Kenyon Martin

This stings, doesn't it? The NBA playoffs are under way, with stars putting up big performances and making their reputations, and the 76ers are home. No A.I. No C Webb. So, what to do? Periodically over the next few weeks, we'll look at potential solutions to what ails the Sixers. We are operating on the assumption that no one is off the table, which means you will read about scenarios involving Allen Iverson. (We are on record as saying that that's a dumb idea, but we're also realistic; we know there are no untouchables on a sub-.

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points as the Los Angeles Lakers scraped past the Denver Nuggets, 105-103, last night in the first game of the Western Conference finals. The Lakers, coming off a surprisingly difficult seven-game series against the Houston Rockets, staved off Carmelo Anthony (39 points) and the well-rested Nuggets at the Staples Center. Denver led most of the game in its return to the conference finals for the first time in 24 years, but Bryant was too much in the stretch, hitting six free throws in the final 30 seconds.

The Los Angeles Clippers and free agent Kenyon Martin have agreed to a one-year deal, returning the veteran forward to the NBA after spending part of the season playing for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. Martin, 34, has averaged 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 11 NBA seasons, and last year with Denver averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds.   Cuban, Carlisle fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle have been fined by the NBA after they became upset with the officiating during Wednesday's 95-86 loss to Oklahoma City.

The Cleveland Cavaliers shook off some rust, and then shook off the Atlanta Hawks. Newly crowned MVP LeBron James scored 34 points and the well-rested Cavs, who waited 9 days between playoff games after a first-round sweep of Detroit, pulled away in the second half for a 99-72 win over the visiting Hawks in their Eastern Conference semifinal opener last night. James added 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals as the top-seeded Cavs won their fifth straight lopsided game in a postseason that has so far mirrored the best regular season in franchise history.

Serial harasser? Former NFL quarterback Tony Banks told the Dallas Morning News yesterday that Cristal Taylor - a woman accused of harassing Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki - is the same woman who tried to turn his life upside down in 1997. When their relationship fizzled, Banks said, Taylor began making harassing phone calls to him, his agent, and even his St. Louis Rams head coach, Dick Vermeil. Banks notified team security, which learned that Taylor had a criminal history.

The Lakers owned the fourth quarter against Denver. Now they have a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points, Lamar Odom had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Pau Gasol added 14 points and 10 rebounds in Los Angeles' 103-94 victory over the visiting Nuggets last night. Game 6 is tomorrow night in Denver, where the Lakers lost Game 4 by 19 points. "Got to come ready to play," Bryant said. "We made a lot of mistakes the last time, the mistakes that took place were execution, and we didn't do things at the defensive end. "We'll come ready to play.

They drew charging fouls, came up with steals at crucial moments and forced a key 24-second violation. The New York Knicks got back to doing what they used to do best - making critical defensive stops - and avoided their first five-game home losing streak since 1986 by holding off the visiting Toronto Raptors, 102-94, last night. "It's not that we haven't played defense in spurts. If you break it down by quarters we've had some good spurts, but for this game we were pretty consistent for 48 minutes," said Knicks coach Don Chaney, who improved to 3-6 since taking over for Jeff Van Gundy.

The Los Angeles Clippers refused to let a third chance to knock the Grizzlies out of the playoffs slip away. Kenyon Martin scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with an 82-72 win over the Grizzlies in Game 7 on Sunday in Memphis, Tenn. "That's why it's seven games," Martin said. "If you don't do it before, you get another chance. So they did what they had to do, they came and stole home court back on our floor.

What could have been a surprising start to the 76ers' five-game Western trip turned into just another lost opportunity Friday night. The Sixers led the Denver Nuggets by 17 points midway through the third quarter, then gave it all back in the final 15 minutes, losing, 105-101, at the Pepsi Center. Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups passed out of a trap to forward Kenyon Martin, who took one dribble and dunked the game-winning points with 9.0 seconds remaining. Sixers swingman Andre Iguodala subsequently was called for traveling.

Jarrett Jack drove for a go-ahead basket and converted a three-point play with 19 seconds left in the second overtime last night and the visiting Portland Trail Blazers outlasted the Chicago Bulls, 115-109, for their 15th win in 16 games. Brandon Roy had 25 points and Travis Outlaw 21 for Portland, 2-0 since its 13-game winning streak was ended on Monday by Utah. Ben Gordon scored 32 points to lead the Bulls. In other games: At Denver, Kenyon Martin scored underneath with 45 seconds left and the Nuggets turned away the San Antonio Spurs, 80-77.

The Los Angeles Clippers refused to let a third chance to knock the Grizzlies out of the playoffs slip away. Kenyon Martin scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with an 82-72 win over the Grizzlies in Game 7 on Sunday in Memphis, Tenn. "That's why it's seven games," Martin said. "If you don't do it before, you get another chance. So they did what they had to do, they came and stole home court back on our floor.

The Los Angeles Clippers and free agent Kenyon Martin have agreed to a one-year deal, returning the veteran forward to the NBA after spending part of the season playing for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. Martin, 34, has averaged 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 11 NBA seasons, and last year with Denver averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds.   Cuban, Carlisle fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle have been fined by the NBA after they became upset with the officiating during Wednesday's 95-86 loss to Oklahoma City.

The day started out badly for the Los Angeles Lakers when the microphone didn't work for the national anthem singer, but he sang anyway with a heckling crowd drowning him out. And things got progressively worse for the two-time defending NBA champions. Danilo Gallinari scored 22 points, Kenyon Martin scored six of his 18 in the final 3 minutes, 24 seconds, and the visiting Nuggets hung on for a 95-90 victory yesterday that extended their winning streak to six games. "We just didn't get the game under control, especially in the fourth quarter," Lakers center Pau Gasol said.

DENVER - Of late, the schedule has broken nicely for the 76ers. And they're taking advantage. On Sunday night, the Denver Nuggets were playing the second of back-to-back games and without superstar forward Carmelo Anthony. These were the watered-down Nuggets, receiving only limited minutes from forwards Kenyon Martin and Chris "Birdman" Andersen. The Sixers defeated Denver, 95-89, coming back from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter. The Sixers improved to 12-18. The Nuggets, led by Chauncey Billups' 24 points, dropped to 16-13.

76ers Notes DENVER - Both the Nuggets and the Sixers were missing double-digit scorers Sunday night, although Carmelo Anthony's absence for Denver clearly created a more gaping hole. Anthony, averaging 24 points, missed his third straight game after the death of his sister, while Lou Williams remained in Philadelphia to be present for the birth of his daughter. Anthony's sister, Michelle, died of a medical condition Wednesday in Baltimore. Williams, averaging 11.8 points, also is expected to miss Monday night's road game against the Golden State Warriors and return for Wednesday night's game in Phoenix against the Suns.

If this 76ers season was not already disastrous, last night's near-loss could have been a disaster. The Sixers choked on a big-time fourth quarter lead and clanged free throws down the stretch, but they eventually hung on for a 108-105 victory over the injury-riddled Denver Nuggets. Denver's Aaron Afflalo missed a three-pointer with 2.9 seconds remaining, which would have capped a 16-point comeback by the Nuggets. Instead it delivered the Sixers a much-needed win. Last night's game at the Pepsi Center was the finale of a Western trip that included five games, lasted 10 days, and began Dec. 26 with a blowout loss to the Utah Jazz.

Denver coach George Karl had a simple message for Allen Iverson as he began his second tour of duty with the 76ers last night at the Wachovia Center. Iverson scored 11 points in the Sixers' 93-83 loss before a sellout crowd of 20,664. Karl coached Iverson after the Sixers traded him on Dec. 19, 2006, until the Nuggets dealt him to Detroit in November 2008. The coach believes that the 34-year-old Iverson should try to enjoy his status as an elder statesman in the NBA. He also believes that Iverson should not be preoccupied with how many minutes he plays, something that helped spoil his last two stops, in Detroit and Memphis.

The Lakers owned the fourth quarter against Denver. Now they have a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points, Lamar Odom had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Pau Gasol added 14 points and 10 rebounds in Los Angeles' 103-94 victory over the visiting Nuggets last night. Game 6 is tomorrow night in Denver, where the Lakers lost Game 4 by 19 points. "Got to come ready to play," Bryant said. "We made a lot of mistakes the last time, the mistakes that took place were execution, and we didn't do things at the defensive end. "We'll come ready to play.

Perhaps the only things missing from the LeBron James-Kobe Bryant duel in the NBA Finals will be LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. One night after James' Cavaliers went down two games to one to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference final, Bryant's Lakers were routed by the underdog Denver Nuggets, 120-101, in Game 4 of their series last night at the Pepsi Center. The Western Conference final is tied at two games each. The Nuggets didn't need to worry about a botched inbounds pass in the closing seconds like the ones that cost them wins in Games 1 and 3, although Bryant had another monster fourth quarter in an attempt to put a stranglehold on the series that shifts to Los Angeles for Game 5 tomorrow night.

Those wildly inconsistent Lakers showed up for their Western Conference finals opener against Denver and still managed to defend their home court. Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, including six free throws in the final 30 seconds, to lift Los Angeles to a 105-103 victory over the Nuggets last night at the Staples Center after the Lakers trailed most of the game. Pau Gasol added 13 points and 14 rebounds and Derek Fisher had 13 points for the Lakers, who faced a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter.