THIS WEEK IN THE NBA
The Toronto Raptors open their first full week under new coach Jay Triano on Tuesday at Cleveland. They then will play at home against Indiana, at New Jersey and at home against New Orleans. Triano said changes would be subtle, at first. "I think we want to create more flow at the offensive end," he said. "But to get flow offensively, you have to get stops, so we have to tweak things defensively until we can find time to put in a little bit of a system defensively." The Hawks face a rugged stretch of four games in five nights, playing at Houston, San Antonio and Miami before returning home to meet Cleveland. Golden State wraps up a three-game trip Monday in Oklahoma City before returning home to play the Bucks on Wednesday. San Antonio is at Dallas on Tuesday and the New Orleans visits Boston on Friday. GAME OF THE WEEK
Dwight Howard will get a chance to rub elbows with Shaquille O'Neal when Orlando plays at Phoenix on Friday in the third game of a five-game Western trip.
Bucks WEEK
Tonight's game at the Staples Center against the Lakers begins a stretch in which the Bucks will play six of seven on the road. After stops in Phoenix and Golden State, the lone home game will be Saturday against Indiana.
QUOTABLE
"He came over and asked if I needed an oxygen mask. I said, 'No, just give me a minute' " - Overweight Bobcats forward Sean May, on coming out of a home game winded and being needled by team part-owner Michael Jordan, who sits near the bench.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Guard Ray Allen, when asked if there had been one constant during the Celtics' 10-game winning streak, pointed to guard Rajon Rondo. "The way he asserts himself at the beginning of the game, he has his defender back on his heels," said Allen. "And when he does that they have to guard him, and sometimes it takes two or three guys. That's when we inject ourselves in the game by finding open spots and getting easier shots." Last week against Indiana, Rondo posted his first career triple-double (16 points, 13 rebounds, career-high 17 assists), which was the first triple-double by a Boston guard in 21 years. Rondo says he has just been attacking offensively, trying to get into the paint and open up opportunities for his teammates. "He's making leaps and strides each and every year," said Boston's Paul Pierce. "You thought last year he was good, he's just getting better. He's learning the game."
NUMBERS GAME
* The all-time leaders in free-throw attempts per game among players 6 feet 4 inches or shorter: Jerry West (12.4 in 1965-'66), West (12.3 in 1961-'62), Devin Harris (11.8, currently), Allen Iverson (11.5 in 2005-'06) and World B. Free (11.2 in 1979-'80).
* Rondo's triple-double was the first by a Celtic since forward Ryan Gomes had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on Nov. 11, 2006, against Charlotte.
* Going into play Friday, the Bobcats were 7-1 when they scored 90 or more points and 0-10 when they didn't.
* Oklahoma City forward Jeff Green made 23 three-pointers in November, two more than he made all of last season.
* Portland won its first six games against the East for the first time since it won its first 12 against the East in 1990-'91.
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