NBA Roundup: From Now On We Call It Nashville

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

• Waiting For Scottie Pippen. Steve Nash vs. Kobe Bryant, Round One. Yeah, it's the first time that they've met this season (Kobe was out with an injury the first time the teams played, in the season opener). Nash had 23 points (18 in the second half) and Bryant had 30 (18 in the second half) as Phoenix prevailed over the Lakers 99-94. But it was hardly fair: LA was without Luke Walton! Oh, and Lamar Odom. Leandro Barbosa had 20 points and Amare Stoudemire had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns.

• Full Nelson. You're Don Nelson, and your team is up by two with less than a second remaining in the game, and Gilbert Arenas heading to the line for two free throws for the other team. Do you ice him with a time out? Prepare for overtime? Oh wait, third option: Get a technical. Nelson chose Door No. 3, giving Arenas three free throws instead of two, and Agent Zero sank them all (Hibachi!) to give the Wizards a 107-106 win. Nelson had run onto the court to protest the foul call, claiming that time had expired. Not only did he not win that argument, but he got t'd up as well. So, who ya got? Refs? Nelson? Does someone get fired over this? Arenas: "It was bizarre. You've got to thank the refs for that one.'' Arenas finished with 32 points.

• A Hundred Points, Two Players, Only One Winner. Michael Redd's 52 points notched the fourth-highest in Bucks' history, which is saying something (see: Alcindor, Robertson). But Ben Gordon chose the same night to score a career-high 48 (Doh!) to lead Chicago over Milwaukee 126-121.

• The Boston Celtics Have You Right Where They Want You. Wait a minute, it has come to our attention that the Celtics have won four straight. That's odd. Delonte West scored 31 points — all in the second half — and Paul Pierce had 27 as the mighty whirlwind Celtics beat the Timberwolves 124-117 in double overtime.