Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your gazpacho.

Bob Kravitz, The Indy Star: "This is what a leader does — what Danny Granger(notes) didn't bother to do — after Tuesday night's miserable effort against the Nuggets, the Pacers' third straight poor performance of this young season. A leader, the guy with the big contract, the face of the franchise, he sticks around after a lousy game and does his best to explain what just happened. It doesn't matter if he doesn't have any answers for a 111-93 loss. We asked T.J. Ford(notes), who stuck around like (almost) everybody else, to explain what happened and he said this: 'I don't know,' he said, shrugging, shaking his head. 'I don't know.' Pause. 'I don't know.' Pause. 'I don't know.' Pause. 'Pfffffft ... I don't know.' At least Ford was there. At least Granger's teammates were there, answering questions, trying to make sense of how an offensively gifted team has become bad and boring these first three games. And where was Granger? By the time the media arrived, he was gone, his locker clean and empty. Can anybody imagine if Peyton Manning flew the coop after a painful Colts loss?"

Frank Dell'Apa, The Boston Globe: "The NBA office has not made a determination regarding an inquiry into a conflict between New Orleans guard Chris Paul(notes) and the Celtics' Rajon Rondo(notes) Sunday night. A double technical foul was assessed to Paul and Rondo after they tangled in the second quarter of the Celtics' 97-87 win over the Hornets. After the game, Paul and Rondo argued near the Celtics bench and were separated by team security. Celtics coach Doc Rivers and Rondo said the league has not contacted them. 'I have no comment on it, really,' Rondo said after last night's 105-74 win over Philadelphia. 'They've got to do what they've got to do.' Said Rivers, 'I don't expect anything to come of it.'"

Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel: "And they call this place 'The Palace?' For the Orlando Magic, who entered the building as NBA royalty, it's more of a prison. There's simply no escaping their Detroit demons. The Pistons did not resemble the same team that has bedeviled the Magic for years and years, but the result was no different. Despite missing two starters, the rebuilding Pistons beat the Magic 85-80 to hand Orlando its first loss of the season on Tuesday night at the, ahem, Palace of Auburn Hills. The Magic were looking to become the first team in franchise history to start a season 4-0, and they had Vince Carter(notes) back in the lineup [...] It was set up on a tee for them, right? Instead, the Pistons defeated the Magic for the 20th time in their last 25 regular-season meetings. Rich DeVos doesn't really own the Magic; the Pistons do. How do you figure it?"

Ray Richardson/John Shipley, Pioneer Press: "[Wolves GM David] Kahn said Monday's moves [picking up the options on the contracts of Kevin Love(notes) and Corey Brewer(notes)] haven't painted the team into a corner. 'I don't want this to be some sort of signal that we will trade Corey, because I don't believe that, but I do believe this is a trader's league right now,' he said. 'And I believe as we demonstrated this summer, you can move players if need be. So I don't look at this decision today on Nov. 3 as saying, 'This is the cap number we'll have next summer.' I believe there are all kinds of possibilities that can occur with this team, particularly when you frame it from the standpoint that Kurt and I are still ... have a lot of evaluation and learning to do about this team.'" 

Elliott Teaford, L.A. Daily News: "Is it true? Sasha Vujacic(notes) would neither confirm nor deny reports that he is dating tennis superstar Maria Sharapova. He said he liked tennis, then he directed a handful of reporters to 'Go ask Lamar about his personal life. I'm sure he wants to talk about it.' [...] So, is the Machine dating Maria? The Machine wouldn't say for sure. When told Sharapova 'is very nice,' Vujacic said, 'I know.' When told Sharapova 'is very smart,' he responded, 'I know.' Moments earlier, Lakers public relations czar John Black busted Vujacic's chops for keeping his relationship a secret from him. 'I thought you were my guy,' Black said, laughing as Vujacic smiled and turned a darker shade of crimson."

Paul Coro, Arizona Republic: "Suns guard Leandro Barbosa(notes) probably could drive past anyone with a hand tied behind his back. But Barbosa's sore right wrist took hits in the previous two games, prompting him to sit out Tuesday night's game against the Heat. 'I definitely want to play and be there for my teammates, but I want to be able to do something,' said Barbosa, who did not shoot a jumper in Sunday's game. 'I don't think I can play with one hand.' Barbosa tried passing and catching Tuesday morning, and it 'shocked' his hand. His shots were short, and he said he barely could open his hand. His status will be re-evaluated for tonight's game at Orlando. Barbosa sprained the wrist in early September during the FIBA Americas Championship. Barbosa, who had an MRI exam, has a small cyst in his wrist. He was told the cyst is too small to remove surgically."

Eddie Sefko, The Dallas Morning News: "On a drab, lifeless Tuesday night at American Airlines Center, everybody found out how quickly a dud can turn into a stud. It happened with Dirk Nowitzki(notes). And it happened with a dull game that turned absolutely mesmerizing, thrilling and historic in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks looked dead for three quarters, and Nowitzki was searching for a pulse, too. Then, as if the paddles had jolted him back to life, Nowitzki dominated the fourth quarter, and the Mavericks pulled off a 27-point turnaround for a determined 96-85 victory over the Utah Jazz. Nowitzki had 29 points in the fourth quarter, smashing the Mavericks record for points in a quarter set by Mark Aguirre in the first period against Denver on March 24, 1984. 'We really couldn't get anything going for three quarters, and it was just ugly — there was a lid on the basket,' Nowitzki said. 'Defensively we were actually decent, but offensively we just couldn't get going, and then in the fourth quarter we just left it all out there and see what happens and it worked out for us.'"

Lisa Dillman, L.A. Times: "What had been widely anticipated finally happened [on Monday], with the Clippers taking small forward Al Thornton(notes) out of the starting lineup. Thornton, who was a combined four for 18 in back-to-back losses at Utah on Friday and at home against Dallas on Saturday, was supplanted by Rasual Butler(notes), who had 12 points against Minnesota, including eight in the fourth quarter. 'You also have to take into consideration the personnel he's playing against,' Dunleavy said. 'He's had four pretty rough customers: [Ron] Artest in the first game, Grant Hill(notes) in the second game, [Andrei] Kirilenko the third game, and then [Shawn] Marion in the fourth game. All those guys, other than maybe Grant Hill, are bigger and stronger than he is. I think it's too early to jump the gun on it.'"

Michael Wallace, Miami Herald: "For the third time in four games, Wade basked in the role of playmaker. Or so it seemed. He didn't have much in the tank when the team needed him to take over. Wade led the Heat with 23 points on 7 of 18 shooting. Take away the outcome, and his stat line is pretty nice. He also finished with seven assists, nine rebounds and two steals. But the four turnovers, the 0 of 3 clip from three-point range and the three fouls in the fourth knocked him off his rhythm. [...] Although Spoelstra accepted the blame for the finish, he also had a hand in the rotation down the stretch, too. Foul trouble was a factor for Michael Beasley(notes). But Wade didn't get three of his four fouls until the fourth quarter. So it was beyond questionable to leave a lineup in the game that consisted of reserves Carlos Arroyo(notes), Dorell Wright(notes), James Jones(notes), Joel Anthony(notes) and Udonis Haslem(notes) for that critical stretch when the Heat saw its lead slip away. When that group came back onto the court after a timeout, you had to wonder if the team's primary closers should have been in instead."

Dave Feschuk, Toronto Star: "Charles Oakley's phone went to voicemail for the umpteenth time the other day. Still, a repeat caller never tired of hearing a four-word message delivered in the former Raptor's gruff mumble. 'The President,' Oakley announced, before a dramatic pause. 'Not in.' He's expected to be in the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night, when Toronto's NBA team, as part of its 15th-season festivities, reportedly plan to honour him. We say 'reportedly' because Oakley, when he was finally reached for an interview Tuesday, insisted his impending presence in Toronto was 'no big deal.' 'I'm just signing some autographs, hanging out,' he said. 'I just hope they don't boo me again.'"

Mike Bresnahan, L.A. Times: "Pau Gasol's hamstring now stretches all the way to Spain ... sort of. The Lakers sent the information from Gasol's latest medical test to his personal physician and also his parents, who are in the medical field in Spain. (His mother is a doctor and his father is a hospital administrator.) The Lakers declined to reveal the results of the MRI exam, citing the need for confirmation from Gasol's chosen recipients, but his strained right hamstring doesn't appear to be bad enough to keep him out much longer. He went through a 'pretty good workout' after the team's Tuesday afternoon shoot-around, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. Gasol will not play tonight against Houston, his fifth consecutive game on the sidelines, but what about Friday against Memphis, his old team? 'We'll see,' Jackson said. 'We hope he can get a practice in this week.'"

Eddie Sefko, Star-Telegram: "Heckling by Los Angeles Clippers fans may have led to the Mavericks' Drew Gooden(notes) saying some allegedly insensitive comments during the Mavericks' game at Staples Center on Saturday. Gooden did not play and was dressed in street clothes behind the bench. According to the Web site Outsports.com, Gooden yelled a homophobic slur at a pair of fans seated near the Mavericks bench. The Web site said Gooden yelled the slur at actor Chris Wylde, who is married and is not gay and was attending the game with a friend. Owner Mark Cuban would not comment, but e-mailed Wylde, according to the Web site, and said the team would deal with Gooden internally. He sent an e-mail to the Web site saying that some of the heckling was not as innocent as fans suggested, although he added that even so, it doesn't excuse homophobic commentary." (Note: A team source has denied the claims. According to NBA spokesman Tim Frank, the league is reviewing the incident.)

New York Post: "You might think nothing would frighten Stephon Marbury(notes) more than being an unemployed basketball player. On the contrary. Thursday night, the former Knick drove to Blood Manor, the haunted house on West 27th Street, and sat outside in his Ford Escalade for half an hour, signing autographs, chatting and shaking hands with dozens of people on line. Marbury maintained he was 'way too scared' to go inside. And he didn't — he just enjoyed the spectacle."

Related: Joel Anthony, Al Thornton, Corey Brewer, Michael Beasley, Grant Hill, Rajon Rondo, Danny Granger, Chris Paul, Udonis Haslem, Sasha Vujacic, James Jones, Leandro Barbosa, T.J. Ford, Rasual Butler, Drew Gooden, Carlos Arroyo, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Kevin Love, Stephon Marbury, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, Suicide lines