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Suns not using Shannon Brown lately

Suns guard Shannon Brown is having his second consecutive career-high scoring season and runs little risk of that changing because he is not playing.

A roster lacking the talent to compete afforded Brown the opportunity to average 11.2 points because of the lack of creative scorers, but it also has sent the Suns staff in search of a new mix without Brown.

Brown did not play in any of last week’s three games and was not in the rotation again Sunday night against San Antonio after playing the first 53 games this season.

“I honestly don’t think what’s going on is supposed to be going on,” Brown said. “I really can’t do much about it but stay in shape and keep my mental (approach) strong and continue to work on my game, and hopefully things will get better for me.”

— Reported by Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic

Lamar Odom continues to struggle on offense

[Clippers forward Lamar] Odom is in shape now after struggling with his conditioning earlier in the season.

He’s rebounding the ball well — Odom is third on the Clippers in rebounds per game (5.8) while playing 20.3 minutes per game.

It’s his lack of offense that has caused so much consternation among his teammates, coaches and Clippers fans.

Odom is averaging a career-low 3.9 points while shooting 39.7% from the field, the second-lowest percentage of his career.

“It takes time and it’s humbling,” Odom said. “All you can do is keep at it.

“I just stayed with it. You don’t have no choice but to get better when you practice every day against Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and Jamal [Crawford]. Everything that we do is intense. So time will come and hopefully it can stay.”

— Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

Thunder sign Derek Fisher, again

The Oklahoma City Thunder has signed guard Derek Fisher, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

“We are excited to welcome Derek back to the Thunder organization,” said Presti. “He contributed to our team in various ways last season, and we are looking forward to him joining us again.”

Fisher appeared in 20 regular season games with Oklahoma City last season after signing with the Thunder on March 21. The guard averaged 4.9 points, 1.4 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 20.4 minutes per game. In 20 playoff games with the Thunder, he averaged 6.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 22.3 minutes per game.

A five-time NBA champion, Fisher has appeared in 229 career playoff games (158 starts) averaging 8.6 points, 2.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 27.5 minutes per contest.

Kevin Love hopes to return for Wolves with 15-20 games left

The Wolves, who opened the season with designs on making the playoffs for the first time since 2004, have struggled without their star, and several other players who have been injured. They started the day 20-32 and in 12th place in the West.

“A day like today always helps put the bad stuff in the past and really look forward to bigger and brighter things,” Love said. “I think that we have had a tough year as far as injuries go. We’ve been losing a lot. But on a day like today, I think it’s really gratifying and nice.”

Love said he plans to meet with doctors for another examination on his surgically repaired hand toward the end of the first week in March or the beginning of the second week. He’s hoping to return with 15-20 games remaining in the season to try and put a positive end to a most disappointing year.

Love first broke his hand in the preseason, didn’t have surgery and returned about 10 days ahead of schedule. He broke it again in January and this time needed surgery to fix it. He said the injury is feeling much better this time around, but he has yet to begin basketball-related activities.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Dirk Nowitzki hopes to keep re-signing with Mavericks

After his most dominant performance of a frustrating season, Dirk Nowitzki declared he has no doubt he’ll play for the Dallas Mavericks at least through the 2015-16 season.

“When my [current] contract’s up, I’m 36 and I’ll definitely sign a couple more years,” Nowitzki said after recording season highs of 30 points and 13 rebounds in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. “It’s still fun, but I don’t know if I’ll play until 40. But when I’m 36, definitely sign one more deal, maybe two or three years.”

That reiterates the comments Nowitzki, whose contract expires after next season, made in November. However, Nowitzki acknowledged Sunday that he had doubts about continuing his career while struggling this season following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, a significant factor in the Mavs being in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons.

“Honestly, I had some doubts here when I came back,” Nowitzki said. “It took so long. Is it ever going to come back? It was a tough stretch for me coming back from the surgery, but the way I feel now, I still think I can play a couple of years.”

The 34-year-old Nowitzki missed the season’s first 27 games and had his 11-year All-Star streak snapped.

— Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

Pau Gasol may be out until playoff picture has already been decided

As if the Lakers can absorb more bad news.

Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni suggested Pau Gasol won’t return in the regular season after nursing torn plantar fascia in his right foot for the past three weeks.

“By the time he gets back, we’ll be in or out,” D’Antoni said. “His impact will be in the playoffs if we get there.”

The Lakers (28-29) have 25 games remaining before the regular season ends April 17 against the Houston Rockets. After their 103-99 victory Sunday over the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers remain 2 games behind the Houston Rockets (31-27) for the eighth playoff spot.

“I don’t think anyone on this team is counting the days for Pau to come back because we don’t have time,” Lakers guard Steve Nash said. “Although we’d welcome him back this instance, we have to move on and try to win games without him.”

Gasol originally was expected to miss at least four to six weeks after suffering the injury in the final minutes of the Lakers’ win Feb. 5 against the Brooklyn Nets. He expressed optimism last week he soon would walk without crutches.

— Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News

Thunder reach agreement to add Derek Fisher

The Oklahoma City Thunder have reached agreement to sign veteran guard Derek Fisher for the remainder of the season, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Fisher arrived in Oklahoma City Sunday night and will sign his contract on Monday.

Fisher, 38, signed with the Thunder late last season and helped Oklahoma City make its push to the NBA Finals. He joined the Dallas Mavericks early this season and played nine games in December before suffering a knee injury. He asked the Mavericks to release him, so he could spend more time with his family.

— Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports

Knicks beat 76ers to end 4-game losing streak

Even when he wasn’t hitting his shots, Carmelo Anthony delivered a shot.

Tired of losing and determined to stop it, the New York Knicks toughened up and fought their way out of their worst slump of the season.

Anthony scored 29 points, Amare Stoudemire had a season-high 22, and the Knicks snapped their four-game losing streak by beating the Philadelphia 76ers 99-93 on Sunday night.

”Losing games, games we think we’re supposed to win, you come into a game like this, we want to win,” Anthony said. ”Definitely want to be a very high-intensity game, a very high-energetic game back here on our home court and we didn’t want to lose this game.”

Anthony was only 6 of 18 from the field, but made 16 of 18 free throws and also was called for a flagrant foul for the fired-up Knicks, who have fallen behind Indiana into third place in the Eastern Conference and whose Atlantic Division lead over the Brooklyn Nets is down to two games…

”After losing four straight, it’s never a good feeling losing games, so tonight we came out with the intensity from the start that we needed,” said Stoudemire, who was 9 of 10 from the field.

All-Star Jrue Holiday had 30 points, five rebounds and five assists for the 76ers, who have lost five straight overall. Evan Turner had 21 points and Thaddeus Young added 11 points and 10 rebounds after missing six games with a strained left hamstring…

Raymond Felton finished with 14 points despite bruising his right heel and J.R. Smith also had 14 for the Knicks…

Kenyon Martin didn’t play in his first game since signing a 10-day contract Saturday. Though he hasn’t played since finishing last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Martin said he has kept himself in good shape and would find ways to produce until he got back into good basketball condition.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Davis, Gordon lead Hornets past Kings 110-95

Anthony Davis had 20 points and eight rebounds, and Eric Gordon added 17 points and eight assists to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 110-95 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Ryan Anderson scored 17 points, Roger Mason had 13, and Robin Lopez and Greivis Vasquez 12 apiece for New Orleans, which won its first game since an 0-3 start following the All-Star break.

The Hornets also improved to 18-12 when holding opponents below 100 points.

John Salmons scored all 18 of his points in the second half for the Kings. Jason Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas each added 16 as Sacramento lost its fifth consecutive overall and eight straight on the road.

Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton had 12 points each for Sacramento…

Newly acquired C Cole Aldrich was not with the Kings on Sunday, Sacramento coach Keith Smart said before the game. Smart said Aldrich was in Sacramento for additional medical tests. Aldrich, along with Toney Douglas and Patrick Patterson were acquired in a trade with the Houston Rockets this past week in exchange for Thomas Robinson. Douglas and Patterson were with the team and Patterson scored 2 points. Douglas did not play.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Heat beat Cavs 109-105 for 11th straight win

LeBron James scored 28 points, Dwyane Wade scored 11 of his 24 in the final five minutes, and the Miami Heat extended the NBA’s longest current winning streak to 11 games, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-105 in a back-and-forth matchup Sunday night.

Mario Chalmers scored 16 points, Shane Battier added 14 and Ray Allen had 11 for the Heat, who took a 22-point lead early in the second half, then prevailed despite being outscored by a whopping 30 points over a 17-minute stretch.

Miami was down eight with 5:16 remaining, and still won.

Dion Waiters scored 26 points, C.J. Miles added 19 and Kyrie Irving scored 17 for Cleveland. The Cavaliers are now 1-8 against the Heat since James signed with Miami in July 2010.

Cleveland erased a 22-point deficit in the third quarter to take the lead, and led by 97-89 with 5:16 remaining – before the Heat found a way to come back.

More specifically, before Wade found a way to come back.

Wade started what turned into a 16-4 run with a fadeaway with just under 5 minutes to go, then added a three-point play on the next Miami possession to cut the Cavs’ lead to 97-94…

Miami’s two wins over Cleveland this season, both at home, have come by a combined six points. … Heat F Mike Miller (ear infection) was back with the team Sunday, though did not play. ”He can’t hear anything we’re saying,” Spoelstra quipped before the game. … The Heat held a moment of silence pregame for Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss, the moment ending with warm applause from the crowd. Heat President Pat Riley coached for Buss, and Cavaliers coach Byron Scott once played for the Lakers.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press