NBA Roundup: Can AI Save The Heat?

Notes on Wednesday's games in the National Basketball Association ...

• Heat, Suns ... There's A Clever Headline There Somewhere. The latest rumor is that Allen Iverson is headed to the Miami Heat. We would be absolutely giddy if that happened; Shaquille O'Neal might even arrest him at some point. Heat coach and president Pat Riley said Wednesday night — presumably before Phoenix beat his team 99-89 for the Suns' 12th straight win — that he would be down with such a move. "I would be delinquent in my responsibilities if I wasn't interested in Allen Iverson," Riley said. "That's all I'm going to say. I'm not going to comment any more. It's like when Shaquille came out there. I was frothing at the mouth. So my level of interest can be gauged on that comment." Shawn Marion had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns.

• Will AI Join The Green Party?. Meanwhile, Iverson watched from home (well, we assume he watched) as his current team, the 76ers, lost their ninth straight, 101-81 to the Celtics. According to the Associated Press, Boston is also a "hot, rumored destination" for Iverson. But aside from Philadelphia, that's probably the one team he couldn't help.

• Uh Oh, Todd Is Having Another Heart Attack. Ben Wallace had 20 rebounds and Ben Gordon 27 points to lead da Bulls over the SuperSonics 99-84. It was Chicago's ninth victory in its past 10 games, as speculation begins to mount over who would win between them and a mini Ditka.

• Time To Watch AV 360. We take you now to Cleveland, where AP went a little nuts in the second graph of their game story describing the Cavaliers' Anderson Varejao: "Cleveland's frizzy-haired and frantic forward, who causes chaos over 94 feet, scored 16 points and added 10 rebounds and LeBron James scored 22, leading the Cavaliers to a 104-101 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night." We'd like to be referred to as "frizzy-haired and frantic" just once.