Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Paul Millsap himself credits Budenholzer’s offense for much of what he’s doing: “When I do get a guy in the air, our spacing is so good that the lane is open.” But not every power forward could make the jump shot that renders the fake such a lure, and not every big man could get to the basket without charging into someone. Back to our beginning: I didn’t know the man was capable of such brilliance, and I told him so Wednesday night. And Millsap, a quiet and dignified presence, smiled. He conceded hadn’t been this good in Utah. “I was an OK player then,” he said. And now he’s the best player — again, we can disagree — on the NBA’s second-best team. I didn’t see this coming. I don’t think Paul Millsap did, either. Somehow that makes me feel a tad better.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: The offseason roster moves that had stolen so much attention had become beside the point. The whole summer move of Chandler Parsons up I-45 and the shots fired in the Houston-Dallas rivalry had been replaced by deals made since, with the Mavericks reworked, the Rockets retooled, and the changes on vivid display Wednesday. The Mavericks had added point guard Rajon Rondo, easily outbidding the Rockets’ luke-warm offer. The Rockets traded for Corey Brewer the next day, signed Josh Smith the next week and then on Wednesday, brought back Terrence Jones from nearly three months out with a nerve condition. A month later, as Rondo works to fit with the suddenly-slumping Mavericks, the Rockets’ reinforcements came in waves, with Smith, Jones and Brewer each making game-changing defensive plays in the final two minutes as the Rockets knocked off the Mavericks, 99-94. The Rockets later announced that those additions, especially in the frontcourt, could be crucial. An MRI on Dwight Howard’s right knee showed edema, with no word on how long the fluid buildup could keep him out beyond that he will be reevaluated in the coming days.

Bill Livingston of The Plain Dealer: Klay Thompson broke Carmelo Anthony's record of 33 in one quarter, set in 2008, which itself tossed into history's dust-bin Wilt Chamberlain's 31-point fourth quarter in 1962. That was the searing "gun lap" of Wilt's 100-point game. But Kyrie Irving's incredible 55-point performance in a 99-94 victory over Portland Wednesday night by the shorthanded Cavaliers, who were playing without that LeBron fellow and won their eighth straight game anyway, deserves mention with Thompson. In the annals of being smoking, flaring, flaming, towering inferno hot and combustible conflagration en fuego, Irving was all of that. And he started ice-cold. Irving began by shooting 0-for-7. ... I was there when LeBron James scored 48 points in a double overtime victory in the fifth game of the 2007 playoffs against Detroit. That was on the road in the Eastern Conference finals. The spree included all 18 points the Cavs scored in the two overtimes, all of his team's final 25, and 29 of its final 30. That was better than Irving was Wednesday night. It is arguable that James' 45 in a losing cause in Game 7 at Boston in 2008 was too. It's fascinating to speculate what Irving will do in his first playoff experience this spring. Because not much else in Cavs' history has been better than what he did Wednesday night.

George Willis of the New York Post: Now Phil Jackson has delivered another punch to the gut of Knicks fans by inadvertently tarnishing one of the golden moments in franchise history. The 1970 and 1973 Knicks are revered for earning the franchise’s only championships. Now the 1973 title could come under scrutiny thanks to some old quotes attributed to Jackson. He was a reserve forward on that championship team. In 1986, long before Twitter and the Internet, Jackson revealed in a Chicago Tribune interview how the Knicks tried to gain a competitive advantage by taking the air out of the basketball. “You see, on the ball it says something like ‘inflate to 7 to 9 pounds.’ We’d all carry pins and take the air out to deaden the ball,” Jackson is quoted as saying. ... History has remembered the 1970 and 1973 Knicks as the epitome of team players: a roster of like-minded men, who used their cumulative talents and basketball fundamentals to become the best. Now we must ask how much were they helped by deflated basketballs? As bad as things have gotten around the Garden lately, at least fans could look up in the rafters and take pride in the championship banners that are four decades old. Now thanks to the resurfacing of Jackson’s quotes, the ’73 banner might not produce the same type of pride. If it’s any consolation, the only things the Knicks are deflating these days are their fans.

Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times: It was only the first stop of an eight-game, 7,399-mile trip, and already the Clippers appeared completely drained. They couldn't sustain any offensive rhythm. Shooting guard J.J. Redick could only watch from the bench because of back spasms. Even more painful was the Clippers' tendency to play at the preferred plodding pace of the lowly Utah Jazz. The Clippers finally put a stop to the madness by getting stops in the final minutes of a 94-89 victory Wednesday night at EnergySolutions Arena, stretching their winning streak to six games. They held the Jazz to 17 points in the fourth quarter, including only four points in the final 4 minutes 21 seconds. "It's what we couldn't do earlier in the year that we can do now," Coach Doc Rivers said. "Even if we're struggling, we believe we can get stops."

Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com: The last time Kevin Martin appeared in a game for the Timberwolves before Wednesday he scored a season-high 37 points in a 115-99 victory over the New York Knicks at Target Center. Martin also suffered a fractured right wrist during that Nov. 19 game and six days later underwent surgery. The Wolves were 3-7 when Martin went out. Four victories and 30 losses later, Martin returned to the Wolves lineup against Boston on Wednesday. He checked into the game with 5 minutes, 11 seconds left in the opening quarter and hit a 17-foot jumper less than 20 seconds later. That broke an 8-8 tie and drew a few cheers from the announced crowd of 11,434 at Target Center. ... Having Martin on the floor only helped LaVine's cause and getting veterans back also is going to assist rookie Andrew Wiggins, who had 12 points Wednesday. Wiggins is the most important piece to the Wolves' future, and being able to take some of the pressure off him right now is only going to help. Martin also is optimistic that with guys like himself, Rubio, Pekovic and Wiggins on the floor, that the Wolves will be able to look like the team that many expected to see on opening night. That might not be a great team but it's one that shouldn't be the worst in the league.

Cathal Kelly of The Globe and Mail: The players aren’t grumbling – not out loud. The coaches spend a significant amount of time checking in on each individual, and adjusting his expectations. “It’s not a science,” said Casey. “It’s just working with people .. It’s telling them the truth, where a lot of times they don’t hear the truth.” One of the beauties of Casey is that while he’s a gentle soul, he will not waste one neuron’s worth of worry on a professional athlete’s feelings. Like all successful mentors at this level, he is fundamentally ruthless. He’ll help you exactly as much as you’re willing to help yourself. “Coach [Phil] Jackson used to say it’s Zen,” Casey said, referring to man management and rotations. He said it with the very slightest hint of a sneer. “It’s Zen if you have Michael Jordan and a young Kobe Bryant.” Touché. The Raptors have found a mix that works. It’s not world-beating, and never will be. But it’s more than good enough to win them the division, and get them comfortably into the playoffs. There’s no point in getting all wrung out until then. It’d be a shame to fret our way through what should be the most unironically joyful stretch in 20 years.

Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: Defending All-Star Weekend 3-point champion Marco Belinelli said he has gotten the invitation from league officials to defend the long ball championship he won in New Orleans last year. “Yes, I will be there,” Belinelli said before Wednesday’s Spurs-Hornets game at the AT&T Center. “I am really looking forward to it.” Belinelli said he welcomes the challenge he anticipates from shooters like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the Golden State Warriors’ “Splash Brothers,” in New York. “I can’t wait,” he said. Belinelli, who suffered a groin strain in the Spurs’ win over the Suns on Dec. 9, sat out his 10th consecutive game Wednesday but expects to return to the lineup long before All-Star Weekend

Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post: Ultimately, Jusuf Nurkic will use the All-Star break as a chance to get back home to Bosnia for a few relaxing days. But his omission from the Rising Stars Challenge, two teams comprised of rookies and sophomores, was at the very least eyebrow raising. Going into Wednesday night’s games across the league, Nurkic was ninth among rookies (with 10 or more games) in scoring at 6.5 points, second in rebounding at 5.9 boards, and third in blocks (1.4). All solid. In January Nurkic has averaged 7.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. “It’s unfortunate for him,” Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said. “I probably had a lot to do with that because early on in the season he didn’t play a whole lot. But he’ll have his chances, he’ll have his opportunities. I’m sure he may enjoy the actual break of the All Star week, instead of having to go to New York to participate.” Nurkic has made his biggest impact on the defensive end. He is one of only two Nuggets whose defensive rating is under 100. Nurkic has the team’s best defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions when he’s on the court) at 96.8.

Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: The team with two days' rest beat the team playing its fourth road game in five nights. The result of a 106-98 Suns victory Wednesday night at US Airways Center was NBA-predictable, but it did not diminish the value of the fresher Suns ending a two-game skid during a stretch of tough opponents. It was another Suns game that was far too interesting late for how they dominated early. The Suns led 47-25 midway through the second quarter and still led by 17 at the half with Goran Dragic scoring 12 of his game-high 20 points and the team getting 15 first-half fastbreak points. The Suns (27-20) took a 14-point lead to the fourth but an all-reserve lineup rallied the Wizards quickly. Washington scored on the first nine possessions of the fourth quarter and used a 17-3 run to chop the Suns lead to four with 6:55 to go. It felt too much like a Jan. 9 Suns loss at San Antonio, when the Spurs' fourth-quarter rally was led by their reserves.

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer: Tony Wroten decided that having surgery is his best option. The 76ers reserve point guard just doesn't know when and where he'll have the procedure to repair a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. "I can't play with a partial tear to the ACL with the way I play, so it's best to get the surgery," Wroten said Wednesday before the Sixers played Detroit at the Wells Fargo Center. The third-year veteran said he didn't know how long he would be sidelined. He leads the Sixers in scoring at 16.9 points per game. Wroten was noticeably disappointed as he told reporters the news. "I mean, who wants to have surgery?" he said. "Nobody wants to have surgery. ... But it is what it is."