Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups doesn't know when he'll be able to return from a strained groin.

Denver planned to rest Billups in back-to-back games earlier this week and have him return on Saturday at Utah.

"I don't know man, I really don't know, to be honest," he said Wednesday when asked about facing the Jazz.

"It doesn't hurt to walk around or even jog ? I feel good ? it's the cutting, trying to get by a defender," Billups said. "That's my problem most of the times."

He has missed five of Denver's last six games.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson believes that some of center Andrew Bynum's struggles are because of the absence of Kurt Rambis.

Rambis, a former assistant in Los Angeles, is now the head coach of the Timberwolves.

"I think maybe Kurt [Rambis] being in Minnesota might have an effect because Kurt was working with him a lot more than Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] the last year," Jackson said. "I think Kareem had a big impact on Andrew two years ago, three years ago, but Kurt was working with him more hand in hand than Kareem this last year. Kareem hasn't been here in maybe three weeks. I don't know if they're that close in their communications."

Bynum hasn't had a double-double in the last 20 games.

Kings guard Kevin Martin's latest CT scan showed more improvement in his injured left wrist.

He has a non-displaced hairline fracture of the navicular bone.

The injury continues to heal, but there is no date for his return.

Martin, who has been out since playing with the injury Nov. 4 against the Hawks, will be examined again Jan. 12.

Bobcats center Tyson Chandler will be out for another week due to a stress reaction in his left foot.

He'll need a few practices to test how he's feeling to make sure he's ready to play.

The Knicks and Rockets have had "limited" talks regarding Tracy McGrady, a source told the New York Post.

The source added that conversations could increase within the next week as Houston pushes to move McGrady and the holidays end.

"This could take a while," a source said. "The Rockets want to talk to a lot of teams."

If the Rockets eventually buyout McGrady, it could make it easier for him to land in New York.

The Knicks still have their $6 million mid-level exception and can use a portion to sign a free agent.

Magic point guard Jameer Nelson has struggled in the four games since his return from arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee.

He's just 10-for-35 from the field.

"We're going to have to go back and evaluate where we are with Jameer," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "There's medical concerns and people don't want him to get reinjured."

Van Gundy added that Nelson has participated in just 30 minutes of "live action" practice in the last two days.

"I understand that we're trying to protect him," the coach said. "We've got to somehow find a balance. If he's not going to practice and we're going to use games like practice, I don't know how valuable that's going to be. Four days off and they don't want him doing anything in practice, that makes it very, very hard."

"They don't want me to practice everyday or practice as much. I want to, I ask to, but I just have to listen and do the things they tell me to do," Nelson said

Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace refuses to lay off referees.

He has already been fined $30,000 for criticizing referees this season and he lucked out on another occasion when the NBA didn't want to bring more attention to the claims of Tim Donaghy, the former official convicted of gambling.

Boston general manager Danny Ainge told Wallace that he should watch his statements, but the forward won't comply.

"Either way they're going to get me," Wallace said. "If I don't say nothing I'm going to get fined, and if I say something I'm going to get fined. So I might as well say something about what's on my mind, what I want to say. They're going to hit me up either way. I've been through that before in Portland. When I wasn't talking to the media they were fining me. But then when I did talk to the media they didn't like what I had to say, so they fined me some more. So I was like, 'Well, (expletive), if you're going to fine me I might as well say what the hell I want to say.' "

A reporter then suggested to Wallace that he could reply "no comment" to questions.

"Yeah, I could do that, but I think I have to be honest when I'm asked a question. And what happened to freedom of speech? You know, I say what's on my mind, speaking my freedom, and I get fined for it. It's a catch-22 with that (expletive), man.

"See, they think they can control people with money. Everybody don't live like that. That's how they live up there in that office. They think, 'Oh, I'm going to hit him in the pocket. That's where it will hurt.' No, it don't hurt me. I didn't have it growing up, so, I mean, either way it don't hurt me. As long as my family's cool, I'm cool. It ain't hurting my family. I make sure of that."

Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld has resisted offers for forwards Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison in recent years, but that could change due to the team's struggles.

A person with knowledge of the situation told the Washington Post that no player is untouchable. Recently deceased owner Abe Pollin was against breaking up the trio of Gilbert Arenas, Butler and Jamison, but no such restrictions remain.

"It depends on how things go and what opportunities present themselves," Grunfield said when asked about potential moves on Wednesday.

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets top the Western Conference, while LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat lead the Eastern Conference after the third returns of 2010 NBA All-Star Balloting.

Bryant, a three-time All-Star MVP, is the overall leader with 1,606,032 votes, while James, a two-time All-Star MVP, is second overall with 1,579,530.

In the Western Conference, Bryant, who shared the MVP award with Shaquille O?Neal in last year?s All-Star Game and who also garnered the honor in 2002 and 2007, is followed at guard by the Houston Rockets? Tracy McGrady (649,563). Anthony paces forwards in the West (1,410,356) with the Dallas Mavericks? Dirk Nowitzki (753,971) second. The Suns? Amar?e Stoudemire (1,143,849) is the leading vote-getter among Western Conference centers, with the Lakers? Andrew Bynum (676,634) following.

The guards in the Eastern Conference are paced by Wade (1,539,968), followed by the Philadelphia 76ers? Allen Iverson (806,749). While Iverson appears among Western Conference guards on the paper ballot because he began the season with Memphis, his votes count towards the Eastern Conference guards due to his signing with Philadelphia Dec. 3.  James, a two-time All-Star MVP (2006, 2008), paces Eastern Conference forwards, followed by the Boston Celtics? Kevin Garnett (1,317,739), MVP of the 2003 All-Star Game. The Orlando Magic?s Dwight Howard leads all centers with 1,479,625 votes; the Cavaliers? O?Neal is second among centers in the East (536,681).

The leaders of both the Eastern and Western Conference players for the third returns of the 2010 NBA All-Star voting program are as follows:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: LeBron James (Clev) 1,579,530; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,317,739; Chris Bosh (Tor) 644,473; Paul Pierce (Bos) 320,499; Josh Smith (Atl) 293,680; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 201,312; Danny Granger (Ind) 198,478; Michael Beasley (Mia) 163,737; Hedo Turkoglu (Tor) 117,168; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 114,359; Caron Butler (Was) 99,079.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 1,539,968; Allen Iverson (Phi) 806,749; Vince Carter (Orl) 651,134; Ray Allen (Bos) 452,708; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 407,581; Derrick Rose (Chi) 344,435; Joe Johnson (Atl) 288,841; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 237,648; Mike Bibby (Atl) 139,484; Jose Calderon (Atl) 138,479.  

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 1,479,625; Shaquille O'Neal (Cle) 536,681; Al Horford (Atl) 157,050; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 146,595; Brook Lopez (NJ) 133,106; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 115,915; Jermaine O'Neal (Mia) 98,397; Rasheed Wallace (Bos) 77,848; Kendrick Perkins (Bos) 48,612; Samuel Dalembert (Phi) 47,135; Tyson Chandler (Cha) 38,337; Brad Miller (Chi) 35,295.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Den) 1,410,356; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 753,971; Tim Duncan (SA) 685,390; Pau Gasol (LAL) 667,767; Kevin Durant (OKC) 474,506; Trevor Ariza (Hou) 436,088;
Luis Scola (Hou) 371,914; Shawn Marion (Dal) 282,421; Ron Artest (LAL) 234,618; Lamar Odom (LAL) 175,271; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 155,933.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,606,032; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 649,563; Steve Nash (Pho) 648,558; Chris Paul (NO) 622,619; Jason Kidd (Dal) 405,027; Aaron Brooks (Hou) 374,635; Chauncey Billups (Den) 281,911; Deron Williams (Utah) 255,059; Brandon Roy (Por) 224,350; Manu Ginobili (SA) 222,743; Jason Terry (Dal) 212,242.

Centers: Amar?e Stoudemire (Pho) 1,143,849; Andrew Bynum (LAL) 676,634; Nene (Den) 235,276; Marc Gasol (Mem) 190,476; Antonio McDyess (SA) 130,058; Greg Oden (Por) 124,037; Al Jefferson (Min) 119,580; Marcus Camby (LAC) 100,399; Andris Biedrins (GS) 90,464; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 87,838; Emeka Okafor (NO) 82,616; Spencer Hawes (Sac) 25,109.

The Celtics lost their third straight game, all of which have come on the road, Wednesday night against the Suns.

- Cleveland 106, Atlanta 101

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +20.7, Hawks -20.7

The Cleveland Cavaliers (26-8) used a strong fourth quarter to beat the Atlanta Hawks (21-10) on Wednesday night. LeBron James starred with 48 points, 10 rebounds and six assists on his birthday, Anderson Varejao posted 14 points and nine boards and Maurice Williams added 14 points, 10 dimes and five rebounds. Cleveland attempted 23 more foul shots than Atlanta and turned the ball over just eight times. Joe Johnson led with 35 points, Al Horford tallied 10 points and seven rebounds and Mike Bibby contributed 20 points and six assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 38.5

Joe Johnson, Atlanta ? 20.8

Maurice Williams, Cleveland ? 17.1

Mike Bibby, Atlanta ? 13.1

- Memphis 121, Indiana 110

Team FIC Differential: Grizzlies +18.6, Pacers -18.6

The Memphis Grizzlies (15-16) got closer to .500 with an emphatic win over the Indiana Pacers (9-22) at Conseco Fieldhouse. Rudy Gay had 31 points and nine rebounds, Zach Randolph tallied 28 points and 13 boards and Marc Gasol put up 21 points and ten rebounds. Memphis shot 50% and attempted 13 more free throws than Indiana. Luther Head led with 30 points and seven rebounds, Roy Hibbert posted 25 points and 13 boards and Earl Watson stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the struggling Pacers.

Game FIC Scores

Rudy Gay, Memphis ? 25.1

Roy Hibbert, Indiana ? 19.3

Luther Head, Indiana ? 18.0

Zach Randolph, Memphis ? 17.6

- Orlando 117, Milwaukee 92

Team FIC Differential: Magic +48.9, Bucks -48.9

Vince Carter recovered from an elbow to the head and led the Orlando Magic (23-8) over the Milwaukee Bucks (12-18). Carter scored 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting, Dwight Howard posted 17 points and 10 rebounds and Jason Williams totaled 16 points and seven assists. Orlando drilled 55% of their shots and Milwaukee took just nine trips to the foul line. Brandon Jennings had a team-high 20 points, Andrew Bogut tallied 15 points and 10 rebounds and Ersan Ilyasova chipped in 13 points and seven boards.

Game FIC Scores

Jason Williams, Orlando ? 17.3

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 16.8

Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee ? 11.6

Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee ? 10.4

- Toronto 107, Charlotte 103

Team FIC Differential: Raptors +24.6, Bobcats -24.6

The Toronto Raptors (16-17) beat the Charlotte Bobcats (12-18) in a very close contest on Wednesday night. Chris Bosh starred with 33 points and 13 rebounds, Andrea Bargnani scored 28 points and Marco Belinelli recorded 13 points and four boards off the bench. Charlotte shot 54% from the field, but they also turned the ball over 23 times. Stephen Jackson led with 30 points and five assists, Gerald Wallace posted 15 points and 16 rebounds and Raymond Felton helped with 23 points, seven boards and four dimes.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 29.1

Raymond Felton, Charlotte ? 18.1

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte ? 14.6

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto ? 11.8

- New Jersey 104, New York 95

Team FIC Differential: Nets +8.1, Knicks -8.1

The New Jersey Nets (3-29) got just their third win off the season against the New York Knicks (12-20) at the Izod Center. Yi Jianlian had 22 points and six rebounds, Brook Lopez posted 21 points and 14 boards and Devin Harris excelled with 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. New Jersey shot 51% and had just 10 turnovers. David Lee starred with 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, Al Harrington tallied 25 points and nine boards and Wilson Chandler added 15 points and seven rebounds for the Knicks.

Game FIC Scores

David Lee, New York ? 28.0

Brook Lopez, New Jersey ? 26.5

Wilson Chandler, New York ? 16.5

Yi Jianlian, New Jersey ? 15.0

- New Orleans 95, Miami 91

Team FIC Differential: Hornets +2.6, Heat -2.6

The Miami Heat (16-13) charged back in the fourth quarter, but the New Orleans Hornets (14-16) held on for a win at home. David West had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Emeka Okafor tallied 15 points and 14 boards and Chris Paul contributed 18 points, nine assists and five rebounds. The two clubs had very similar statistics, but New Orleans edged Miami slightly in shooting percentage and rebounds. Dwyane Wade had 22 points and six assists, Jermaine O?Neal posted 12 points and nine rebounds and Quentin Richardson put up 14 points and eight boards.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 20.6

Emeka Okafor, New Orleans ? 18.0

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 12.2

Quentin Richardson, Miami ? 11.0

- Utah 107, Minnesota 103

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +8. Timberwolves -8

The Utah Jazz (18-13) outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves (7-26) at the Target Center. Deron Williams starred with 21 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, Carlos Boozer posted 16 points and 12 boards and Ronnie Brewer scored 20 points on 10-for-14 shooting. Minnesota shot 52%, but had more turnovers and fewer rebounds than Utah. Al Jefferson led with 21 points and nine rebounds, Wayne Ellington tallied 13 points and four boards and Kevin Love stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Kevin Love, Minnesota ? 23.4

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 22.4

Deron Williams, Utah ? 20.8

Carlos Boozer, Utah ? 15.0

- Phoenix 116, Boston 98

Team FIC Differential: Suns +32.5, Celtics -32.5

The Phoenix Suns (21-12) built an early lead and never looked back against the Boston Celtics (23-8) on Wednesday evening. Amare Stoudemire had 26 points and seven rebounds, Channing Frye tallied 26 points and 10 boards and Steve Nash totaled 11 points and eight assists. Phoenix shot 50% and outrebounded Boston by four. Eddie House scored a team-high 19 points, Rajon Rondo posted 13 points and eight assists and Kendrick Perkins recorded 13 points and seven rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Channing Frye, Phoenix ? 24.3

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 18.3

Tony Allen, Boston ? 12.3

Eddie House, Boston ? 10.0

- Portland 103, L.A. Clippers 99

Team FIC Differential: Trail Blazers +5.3, Clippers -5.3

The Portland Trail Blazers (21-13) lost LaMarcus Aldridge to an ankle sprain but they still have enough to down the Los Angeles Clippers (13-18). Brandon Roy starred with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Juwan Howard posted 10 points and nine boards and Jerryd Bayless chipped in 14 points and eight dimes. Portland hit 50% of their shots and outrebounded Los Angeles by seven. Chris Kaman had 25 points and nine rebounds, Eric Gordon tallied 24 points and six assists and Baron Davis added 12 points, 11 dimes and five boards.

Game FIC Scores

Eric Gordon, Los Angeles ? 18.4

Chris Kaman, Los Angeles ? 18.3

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 17.9

Juwan Howard, Portland ? 13.5

- Philadelphia 116, Sacramento 106

Team FIC Differential: 76ers +13.9, Kings -13.9

The Philadelphia 76ers (9-22) pulled away from the Sacramento Kings (14-17) in the fourth quarter to record a rare road win. Lou Williams led with 22 points, Allen Iverson tallied 20 points and five rebounds and Andre Iguodala added 19 points, nine assists and seven boards. Philadelphia shot 52% and attempted nine more foul shots than Sacramento. Omri Casspi had 21 points and nine rebounds, Jason Thompson posted 15 points and 11 boards and Donte Greene totaled 21 points and seven rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 24.5

Jason Thompson, Sacramento ? 19.1

Omri Casspi, Sacramento ? 17.5

Lou Williams, Philadelphia ? 17.0

? 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