The Portland Trail Blazers finally came up big against the Mavericks by going big.

Rather than continue to plug holes in a depleted backcourt, Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks elected to start 6-9 Zach Randolph in Game 4.

In person, Randolph looks closer to 6-6, but he played much bigger in a 98-79 win Sunday in the Rose Garden. Randolph had 25 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Blazers.

The Associated Press reports that Blazers guard Derek Anderson is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his left knee.

An MRI Thursday revealed that Anderson had torn the medial meniscus in his left knee. The injury occurred three minutes into Game 2 of their playoff series with the Dallas Mavericks.

Anderson has surgery Saturday to repair the torn cartilage. The surgery was performed by team physician DR. Don Roberts. There isn't a timetable set for his return as of now.

Blazers guard Derek Anderson is out indefinitely due to torn cartilage in his left knee according to Anne M. Peterson of the associated press.

"All I know is that I talked to D.A. last night. He has a meniscus tear and is out indefinitely," Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks said at Friday morning's shoot-around.

It is unknown if Anderson will need surgery to repair the knee or not.

Meanwhile, Scottie Pippen is feeling better, but is unsure if he will play in Game 4 of the Blazer series against the Mavericks.

"I'm feeling better," he said. "But I can't say that I'm ready to go."

The Blazers trail the series 3-0.

Art Garcia of the Star-Telegram reports that Scottie Pippen and Derek Anderson could miss Game 3 of the Blazers series against Dallas.

Anderson banged his knee in the first quarter of Game 2 and exited for good. Anderson, who was awaiting results of an MRI performed on Thursday, is likely a game time decision.

Pippen is likely a game time decision as well.

"I'm hoping I feel better [today], but I can't say yes to that," Pippen said Thursday, when asked if he could play tonight or in Game 4 here Sunday. "I don't know if I'll be able to give it a try [today] , but, if the series is extended ..."

Roger Brown of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports: Cavaliers General Manager Jim Paxson might get to stay in Cleveland but Zydrunas Ilgauskas might get sent packing.

An insider tells Brown that Paxson has a better than 50 percent chance of keeping his job.

Amongst the reasons for his likely return are fear from potential replacements that owner Gordon Gund will sell the team, and the replacement asking for a big deal.

However, the chances of starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas getting sent packing this offseason are apparently growing.

A rumor that is picking up steam has him being traded to Dallas this summer. Any deal would probably include Nick Van Exel.

Scottie Pippen's surgically repaired knee is giving him so much trouble that Pippen may not be able to play in the Blazers next game according to the associated press.

"I'm pretty sore right now," he said Tuesday. "I've got some swelling. Unfortunately, I'm sort of day-to-day. It's going to be a wait-and-see type of situation."

Pippen says he will not be pain free during this playoff run.

"There's not enough time for me to heal and be able to play at the level that I play at," he said.

While the Blazers practiced, Pippen was in the pool doing water therapy to try and get his knee as ready as possible.

"That's all I can really do," he said. "It's pretty difficult. I knew that when I came back I'd have to deal with some swelling here and there, but I didn't think it would be to this magnitude. It's been bothering me a lot more than we anticipated."

"We need him to be somewhat healthy to give us a boost," Portland coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We'll have to see where his knee will take us. If it's not ready to go, we'll have to find somebody else."

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said on Monday that the future of Don Nelson as head coach will not have anything to do about how the team does in the playoffs.

Nelson's coaching deal with the Mavericks expires after the season but his contract includes three more year's as the team's general manager and another five after that as a consultant.

"Nellie is under contract to be here for a long time, and I expect him to contribute for a long time," Cuban said.

"It's not so much me evaluating him as it is him evaluating me," Cuban said. "He's the general manager. Most likely, he'll be the coach next year. But I want him to re-evaluate things after the season. He's the GM. He's involved in that process."

Mavericks swingman Michael Finley was activated off the injured list after missing 13 games, in which the Mavericks went 7-6, with a strained left hamstring writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

"If he can't go, we need to know," Nelson said. "And if he can, we certainly want to get a couple of games for him to (knock the rust off). The worst-case scenario is that he doesn't come back until the playoffs."

In Monday's game against Seattle, Finley had 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists in 12 minutes of action.

For the season, Finley is averaging 19.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3 assists per game.

Rich Evans of the Salt Lake Desert News reports: Karl Malone got in the last shot in last Friday's war of words with team owner Larry H. Miller, though he fired it only in the presence of a writer from the Dallas Morning News.

After the Utah media had departed, Malone told writer Eddie Sefko he'd be interested in playing for the Mavericks.

"You notice nobody's using No. 32 down there," Malone said. "Tell (Mark) Cuban to dust off No. 32 for me."

Behind the scenes, it may appear as if the Jazz are a team coming apart at the seams.

On the court, however, they spent Friday night sewing up yet another win.
     
Amid the fallout of a story in the current issue of Sports Illustrated that had team officials and players alike reading and refuting, Utah beat Dallas 95-92 in front of a Delta Center crowd of 19,896 that fell 15 sold seats shy of a sellout.