? 18.4

Will Solomon, Toronto ? 16.8

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 15.5

Udonis Haslem, Miami ? 11.3

- Orlando 90, Charlotte 85



The Magic (7-3) were able to beat the Bobcats (3-6) on Sunday afternoon thanks to a 27-18 edge in the third quarter. Hedo Turkoglu led with 20 points and Mickael Pietrus added 18 points and 6 rebounds, while Dwight Howard struggled with 4 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks thanks in part to foul trouble. The difference was behind the three-point line, where Orlando made four more shots than Charlotte. Gerald Wallace posted 19 points and 9 rebounds and Emeka Okafor added 8 points and 9 rebounds in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte ? 11.0

Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando ? 9.9

Raymond Felton, Charlotte ? 8.8

Rashard Lewis, Orlando ? 8.3

- Dallas 124, New York 114 (OT)

The Mavericks (3-7) used a 12-2 run in overtime to knock off the Knicks (6-4) at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. Dirk Nowitzki had 39 points and 15 rebounds and Josh Howard added 31 points and 14 boards of his own in the victory. Dallas outrebounded New York by four and turned the ball over five fewer times. Zach Randolph posted 27 points and 18 rebounds and Chris Duhon tallied 16 points and 12 assists for the Knicks. Jason Terry made a fade away with forty seconds to send the game into an extra period.

Game FIC Scores

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas ? 31.5

Zach Randolph, New York ? 24.1

Josh Howard, Dallas ? 24.1

Chris Duhon, New York ? 16.8

- Denver 90, Minnesota 84

The Nuggets (6-4) stormed back against the Timberwolves (1-8) on Sunday night thanks to an 8-point edge in the final twelve minutes. Chauncey Billups had 25 points and 6 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony posted 14 points and 10 boards and J.R. Smith scored 14 points off the bench. Denver shot just 35% from the field and were outrebounded by eight, but forced seventeen Minnesota turnovers and went 10-for-24 from behind the three-point line. Al Jefferson starred with 20 points and 14 rebounds in the loss, while Randy Foye added 18 points, 5 boards and 4 assists off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Kenyon Martin, Denver ? 15.3

Chauncey Billups, Denver ? 14.4

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 13.1

Randy Foye, Minnesota ? 12.4

- Phoenix 104, Detroit 86



The Suns (8-3) won a marquee matchup against the Pistons (7-3) thanks to a strong performance from Amare Stoudemire. Steve Nash had 17 points and 7 assists, Grant Hill tallied 11 points and 8 rebounds and Stoudemire contributed 29 points and 11 boards in the win. Phoenix shot 56% from the floor, while holding Detroit to just 39% on the night. Richard Hamilton led with 19 points, Rasheed Wallace added 11 points and 9 rebounds and Allen Iverson struggled through a 4-for-17 performance to post 9 points and 7 assists.

Game FIC Scores

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 24.0

Steve Nash, Phoenix ? 15.1

Rasheed Wallace, Detroit ? 10.8

Richard Hamilton, Detroit ? 9.8

- San Antonio 90, Sacramento 88

The Spurs (4-5) used significant runs in the second and fourth quarters against the Kings (4-7) on Sunday to move to within one game of .500. Tim Duncan had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Michael Finley scored 21 points off the bench in the win. Sacramento outrebounded San Antonio by eight, but they turned the ball over eighteen times in the loss. John Salmons led with 31 points and Brad Miller tallied 10 points and 8 rebounds at ARCO Arena.

Game FIC Scores

John Salmons, Sacramento ? 20.4

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 14.3

Matt Bonner, San Antonio ? 12.8

Beno Udrih, Sacramento ? 10.3

? 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

The Phoenix Suns had to play the second half without Shaquille O'Neal after the big man was tossed during the second quarter of their game against Detroit on Sunday night, the Houston Chronicle is reporting.

O?Neal had 10 of his 12 points in the second quarter before his night came to an early end.

The call was made with 5:19 left in the half when Rodney Stuckey went up for a layup and O?Neal sent the Pistons player crashing chest-first to the court.

O?Neal said the play was simply a result of ?the laws of physics.?

?The little guy ran into a brick wall,? O?Neal said.