NBA

SALT LAKE CITY -- Playing with a little extra fire thanks to ESPN's world-wide audience, the Jazz were juiced for their late-night game with the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.

And playing the night after a nationally televised West Coast game at Sacramento, the Thunder on Friday seemed ripe for the ripping.

Of course perception isn't always reality.

LOS ANGELES -- Each time Chauncey Billups steps to the free-throw line he is "very confident," uncluttered by the fear of missing, secure in believing the routine he developed while a kid on the playground has prepared him for success.

Watch Billups closely to see how he is centered with the basket and a "dot" on the floor. He'll take his first dribble to ensure he starts his process correctly.

He'll take two more dribbles and look up to make sure he still is centered with the rim. He'll take one last dribble, look at the floor, look up and spin the basketball in his hands. He'll slightly bend his knees before he shoots, the ball spinning toward the rim, his follow-through always the same.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- With momentum building to secure a downtown arena with the Kings as anchor tenants, Sacramento needs to know:

How can the current Kings owners retain control of the team and be successful?

Everyone knows that the Maloof brothers want to remain NBA owners more than anything.

SALT LAKE CITY -- The NBA announced Wednesday that Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward is among 18 players selected for the 2012 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 24 in Orlando, during NBA All-Star 2012.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Danny Granger sat at his locker, worn out and tired.

He was dragging all day after taking medicine to help him get some rest, but it may have been too much for the Indianapolis Pacers forward.

"It just slowed me down basically the whole time," Granger said. "It was supposed to help me sleep, but it kept me groggy the whole day. I was waiting for it to wear off and I started the game and I still was kind of groggy."

NEW YORK -- Jeremy Lin scored a career-high 28 points in his first career start, Steve Novak added a season-best 19, and the New York Knicks overcame the absence of Amare Stoudemire and early loss of Carmelo Anthony to beat the Utah Jazz 99-88 on Monday night.

Stoudemire left the team to join his family in Florida after older brother Hazell was killed there earlier Monday in a car crash, then Anthony left after just six minutes with a strained right groin.