Compiled by Chris Bernucca

Our late AM update. Enjoy.

LAWRENCE FRANK FIRED 

• "Taking the floor just hours after Frank delivered an emotional farewell speech at the team's hotel in Santa Monica, the Nets appeared shell-shocked, though the sight of the defending world champs at the other end of the floor probably had something to do with that. The Nets were outscored 22-5 over the final 8:53 of the first quarter and trailed by as many as 34 points in the second half." Julian Garcia in the New York Daily News

• "His record with this team is too good to be twisting in the wind now, his résumé too impeccable to be wondering about his future with the franchise he once made a contender. Thorn is the last reason to believe in the Nets. If you look past the debacle on the court now, you see enough young talent and cap space to believe that, someday, the fortunes might change. That only happens with proper leadership. Thorn is the man who traded for Jason Kidd, ushering in the small window of success this franchise has had. He is the one who kept that window open, bringing in another star in Vince Carter, before owner Bruce Ratner slammed it shut for good." Steve Politi in the Newark Star-Ledger 

• "This all goes back to the Nets' disturbing talent drain, starting when Jason Kidd forced his way out of town because the Nets weren't going to give him an extension. Then they dumped Richard Jefferson's big contract. And it ended with Bruce Ratner mandating that more money be taken off the cap, with the removal of Vince Carter's remaining $33 million in a salary dump to Orlando. In all three cases, the Nets took back less talent than they sent out, a doomed strategy if there ever was one. But it was Ratner's master plan. Because of his own financial woes, the Nets pared their salaries to around $57 million, only about $5 million more than the team with the lowest payroll, Oklahoma City. So if there is anyone to blame for the current crisis, it starts at the top." Mitch Lawrence in the New York Daily News 

• "It has been widely accepted that the Nets would not spend any money on an interim coach. Plus, with a new owner coming in, chances are the job ends with the season. Thorn, who will start the review process today, said he had five calls from agents within one-half hour of Frank's firing. Likely, with a new owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, preparing to take over, whoever is named simply will finish the season. A spokesman for Prokhorov said: 'He has no comment. Bruce Ratner is still the Nets owner.'" Fred Kerber in the New York Post

• "Knicks legend Patrick Ewing, an NBA assistant coach for the past seven seasons, told The Post yesterday he would love to coach the Nets and hopes to be considered whenever they decide to fill the position permanently. ... 'Of course,' Ewing said after his Magic beat the Knicks, 114-102, at the Garden. 'I would be back home. I still live in New Jersey. I just want an opportunity. Yes, I would love to coach the Nets.'" Marc Berman in the New York Post 

• "There are some good men out there (Avery Johnson, Dwane Casey, Sam Mitchell, Reggie Theus, P.J. Carlesimo, Eric Musselman, Terry Porter, et al.) who want another crack at it. Most are getting paid for their last jobs, so they aren’t likely to jump back in just yet. And even the ones not getting paid would be wise to stay away. That’s coaching protocol. The outsider who lobbies Thorn would be viewed as a shameless opportunist — willing to elbow more qualified guys aside just for a five-month payday, run someone else’s system without the benefit of a camp, work without the loyalty of a staff that knows it’s getting fired in June anyway, and be management’s toady since he would have no other choice but to bluff his way through the next 64 games. He’d get to say this a lot: 'Just working from Kiki’s suggestions right now.'" Dave D'Alessandro in the Newark Star-Ledger

• "Lakers coach Phil Jackson revealed he received a lucrative offer to coach the New Jersey Nets in 1999 but declined because of the team's lack of identity while playing in the swampland west of New York City. 'The offer was probably the best offer I had ever seen as a coach,' Jackson said. 'It wasn't enough. It doesn't have what a team has to have, a heartland, a fan base, an energy source. I don't even know if New Jersey has a television station. They get their TV from New York and Philadelphia.'" Elliott Teaford in the Los Angeles Daily News 

WOLVES WIN

• "What happened at halftime? This Damien Wilkins quote says about all you need to know about this season: 'We had a lot of confidence coming into the locker room at halftime. We were only down 14.' But, seriously, folks. ... Actually, he was being serious." Jerry Zgoda in the Minneapolis Star Tribune

• "The Timberwolves suffered November's pain in the hope that things will get much better. Next summer. That's when they could own as many as three first-round picks in the June draft and have more than $20 million to spend in the free-agent market. Of course, such a bet on the future begs a couple of questions." Jerry Zgoda in the Minneapolis Star Tribune  

• "Sometimes, this is what it takes. An embarrassment. A humiliation. Losing to a team so bad it is being compared to the worst squads in NBA history barely a month into the season. 'I would have liked to have come out of this with a win, and I would have said the same exact thing, but I think we did need this,' Chauncey Billups admitted afterward. 'I don't like losing, but I think we needed this.'" Dave Krieger in the Denver Post 

NEWS LINKS 

SIXERS: "Sixers coach Eddie Jordan said that he had no plans to fly to Atlanta to meet with Iverson, which had been speculated in various news outlets. Jordan said he had no knowledge of Iverson coming to where the Sixers are, to meet with them, either. Jordan made it clear Iverson, while clearly 'intriguing' was just one of a handful of potential free-agents the team is considering. Jordan said the team has also talked about Antonio Daniels, as previously reported, and Jerry Stackhouse." Kate Fagan in the Philadelphia Inquirer 

SIXERS: "The source said that Rose, one of the most respected and successful agents representing NBA players, has contacted the Sixers, basically trying to find out whether his client would be a good fit. The source said 'Every other time Rose has called, the Sixers have said no. In the light of Williams' injury and the need for an experienced guard, they are at least talking about it.' The source said that, while coach Eddie Jordan could be interested in a player of Iverson's stature and talent, there has not been a meeting scheduled between Jordan and Iverson. The Sixers, armed with a minimum contract for the remainder of the season and a list of special conditions, might be willing to listen." Phil Jasner in the Philadelphia Daily News 

BLAZERS: "It created for interesting viewing in the fourth quarter, as the team's core was yanked and engaged in a series of animated conversations on the bench. Roy reached past Blake's shoulder and tapped Miller, asking him why he didn't play after the first quarter. Miller and Joel Przybilla talked, at one time shaking their heads. Roy passed a folded statistics sheet to Aldridge, who studied the sheet, refolded it and then put both hands over his face after discarding the sheet under the bench. Later, Roy and Aldridge talked, with Roy revealing that their conversation revolved around how different things had become this season.  Afterward, in the locker room, there was an array of outlooks, with some like Roy waving red flags about the team's play while others like Oden and Aldridge only willing to say that the season still offers time for kinks to be worked out. And, of course, there was Miller's benching, which caught everyone by surprise, none more so than Miller." Jason Quick in the Oregonian 

BUCKS: "Ilyasova was selected by the Bucks in the second round of the 2005 draft, and his only previous NBA experience came during the 2006-'07 season, when he played in 66 games at the age of 19. The Turkish player has benefited from his time in Barcelona as well as his work with his country's national team. 'Obviously, he has spent a lot of time working on his skills,' Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. 'That's one thing they have a lot more time for over there (in Europe); they don't play as many games.'" Charles F. Gardner in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 

CELTICS: "Wallace admitted he was referring to LeBron James when talking about 'The Golden Child.' 'I don’t know why [I was fined],' he said. 'I am going to fight that one for sure. I didn’t talk about no refs. I didn’t name no players. Oh yeah for sure, I am definitely taking this one to the appeal board. What did I say wrong?' Wallace picked up his seventh technical last night for saying, 'And one!' following a made jumper with 1:26 to play in the first quarter. He said official Bennett Salvatore told him he would talk to the league about rescinding that decision." Gary Washburn in the Boston Globe 

LAKERS: "Vujacic and Lamar Odom had an animated, uh, misunderstanding in the locker room while Odom was trying to prove a point that he would gladly feed fellow reserves the ball and let them do all the shooting. So he asked them individually in an impromptu poll to describe their 'nature as a player' -- would they shoot or pass instinctively when getting the ball? DJ Mbenga said he would shoot first. So did Adam Morrison. When Odom asked Vujacic, he wasn't satisfied with a diplomatic answer that it depended on the game situation. 'Listen to the question. Don't add to it,' said Odom, who also told Vujacic to 'stop taking it personally.' As both players grew increasingly testy, Vujacic eventually said, 'If I'm open, I will shoot it.'" Mike Bresnahan in the Los Angeles Times 

CLIPPERS: "The two announcers walked into the Memphis locker room and held a brief meeting with the 7-foot-2 Haddadi, who last season became the first Iranian to play in the NBA. Lawler could be heard telling Haddadi that 'you know we care about you,' Smith told him that 'we meant only the best,' and Haddadi replied through an interpreter that he appreciated the gesture." Jim Peltz in the Los Angeles Times 

GRIZZLIES: "Dang, the Grizzlies blew a 20-point, second-half lead. Dagnabbit, they watched the Clippers end the game on a 22-0 run. Gosh darn, Memphis got outscored 33-7 in the final period and tied a franchise record for the fewest points scored in a fourth quarter. The ugly truth is the Griz folded." Ron Tillery in the Memphis Commercial Appeal 

HEAT: "Wade was asked by RealGM.com about what player he would pick if he was starting a team. 'If I could pick one player in the league to play with -- and most people think I'd say LeBron James -- I would pick Dwight Howard,' Wade was quoted as saying. 'I'd love for that to happen at some point. Dwight is already close right here, in Orlando. People who say it couldn't happen, they don't know. . . . In this league, anything is possible.'" Barry Jackson in the Miami Herald 

JAZZ: "Proof is in the paperwork, a new grading system that has Jazz players seeing first-hand just how well — or poorly — they're doing on defense. At the head of the class — consistently so far this season, often by no small margin — has been swingman Wesley Matthews, Utah's starting shooting guard as of the last eight games, a stretch in which, perhaps not coincidentally, the 9-7 Jazz have gone 6-2. 'He's come out on top of it, over everybody,' Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said." Tim Buckley in the Deseret News

KINGS: "While Rodríguez hasn't had the consistent playing time he sought, he said Sacramento remains a good fit because of the like-minded Westphal. 'We see basketball different,' Rodríguez said of he and McMillan. 'It's a hard thing to have with your boss when they see something totally different from what you see. I was wishing to be in a spot where everybody (saw) basketball like me, and coach Westphal (does). He likes to enjoy basketball, to be flashy, and to win games.'" Sam Amick in the Sacramento Bee 

MAGIC: "Correct me if I'm wrong, but with Jameer Nelson, including last year's run in the NBA playoffs, the Orlando Magic are 45-19. Without Jameer Nelson? They're 43-21 with players like Rafer Alston, Jason Williams and Anthony Johnson filling in the gap." Josh Robbins in the Orlando Sentinel 

PACERS: "I glanced down at my phone in the second half of Friday's beat down by the Mavericks and noticed a text message from a scout who was watching the game. 'The Pacers are getting bullied and punked on the glass,' the message read. That person couldn't have said it any better. The Mavericks, who aren't exactly known for being a physical team, manhandled the Pacers on the glass." Mike Wells in the Indianapolis Star  

PISTONS: "Villanueva had 13 points and 6 rebounds in 18 minutes before breaking his nose in the third quarter, after colliding with Ben Wallace's hip. Villanueva is to be reevaluated Monday, but isn't likely to miss any games. There was no pouting from Villanueva about going to the bench. 'I'm proud of the way Charlie responded. He's a total team player. Whatever it takes to win,' Kuester said. 'He's been that way from day one. Maxiell came in and did a great job on the boards, contesting all their shots.'" Ted Kulfan in the Detroit News 

RAPTORS: "Wright, in the lead-up to the Raptors first meeting with the Celtics this season, criticized unnamed teammates for their lack of focus in preparing for games. And he said he appealed to team captain Chris Bosh to deliver the message. Wright said he told Bosh, 'Hey, you've got guys in here eating popcorn, joking around before the game. And we go out there and lose by 40. It's a direct result of what's going on before the game. Guys not coming in with the right mind frame.' Wright, the 25-year-old in his fifth NBA season, was speaking of Toronto's 35-point loss in Charlotte on Wednesday, and his words appeared to resonate in some corners of the locker room." Dave Feschuk in the Toronto Star 

SPURS: "Bonner took Brent Barry's old space, which fits. Bonner replaced Barry as the Spur with the best sense of humor. Bonner flexes his goofy wit on spurs.com. There, he's 'The Sandwich Hunter,' with the following tagline: 'The Quest for the Hoagie Grill.' That's still not good enough for him. 'I'm looking for formal status in the sandwich community,' Bonner said." Buck Harvey in the San Antonio Express News

THUNDER: The two years that Sir Willis Reed graced us here with the Hornets, he offered a bushel of NBA proverbs. Like this one. Young teams feed off the energy of home crowds, then feel empty on the road. The Thunder is testing Reed’s theory." Berry Tramel in the Daily Oklahoman 

WARRIORS: "When the schedule came out, this November stretch — at Cleveland and Boston, vs. Portland, at Dallas and San Antonio, and vs. the Lakers — looked like a certain six-game losing streak. Then after a 3-6 start against what was supposed to be an easy part of their schedule — and a rash of injuries — this six-game stretch became even more daunting. But the Warriors went 2-4, including a comfortable win over Portland and a historic upset at Dallas (winning with only six players). They nearly won at Cleveland and played Boston and San Antonio close for most of the game. By many standards, that's not a bad showing." Marcus Thompson in the San Jose Mercury News

WIZARDS: "All the ingredients for a lost season are in place. New coach, new systems of offense and defense, four new players, two players returning after long layoffs, hideous early-season losses, dissension before Thanksgiving and most unsettling, a deceased owner who has been the face of the franchise for more than 40 years. The Washington Wizards, from the top of the pyramid to the 12th man, had every reason to spend Thanksgiving worrying." Michael Wilbon in the Washington Post

NBA: "Saying Adidas has broken its contract with an upstate New York company that poured $1 million into the facility, Schumer called on the NBA to end its deal with the jersey maker if it goes ahead with the move from Perry, N.Y. 'Because it's an American sport invented in America, played better in America than anywhere else, the jerseys ought to be made here in America,' Schumer said. Schumer said about 100 jobs are at stake at American Classic Outfitters' factory, where more than half the uniforms worn by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and other NBA players are manufactured." The Associated Press 

Back this afternoon with blog links.