Nets' president Rod Thorn claims that star forward Vince Carter has been great for the team in spite of their recent rebuilding project.

"Vince has been great," Thorn said, "not just on the court but with our younger players. He seems to be very happy. He likes the leadership role. I think what's important is he likes these guys and these guys like him. Vince is a focal point around the team."

There were thirteen games on the docket Wednesday night as the NBA prepared for the Thanksgiving holiday.

- Atlanta 102, Milwaukee 96

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +10.2, Bucks -10.2

The Hawks (9-5) held off a tough challenge from the Bucks (7-10) to get back on the right track. Al Horford had 21 points and 9 rebounds, Joe Johnson posted 15 points and 9 assists, and Ronald Murray added 16 points off the bench. Atlanta shot 50% from the field and made ten three-pointers. Richard Jefferson led with 25 points and 6 rebounds, Ramon Session tallied 21 points, 8 assists and 7 boards, and Charlie Villanueva added 19 points in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Ramon Sessions, Milwaukee ? 19.6

Al Horford, Atlanta ? 19.1

Marvin Williams, Atlanta ? 14.5

Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee ? 10.4

- Toronto 93, Charlotte 86

Team FIC Differential: Raptors +19.2, Bobcats -19.2

Even without Jermaine O?Neal (knee, ankle), the Raptors (7-7) were able to down the Bobcats (4-10). Chris Bosh led with 39 points and 11 rebounds, Andrea Bargnani posted 11 points and 9 boards, and Joey Graham added 17 points and 6 boards off the bench. Toronto shot 50% from the field and limited Charlotte to 18% shooting from downtown. Emeka Okafor led with 16 points and 14 rebounds, Gerald Wallace posted 23 points and 8 rebounds, and rookie D.J. Augustin added 13 points and 4 assists.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 29.5

Emeka Okafor, Charlotte ? 21.4

Jose Calderon, Toronto ? 12.3

Jared Dudley, Charlotte ? 12.1

- Cleveland 117, Oklahoma City 82

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +54.7, Thunder -54.7

The Cavaliers (12-3) only needed 17 minutes of play from LeBron James to beat the Thunder (1-15) on Wednesday night. James had 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, Delonte West posted 8 points, 10 dimes and 5 boards, and Daniel Gibson tallied 15 points and 4 rebounds. Cleveland shot 60% from the floor, while holding Oklahoma City to just 35% on the night. Kevin Durant had just 13 points, Chris Wilcox posted 14 points and 5 rebounds, and rookie Russell Westbrook added 13 points, 5 assists and 4 boards.

Game FIC Scores

Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland ? 17.0

Delonte West, Cleveland ? 15.5

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City ? 11.0

Chris Wilcox, Oklahoma City ? 9.8

- Boston 119, Golden State 111

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +9.2, Warriors -9.2

The Celtics (14-2) held off a serious charge from the Warriors (5-10) en route to yet another victory. Ray Allen led with 25 points, Kevin Garnett had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo added 22 points, 8 boards and 7 assists. Boston outrebounded Golden State by thirteen, but allowed them to shot 49% from the floor. Corey Maggette scored 32 points, Stephen Jackson tallied 30 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and Jamal Crawford added 18 points, 6 boards and 6 dimes.

Game FIC Scores

Stephen Jackson, Golden State ? 25.1

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 24.3

Kevin Garnett, Boston ? 17.6

Corey Maggette, Golden State ? 13.0

- Orlando 96, Philadelphia 94

Team FIC Differential: Magic +1.7, 76ers -1.7

Dwight Howard paced the Magic (11-4) with a double-double against the 76ers (7-8) on Wednesday night. Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds, Tony Battie scored 20 points off the bench, and Hedo Turkoglu added 12 points, 7 assists and 5 boards. Orlando shot 47% from the floor and attempted six more free throws than Philadelphia. Elton Brand had 21 points and 6 rebounds, Andre Iguodala posted 17 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds, and rookie Marreese Speights added 12 points and 3 boards.

Game FIC Scores

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 17.8

Elton Brand, Philadelphia ? 15.6

Tony Battie, Orlando ? 13.6

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 12.9

- Detroit 110, New York 96

Team FIC Differential: Pistons +23.7, Knicks -23.7

The Pistons (9-5) thoroughly dominated the Knicks (7-8) for yet another New York loss. Eight players reached double-figures for Detroit, with Richard Hamilton (17), Rodney Stuckey (13 points and 11 assists) and Amir Johnson (12 points and 13 rebounds) leading the way. Detroit shot 51% from the field, while holding New York to just 38% on the night. Al Harrington had 25 points and 7 rebounds, David Lee had 17 points and 15 boards, and Tim Thomas added 12 points and 6 boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Amir Johnson, Detroit ? 18.3

David Lee, New York ? 18.3

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit ? 17.8

Wilson Chandler, New York ? 14.0

- Phoenix 110, Minnesota 102

Team FIC Differential: Suns +15.5, Timberwolves -15.5

The Suns (11-5) cruised to an early lead and held off the Timberwolves (3-10) on Wednesday night. Steve Nash had 20 points and 6 assists, Shaquille O?Neal tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Amare Stoudemire added 16 points in the win. Phoenix shot 53%, but were outrebounded by thirteen. Al Jefferson had 28 points and 17 rebounds, Randy Foye tallied 17 points and 5 assists, and Rashad McCants added 12 points off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 22.5

Shaquille O?Neal, Phoenix ? 16.1

Steve Nash, Phoenix ? 15.3

Corey Brewer, Minnesota ? 9.9

- Indiana 91, Houston 90

Team FIC Differential: Pacers +3.0, Rockets -3.0

Danny Granger made a tip-in to give the Pacers (6-8) an important road victory against the Rockets (10-6). Granger had 16 points and 6 rebounds, Troy Murphy tallied 21 points and 14 boards, and rookie Brandon Rush added 12 points off the bench. Indiana outscored Houston by 11 points in the fourth quarter, and held the home team to just 34% shooting. Luis Scola led with 15 points and 18 rebounds, Yao Ming had 19 points and 10 boards, and Ron Artest added 19 points against his former team.

Game FIC Scores

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 22.8

Luis Scola, Houston ? 16.3

Carl Landry, Houston ? 12.4

Danny Granger, Indiana ? 10.9

- San Antonio 98, Chicago 88

Team FIC Differential: Spurs +22.3, Bulls -22.3

The Spurs (8-6) remained with a win over the Bulls (7-9). Tim Duncan had 21 points and 8 rebounds, rookie George Hill posted 19 points and 11 boards, and Roger Mason added 9 points and 6 boards in the win. San Antonio outrebounded Chicago by nine and attempted 22 more free throws. Drew Gooden had 20 points and 12 rebounds, rookie Derrick Rose tallied 10 points, 6 boards and 6 assists, and Ben Gordon added 23 points in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 17.6

George Hill, San Antonio ? 16.8

Ben Gordon, Chicago ? 14.0

Drew Gooden, Chicago ? 11.8

- Utah 117, Memphis 100

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +41.5, Grizzles -41.5

Deron Williams returned and the Jazz (10-6) dominated the Grizzles (4-11) at EnergySolutions Arenas on Wednesday. Williams had 11 points and 15 assists, Paul Millsap tallied 24 points and 16 rebounds, and Mehmet Okur added 21 points and 10 boards. Both teams shot 53%, but Utah outrebounded Memphis by fourteen. Rudy Gay had 27 points and 7 rebounds, rookie O.J. Mayo scored 22 points, and Marc Gasol contributed 12 points and 8 boards.

Game FIC Scores

Paul Millsap, Utah ? 24.3

Mehmet Okur, Utah ? 21.0

Rudy Gay, Memphis ? 16.3

Marc Gasol, Memphis ? 12.3

- Portland 106, Miami 68

Team FIC Differential: Blazers +73, Heat - 73

The Blazers (10-6) cruised to an impressive 38-point win over the Heat (7-8) thanks to a double-double from Greg Oden. LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points and 7 rebounds, Oden tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Channing Frye added 17 points off the bench. Portland shot 49% from the field, held Miami to 34% on the night and outrebounded them by twenty-seven. Michael Beasley had 14 points and 4 rebounds, Dwyane Wade contributed 12 points, 6 boards and 6 assists, and Marcus Banks scored 11 points off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 15.6

Nicolas Batum, Portland ? 15.0

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 11.8

Marcus Banks, Miami ? 9.1

- New Jersey 116, Sacramento 114 (OT)

Team FIC Differential: Nets -5.5, Kings +5.5

Devin Harris made a turnaround jumper in the final moments to give the Nets (7-7) a dramatic win over the Kings (5-12). Harris had 18 points and 7 assists, Brook Lopez tallied 20 points and 8 boards, and Vince Carter scored 25 points in the win. Sacramento outrebounded New Jersey by nine, but shot just 42% from the floor. John Salmons starred with 38 points and 7 rebounds, Brad Miller tallied 20 points, 13 boards and 6 assists, and Beno Udrih added 16 points and 10 dimes. Carter was carried off with a leg injury in the victory.

Game FIC Scores

John Salmons, Sacramento ? 21.8

Brad Miller, Sacramento ? 19.8

Vince Carter, New Jersey ? 16.6

Brook Lopez, New Jersey ? 15.6

- Denver 106, L.A. Clippers 105

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +1.5, Clippers -1.5

The Nuggets (10-5) withstood a strong run by the Clippers (2-13) in the fourth quarter to notch a win on Wednesday. Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 11 rebounds, Kenyon Martin added 17 points and 10 boards, and Chauncey Billups added 7 points and 11 assists. Denver outrebounded Los Angeles by five, but allowed them to post a 34-27 edge in the final quarter. Rookie Eric Gordon led with 24 points, Baron Davis tallied 18 points and 10 assists, Marcus Camby put up 17 points and 11 rebounds against this old team.

Game FIC Scores

Eric Gordon, L.A. Clippers ? 21.8

Kenyon Martin, Denver ? 18.8

Marcus Camby, L.A. Clippers ? 18.8

Carmelo Anthony, Denver ? 14.5

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their `Reina Value.'
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

The Clippers insist that they'll keep both Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman after acquiring Zach Randolph from the Knicks on Friday.

Los Angeles has been rumored to have interest in New Jersey's Vince Carter, and they could use one of their big men to pry him away from the Nets.

However, the contract of Kaman is probably too long for New Jersey's liking.

Vince Carter was back to his best in Toronto on Friday night, scoring 39 points including two clutch shots which had a direct impact on the result of the game, the Associated Press is reporting.

First Carter sent the game to overtime by draining a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining in regulation, capping a stretch that saw him score 12 consecutive points for the Nets.

Then, if that wasn't enough, Carter was able to sneak behind the Raptors' defense with only 2 seconds remaining in the overtime period, rising up to catch the inbounds pass to give the Nets the win on a reverse ally oop dunk.

"He's been doing that his whole career, but I've never seen it firsthand," guard Devin Harris said. "I was out there watching it just like everybody else."

"He [Carter] is one of the best athletes in the game," said Toronto's Chris Bosh, who had 42 points. "[Nets' coach] Lawrence Frank drew up a fantastic play and left it up to his best player, and he capitalized."

Many of the Nets see the moves made by the Knicks to eventually acquire LeBron James.

"It's all about how you play your cards right now," said Bobby Simmons. "There's only one team that this guy is going to. I don't know why everybody's making a big deal about it. I'm just saying: You know he's going to the biggest market, to play for the Knicks. It's a business move. It's all about the marketing dollar."

"It works for both sides financially, and obviously we know what that means," Jarvis Hayes said. "Al Harrington comes off the books in oh-10, so that's perfect. But in basketball terms, I really like Jamal Crawford going to Golden State. If Golden State had to get rid of Al, that's a good trade for them."

The Nets continue to be in trade talks with Charlotte Bobcats, who are desperate for frontcourt help, but they don't have the expendable post player Larry Brown wants.

The Bobcats are willing to part with Gerald Wallace for a player of consequence, but are more actively pushing Matt Carroll or Adam Morrison.

If the opportunity is right to win multiple titles with another team, Cavalier superstar LeBron James said on Tuesday that he would not hesitate to sign with another team, the Associated Press is reporting.

"I think you do what is best for you and you do what is best for your career," James said Tuesday night when asked about his sense of loyalty to the Cavaliers before they played the Nets in New Jersey.

"...I go out and I play hard and that's loyalty," James added. "It's hard because it's a business. (The) franchise is going to do what is best for the player, it always comes back on us. I am going to look bad. If a franchise decides to give up on a player, it's OK. So we have to do what is best for us."

James has two years left on his extension, but many teams are trying to clear space to make a push for the 2010 free agent class which will include Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and James amongst others.

"I am focused on the team that I am on right now and winning a championship," he said. "So it gets funny at times, but I don't think about making a change at this point. I am focusing on the team I have here and the relationship I have with the Cavs."

Sonny Vaccaro, a former shoe executive who is as well connected as anyone in the game of basketball, believes LeBron James will end up with the Knicks in 2010.

The Nets were once believed to be the favorites to land James, but with their Brooklyn arena project stalled, the club looks like they will be stuck in New Jersey.

?LeBron?s relationship with Jay-Z will go on regardless,? Vaccaro said. ?He?ll be an international celebrity in New York. If the Nets aren?t in Brooklyn, he?s not going over there for even $200 million. They?re putting pieces together. They?re doing the right things. They?re just living in the wrong building.?

Vaccaro believes James will depart Cleveland regardless of what they do to try to keep him.

?LeBron is this generation?s personality,? said Vaccaro, not one to shy away from hyperbole. ?Even though Cleveland has done everything right, you don?t get to Mount Rushmore from Cleveland. He has to go to New York or Los Angeles. There?s no question. The money will be available anywhere. But this is about his persona.?

The All-Star ballot was released last week, and New Jersey forward Yi Jianlian is listed as a nominee.

Yi was averaging just 10.5 points and 7.6 rebounds through his first eight games this season.

Those aren't All-Star numbers, but the 1.3 billion basketball enthusiasts in China could vote him into the starting lineup.

Many around the NBA expect the Nets to shop Vince Carter at some point prior to February's trade deadline.

The Cavaliers, who are still looking to find the right combination around LeBron James, could make another run at Carter.