Oklahoma City Thunder

76ers swingman Andre Iguodala is among 15 players who were selected as finalists for the 2010 USA World Championship Team. The survivors of the team's recent workouts in Las Vegas were announced Wednesday. Chester native and NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans did not make the cut. The team will re-assemble Aug. 9 in New York City, where it will train from there Aug. 10-16. The official 12-man USA roster will determined after the camp is complete, though USA Basketball chairman jerry Colangelo said a few more players may make the trip overseas for the games.

Bobcats rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was fitted with a neck brace and removed on a stretcher in Houston after colliding with teammate Jeff Taylor in the fourth quarter of Charlotte's 109-95 loss to the Rockets. Coach Mike Dunlap of Charlotte said after the game that the Camden native was moving his extremities and talking as he was wheeled off the floor. Irving silences Thunder. Kyrie Irving scored 35 points as the Cavaliers stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder, 115-110, on Saturday night in Cleveland.

LeBron James led four Miami players in double figures with 26 points as the visiting Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls, 86-67, Thursday night. Dwyane Wade added 17 points, Chris Bosh had 12, and Ray Allen added 11 off the bench for the Heat (38-14), who have won nine in a row.   Knicks to sign Martin The New York Knicks traded swingman Ronnie Brewer to the Oklahoma City Thunder, opening up a roster spot that will be used to sign veteran forward Kenyon Martin. Team president Glen Grunwald said Martin will be signed to a 10-day contract with the hopes that he could remain for the rest of the season.

Unable to work out an extension with James Harden, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded the Sixth Man of the Year to the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, breaking up the young core of the Western Conference champions. The Thunder acquired guards Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks, and a second-round pick in the surprising deal. Oklahoma City also sent center Cole Aldrich and forwards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward to Houston. The Oct. 31 deadline to extend Harden or allow him to become a restricted free agent in July had hung over the Thunder since camp opened.

MIAMI - Halfway to a title, and LeBron James shows no sign of letting this one get away. James had 29 points and 14 rebounds, and the Miami Heat took a two-games-to-one lead in the NBA Finals with a 91-85 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night. Dwyane Wade had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who were in this same position through three games last year, then didn't win again against the Dallas Mavericks. James' poor performance was part of the problem then, but he seems on top of his game this time.

RUSSELL Westbrook had 27 points and nine assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder blasted the weary Los Angeles Lakers, 119-90, on Monday night in the opening game of the Western Conference semifinals. The Thunder took a 15-point halftime lead, then opened the third quarter with a 15-2 blitz filled with homecrowd-pleasing three-pointers and dunks. Oklahoma City led by as many as 35 points, getting a measure of vengeance for the elbow Metta World Peace delivered to the head of the Thunder's James Harden 3 weeks earlier - and without needing dirty tactics to do it. Thunder starting center Kendrick Perkins limped off after aggravating a hip injury from the first round.

Nets coach Avery Johnson was fired Thursday, his team having lost 10 of 13 games after a strong start to its first season in Brooklyn. "We don't have the same fire now that we did when we were 11-4," general manager Billy King said during a news conference in East Rutherford, N.J. Assistant P.J. Carlesimo will coach the Nets (14-14) on an interim basis. King would not comment on a report that the team planned to contact former Lakers coach Phil Jackson. Johnson was in the final year of a three-year, $12 million contract.

New York big man Amar'e Stoudemire underwent surgery on his right knee Monday, and the Knicks said afterward that he is expected to miss at least six weeks. Carmelo Anthony returned to New York's starting lineup at Golden State on Monday night after missing the last three games with a stiff and sore right knee. Former Knick David Lee was in the starting lineup for the Warriors after missing Saturday's loss to Milwaukee because of a bruised right knee.   Spurs stop Thunder Tiago Splitter had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and the host San Antonio Spurs snapped the Oklahoma City Thunder's five-game winning streak with a 105-93 victory.

Ty Lawson scored 25 points, Andre Miller had 20 points and nine assists and the Denver Nuggets beat the host Oklahoma City Thunder, 114-104, Tuesday night to win a 13th straight game for the first time since joining the NBA. The Nuggets trailed by one at halftime but took control in the third quarter and never let Oklahoma City reclaim the lead. Denver moved within 31/2 games of the Thunder in the Northwest Division and became the first team this season to beat Oklahoma City three times.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka was fined $25,000 by the NBA but avoided a suspension for a below-the-belt shot on Blake Griffin during the Thunder's 108-104 win over the Clippers on Sunday. Avoiding the suspension allowed Ibaka to play Tuesday night against the Lakers. Carmelo wanted out, coach says New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony asked to come out of Monday's game against Cleveland before he suffered a knee injury. Knicks coach Mike Woodson told ESPN Tuesday that he erred in leaving Anthony on the floor after the all-star said he was injured.

Ah! what would the world be to us If the children were no more?    - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Tragedies are always made worse when children are involved. The thought of unfulfilled dreams falling victim to premature death can melt even the coldest heart. So it was Monday, as news traveled of children dying inside an elementary school where they sought shelter from an Oklahoma tornado. Initial reports of 91 deaths, including more than 20 children, were reduced significantly Tuesday, but the exact number was still being determined as rescue workers continued to search for bodies.

Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks broke out just enough to stay in it. Anthony scored 28 points and the Knicks avoided elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 85-75 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Reserves J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland each had 13 points for the Knicks, who trail three games to two and will need a victory Saturday in Indiana to force a seventh game back in New York on Monday. "I was totally impressed because we met the challenge," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said.

Playing at home, Marc Gasol hit two free throws with 1:03 left to put the Grizzlies ahead to stay in their 87-81 win Saturday over the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a 2-1 series lead in their Western Conference semifinal. Gasol scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half as Memphis remained unbeaten at home in the postseason. Memphis pulled out the win in an ugly performance for both teams following a three-day layoff since Game 2. After struggling at the free throw line in Oklahoma City, the Grizzlies hit all six at the line in the final 1:03 to clinch it. Meanwhile, Thunder star Kevin Durant, a 91 percent free throw shooter in the regular season, missed two with 39.3 seconds left.

It was the biggest postseason win in Miami Heat history, and the biggest postseason loss in Chicago Bulls history. Ray Allen scored 21 points, LeBron James added 19, and the host Heat embarrassed the Bulls with a 115-78 victory in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday night. The Bulls were called for six technical fouls, and Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson were ejected late as Miami's lead reached as much as 46 points. The Heat knotted the series at one game apiece, with Game 3 Friday night in Chicago.

Andre Iguodala brought the energy and the Denver Nuggets rediscovered their toughness in time to stave off elimination Tuesday night with a 107-100 win over the visiting Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets slowed down Golden State's guards, jump-started their transition game, and got under Andrew Bogut's skin in Game 5, jumping out to a 22-point lead before weathering a Warriors rally. Game 6 is Thursday night in Oakland. Golden State leads the series, three games to two. Iguodala had 25 points and 12 rebounds.

Andre Iguodala brought the energy and the Denver Nuggets rediscovered their toughness in time to stave off elimination Tuesday night with a 107-100 win over the visiting Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets slowed down Golden State's guards, jump-started their transition game and got under Andrew Bogut's skin in Game 5, jumping out to a 22-point lead before weathering a Warriors' rally. Game 6 is Thursday night in Oakland. Golden State leads the series, 3-2. Iguodala had 25 points and 12 rebounds.

Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points, and the New York Knicks moved to the brink of their first playoff series victory in 13 years, routing the Celtics, 90-76, on Friday night in Boston in Game 3 of the first-round series. Quickly taking the crowd out of it in the first NBA game here since the Boston Marathon bombings, the Knicks built a 16-point halftime lead and now are on the verge of taking out the Celtics. Raymond Felton added 15 points and 10 assists for the Knicks, who haven't advanced since reaching the 2000 Eastern Conference finals.

KEVIN DURANT scored 29 points, Russell Westbrook had 21 before getting ejected in the final 3 minutes and the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs by beating the visiting Sacramento Kings, 104-95, on Monday night. Tyreke Evans, the Kings' second-leading scorer, did not return after grabbing at his troublesome left knee following a drive to the basket late in the first quarter. Durant hit a three-pointer and Westbrook set up Serge Ibaka for a two-handed slam during a string of 11 straight Thunder points midway through the third quarter that stretched the lead to 75-51.

THE NEW YORK Knicks romped to their first Atlantic Division title since 1994, getting 36 points from Carmelo Anthony and beating the visiting Washington Wizards, 120-99, on Tuesday night for their 13th straight victory. Anthony put this one away with 21 points during the Knicks' 37-point third quarter that gave them a 95-71 lead. The NBA's scoring leader added eight rebounds and six assists while becoming the first Knick since newly elected Hall of Famer Bernard King with five straight 35-point games.

Carmelo Anthony collected 36 points and 12 rebounds, J.R. Smith hit a pair of shot-clock beaters in the final two minutes, and the visiting New York Knicks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 125-120, on Sunday for their 12th consecutive win. The Knicks reached the 50-win mark for the first time in 13 years. Russell Westbrook had 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists for Oklahoma City, which fell a game behind San Antonio for first place in the West with five games to play. Kevin Durant scored 27, slipping behind Anthony in the NBA scoring race.