From Dennis Velasco,
Your Guide to Basketball.
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Written by Mike Prada, Bullets Forever

Atlanta Hawks:

The Hawks snapped an 8-game losing streak with an 86-74 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. Joe Johnson and Zaza Pachulia combined to score 49 of the teams’ points in the victory... According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, starting small forward Josh Smith will remain out of commission until at least the end of January after undergoing hernia surgery... Point guard Tyronn Lue said Saturday that he expects to be back for Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Hornets after missing the previous nine contests with a groin injury. Said Lue, after a fan said he’d be 35 before Lue played another game, “Do you turn 35 before Wednesday? Because that's the only way you'll be 35 before I play again.”... The Hawks swapped former UCLA Bruins this week, signing swingman Dijon Thompson to a 10-day contract after releasing guard Cedric Bozeman earlier in the week... The Hawks travel to Indiana to play the Pacers on Tuesday before returning home to play games against the Hornets on Wednesday and the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

Charlotte Bobcats:

Bobcats dropped to 9-23 on the season with a blowout 106-74 loss to division rival Orlando Magic on Friday. Matt Carroll scored 19 points in the loss... After seeing reserve point guard Brevin Knight tear an abdominal muscle, the Bobcats traded reserve swingman Bernard Robinson to the New Jersey Nets for point guard Jeff McInnis. McInnis, 32, has not played since January of last season... Charlotte continued to restructure their front office, hiring Jared Bartie as their new chief administrative officer. Bartie most recently was the NBA’s vice president of marketing... The Charlotte Sting of the WNBA folded Wednesday after suffering from poor attendance. The Bobcats relinquished control of the team last month, and the WNBA was unable to find a buyer for the team... The Bobcats hit the road this week against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday and the New York Knicks on Friday before returning home Saturday to play the Philadelphia 76ers.

Miami Heat:

The Heat dropped their fifth straight contest with a 108-80 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday. The Heat played without stars Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, both out with injuries... Head coach Pat Riley said Thursday that he was taking “an indefinite leave of absence” to have surgery on his ailing right hip. The announcement brings back memories of the 2002/2003 season, when Riley made a similar announcement after the Heat struggled out the gate. In the meantime, assistant coach Ron Rothstein, the franchise’s first coach, will take over the team... Before resigning, Riley deactivated forwards Antoine Walker and James Posey for failing to meet the minimum body fat requirements. Said Riley, “We have a championship team that is sideways right now.”... The Heat are hoping to acquire another player to jumpstart their lagging season. Among the names being mentioned are Sacramento Kings stars Ron Artest and Mike Bibby and Los Angeles Clippers forward Corey Maggette... The Heat’s 13-19 record is tied for the third-worst record for a defending champion after 32 games. Only the 1970 Celtics and the 1999 Chicago Bulls had worse marks, and the 2003 Los Angeles Lakers also were 13-19 at the same stage.

Orlando Magic:

The Magic won their third straight contest with a 106-74 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday. Dwight Howard led the Magic with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocked shots, and hit his first three-pointer of his career to close the first half. With the win and Washington’s 116-111 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, the Magic regained first place in the division... Point guard Carlos Arroyo has struggled recently after starting off the season strong. The guard has averaged only 4.5 points on 30 percent shooting in his last eight games, and is losing more playing time to Jameer Nelson and Keyon Dooling. Says coach Brian Hill, “Sometimes I think [he] feels a little pressure to score out there. I know he can do that. He just has to relax and play, and not put pressure on himself.”... The Magic’s two 2006 draft picks have struggled this season. First round pick J.J. Redick has gone from being the best player in the college game at Duke University to a benchwarmer in Orlando. Says Redick, “The same thing was said when I came out of high school and got to Duke, but this is a bigger pond and I'm an even smaller fish now. But I'm confident that I'm going to be a player in this league and have a long career.” Meanwhile, the Magic sent second round pick James Augustine to the Anaheim Arsenal of the NBA Developmental League Friday. Augustine had not played in a game this season…Forward Grant Hill missed his third straight game Friday with a left foot injury, but was back in the lineup for Sunday’s contest against the Celtics. Keith Bogans had been starting in his place.