Memphis Grizzlies

Former Camden High star Dajuan Wagner worked out for the Memphis Grizzlies and said he wants to stay in the city that was his college home for one season at the University of Memphis. "That's what everybody wants. My family. Me. Everybody," he said. "This is home. So it would be great to play here. " The Grizzlies own the fourth pick in the June 26 draft. Several mock drafts have projected Wagner as high as the third pick and as low as the seventh pick. Leon Rose, Wagner's agent, said his client would work out for at least six teams before the draft.

They did not want to be the first. For that matter, who would? So for the 76ers on Wednesday night, fatigue was not a factor. There was no way they were going to lose to the winless Memphis Grizzlies. "It's definitely in your mind coming into the game, you know," Keith Van Horn said after the Sixers survived a scare to beat the Grizzlies, 95-88. "It was on my mind. It's almost like a fear not to be the first team to lose to a team that's been struggling like this. " Luckily for the Sixers, they weren't.

Who: Sixers (26-28) at Memphis Grizzlies (30-26) When: 8 p.m. Where: FedEx Forum TV/Radio: Comcast Network/WPHT (1210-AM)  

Hubie Brown has retired as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies due to health reasons. "Unexpected health-related issues will not allow me to continue coaching the Memphis Grizzlies," Brown, 71, said in a statement yesterday. "This situation was unforeseen and absolutely nonexistent at the beginning of the season. " Assistant coach Lionel Hollins was named interim coach, Grizzlies president Jerry West said. "This is an extremely sad day for me," West said in a statement. "This franchise is by far better from the leadership and guidance of Hubie Brown, and we will be forever grateful to Hubie.

General manager Billy Knight was fired by the Memphis Grizzlies yesterday, two days after the team finished its first season in Tennessee with a 23-59 record. Jerry West, the longtime general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers who is now a Lakers consultant, has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Knight. However, John Black, the Lakers' public relations director said: "Jerry is not interested in responding to those reports. " The Grizzlies announced Knight's dismissal in a statement that said: "Billy Knight will not continue as general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Michael Beasley griped about some calls, tumbled after missing layups, then shook his head in disappointment after a rebound bounced off his outstretched hands. After his first summer league game drew raves, Beasley looked like a rookie in his second. One day after scoring 28 points in his much-hyped debut, Beasley returned to earth yesterday, finishing with only nine points in Miami's 90-81 summer league win over New Jersey in Orlando. The second overall pick in last month's draft was a mere mortal, missing all but one of his 13 shots from the field and collecting nearly as many fouls (seven; there's no automatic disqualification in summer league)

Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash will be named the NBA's most valuable player for the second year in a row, the Arizona Republic reported yesterday. The newspaper cited a league source familiar with the voting, but said the official announcement may not come for 2 weeks. The NBA did not comment on the report, posted on the Republic's Web site yesterday. Nash would become the 10th player to win the award in consecutive seasons. Kobe Bryant, another MVP contender, got the upper hand last night when his Los Angeles Lakers beat the host Suns, 99-93, to tie their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series at 1-1. Bryant had 29 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Philadelphia police are investigating a possible sexual assault case involving an out-of-town NBA player, the department confirmed yesterday. Lt. Frank Vanore, commanding officer in the Public Affairs Unit, said the alleged assault happened in 2009 but would not verify the name of the player, the team, or say exactly when or where the alleged incident occurred. "We have an investigation into allegations involving an NBA player," Vanore said. "Right now, it is in the early stages.

Unwanted by their teams, Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady are still adored by their fans. The Memphis Grizzlies quickly parted ways with Iverson earlier this season before he signed with the 76ers, and the Houston Rockets are trying to trade McGrady. Maybe the players can swap stories of their rocky roads while covering each other at the All-Star Game. Despite having little to no impact this season, both went into the final hours of voting in position to start in the Feb. 14 game at Dallas, thanks to loyal fans who still consider them stars.

Police detained Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce in handcuffs during a weekend traffic stop on the Las Vegas Strip but released him without issuing a summons. Bill Cassell, a police officer, said yesterday that Pierce was handcuffed briefly after emerging "a little agitated" from a vehicle he was driving around 3 a.m. Sunday. Along with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, Pierce led the Celtics to the championship this year and was named MVP of the NBA Finals. Pierce was given field sobriety tests and a Breathalyzer, which registered below the legal limit.

THE LOS ANGELES Clippers refused to let a third chance to knock the Memphis 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. "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 . . . We had a chance to close it out. We knew we let it go, an opportunity get away.

Dwyane Wade scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, Chris Bosh added 23 points, and the Miami Heat beat the Orlando Magic, 91-81, on Sunday night in Miami to extend their home winning streak to 13 games. LeBron James finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and five steals for the Heat. Dwight Howard finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic, who split four games with Miami this season, both teams going 2-0 at home. The win kept Miami (33-11)

Sam Young took a long journey to Philadelphia - literally. Acquired on Thursday from the Memphis Grizzlies, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound swingman was in uniform for Friday's game at the Wells Fargo Center against the Miami Heat, but not before an eventful 24 hours. Shortly after the trade, he drove from Memphis to Washington, where he picked up some belongings and then came to Philadelphia. The distance from Memphis to Washington is about 875 miles. "It was good because I got a lot of time to think and reflect and think about what I have been through the last couple of months and where I was headed to," Young said before Friday's game.

WITH EVAN Turner now in the starting lineup, the backcourt reserves for 76ers coach Doug Collins have become painfully small, with Lou Williams and Jodie Meeks manning most of the minutes. So the Sixers decided to do something about that, acquiring guard/forward Sam Young from the Memphis Grizzlies before yesterday's trade deadline. The Sixers have given up the rights to 6-11 forward Ricky Sanchez, who was acquired in a 2007 trade with Denver. Sanchez was originally drafted in the second round by Portland in 2005.

MEMPHIS - The drought lasted too long and the deficit grew too wide. The 76ers started the game by missing 14 of their first 17 shots while allowing the Memphis Grizzlies to make 11 of their first 15. And no matter how valiant the effort was to overcome a deficit that grew to as many as 21 in the first quarter, there just wasn't enough time, or healthy bodies, to get the Sixers a come-from-behind win. Playing without Elton Brand, who...

MEMPHIS - As if the 76ers haven't had enough problems lately - last night's loss was their fourth in a row and sixth in eight games - they've now lost starting forward Elton Brand due to a thumb injury. Brand sat out last night's 89-76 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, and will be shelved tonight against the Houston Rockets. He originally sprained his right thumb earlier this month and missed two games because of it. He had been playing through the pain since, but hurt it again in Sunday's loss at Minnesota when he tried to block a dunk attempt by 6-11, 290-pound Nikola Pekovic.

MEMPHIS - The drought lasted too long and the deficit grew too wide. The 76ers started the game by missing 14 of their first 17 shots while allowing the Memphis Grizzlies to make 11 of their first 15. And no matter how valiant their effort was to overcome a lead that grew to as many as 21 in the first quarter, there just wasn't enough time, or healthy bodies, to get the Sixers a come-from-behind win. Playing without Elton Brand, who reinjured his...

MEMPHIS - Not long after the 76ers traded former first-round draft choice Marreese Speights to the Memphis Grizzlies for two second-round picks, coach Doug Collins said he wished Speights well and hoped he excelled in Memphis. And that's what he's doing. Speights, who couldn't get on the floor in Philadelphia, went into Monday night's game against the Houston Rockets on a roll. Starting at power forward, the 6-foot-10 Speights had averaged 16.0 points and 10.9 rebounds while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor in the three previous games.

LeBron James had 33 points and 13 assists, Chris Bosh added 22 points, and the Miami Heat hardly missed Dwyane Wade in a 118-83 rout of the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night in Miami. James also grabbed eight rebounds, and the Heat turned up the defensive intensity without their star guard. Wade sat out with a sore left foot, and his status for Thursday's game at Atlanta is uncertain. Wade, a six-time all-star, injured his foot in the second quarter at Charlotte on Dec. 28. He missed the first 10 minutes of the third period but played regular minutes the rest of the game and in the two that followed.