Hooped Up

For the All-Star Rookie Challenge on Friday night, the Thomas & Mack Center was filled with thousands of kids shrieking in unbridled glee. Or petrified horror, depending on your viewpoint.

In a game that devolved into garbage time midway through the first half, the Sophomores put a record-setting 155-114 pounding on the Rookies, their fifth straight win in a series that is becoming a mismatch.

MVP David Lee did not miss a shot and Chris Paul did not miss a trick for the Sophomores, who led by 31 points late in the first half as they appeared to try to prove a point with their play, setting records for points, field-goal percentage (.747) and victory margin.

Yahoo

Shaquille O’Neal will step aside for Dwight Howard after all in Sunday’s All-Star Game.

“He’s played a lot more than me and he deserves it.”

However, Shaq will get into the game for a few minutes before giving way to Howard.

East Coach Eddie Jordan said it will depend “on how much Shaq wants to play. We’ll focus on him offensively the fist few plays. We got some young guys then, Dwight Howard, Jermaine O’Neal and Chris Bosh who can play center.”

O’Neal was voted to start the game at center for the East team despite playing in only a handful of games this season.

Orlando Sentinel

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki will become the first European to start in an NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, a league source said. Suns coach Mike D’Antoni, the Western Conference’s coach, had said he wanted to start Suns All-Star guard Steve Nash and Nowitzki in place of injured All-Star Yao Ming and take a technical foul for starting six players.”

Arizona Republic

Al Harrington of the Golden State Warriors thinks there’s all kinds of potential for disaster with the NBA descending into Las Vegas for the All-Star Weekend.

“The biggest thing about Vegas is that there’s no police,” he said. “I don’t care what anybody says.

“They say there’s a police department out there. I lived out there for two months this summer and I probably saw one cop car, so it’s a free-for-all.”

“If people want to come in and start trouble, they’ve got a free pass because the only security or police … is in the casinos,” added Harrington.

“Anything outside, do whatever you want.”

Toronto Star

Ray Allen of the Seattle SuperSonics and Mehmet Okur of the Utah Jazz have been named by NBA Commissioner David Stern as a replacements for injured West All-Stars Allen Iverson (ankle) of the Denver Nuggets and Steve Nash (shoulder) of the Phoenix Suns for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 18 in Las Vegas.

Chris Paul of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets will replace Nash in the Playstation Skills Challenge.

Hooped Up

The toughest party ticket in Las Vegas this week? It’s a coin flip between Michael Jordan’s birthday party at Bellagio and Paris Hilton’s soiree at the Hard Rock Hotel. Both are on Saturday. Organizers for Jordan’s party have reportedly been on a mission to hire 75 models and dancers. He turns 44.

Las Vegas Review-Journal

Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash will not play in the 2007 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18 due to inflammation in his right shoulder that has forced him to miss the last three and a half games. Nash will also miss Wednesday’s game at Seattle.

The two-time defending NBA MVP was voted to his fifth All-Star team (and his third with Phoenix) on Feb. 1 along with teammates forward Shawn Marion and center Amaré Stoudemire. Nash also will not participate in the NBA’s Playstation® Skills Challenge, but will be in attendance for All-Star Weekend activities in Las Vegas.

“Steve’s just not ready to play right now. He needs the recovery and rehab time,” said Suns Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager/Head Coach Mike D’Antoni. “He hasn’t recovered as quickly as we anticipated. Hopefully, he’ll be able to resume play after the All-Star break.”

Hooped Up