LOS ANGELES - Jason Kidd walked off the interview podium after the All-Star Game and delivered a nifty parting shot that could pass as a prediction: "See you at the finals."
The season resumes today, and no team has played better recently than Kidd's Nets, winners of 10 straight, all by double-digit margins. New Jersey is one of three first-place teams with large leads; the Nets are 71/2 games ahead of the ever-changing Knicks.
New York team president Isiah Thomas and the rest of the league's executives have a couple of days to make major changes to their rosters before the trading deadline arrives Thursday afternoon. It figures to be a busy deadline day.
The Jazz is auctioning off salary-cap space and trying to horde draft picks, the Raptors are desperate for a big man, Portland needs an outside shooter, and the Suns and Clippers want to shed contracts. The Suns and Clippers are among the teams that want to get further under the salary cap for a run at a free-agent class that includes "Laker for Life" Kobe Bryant - in case he changes his mind.
"Everybody else is playing at their peak, and we have a lot of room for improvement," the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal said.
The Lakers, who are six games out of first place, have just 32 games until the postseason, and after that they will deal with the prospects of Phil Jackson possibly leaving, Bryant going on trial and nine members of O'Neal's supporting cast being eligible to leave as free agents.
Indiana comes out of the All-Star break just percentage points behind the Kings for the league's best record, and the Pacers play 15 of their remaining 29 games at home - 10 of those home games against teams with losing records.
Sacramento put together its 37-13 record without Chris Webber, who was activated Monday from the injury list and will serve a league suspension before rejoining the lineup. Webber pleaded guilty in July to lying to a grand jury about his relationship with Ed Martin, a University of Michigan booster who claimed he loaned $616,000 to Webber.
PISTONS: Center Zeljko Rebraca was suspended one game by the league for punching Sacramento's Brad Miller in the head Wednesday night. The league also fined forward Corliss Williamson $5,000 for committing a Flagrant 2 foul against Miller. Rebraca and Williamson were ejected from the Pistons' 96-94 loss.
