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Ohio State Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel targeted in NCAA's notice of allegations

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In a sharply worded rebuke of Ohio State's Jim Tressel, the NCAA on Monday accused the 10-year coach of withholding information and lying to keep Buckeyes players on the field who had accepted improper benefits from the owner of a tattoo parlor.

In a "notice of allegations" sent to the school, the NCAA said Monday that the violations relating to the coach are considered "potential major violations."

Jim Tressel's body of work is impressive, but his actions have stripped Ohio State of its soul, forcing it to make a choice -- and the answer lies in its past, ESPN.com's Pat Forde writes. Story
• PDFs: NCAA cover letter | Allegations

The NCAA's notice of allegations sent to Ohio State looks worse for Jim Tressel than it does for the program, ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg writes. Blog

Ohio State was not cited for the most serious of institutional breaches since Tressel hid information from his superiors for more than nine months. The university has 90 days to respond to the ruling body of college sports' request for information before a scheduled date before the NCAA's committee on infractions on Aug. 12 in Indianapolis.

In a 13-page indictment of Tressel's behavior, the NCAA alleged that Tressel had "permitted football student-athletes to participate in intercollegiate athletics while ineligible." It also said he "failed to deport himself ... [with] honesty and integrity" and said he was lying when he filled out a compliance form in September which said he had no knowledge of any NCAA violations by any of his players.

Tressel appeared at an awards banquet outside Cleveland on Monday night, ducking in out of the rain to shake hands with Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren before slipping into a side room. Tressel ignored reporters' questions about the NCAA allegations on his way to the ballroom before presenting a coaching award named for his late father, Lee Tressel.

While making the presentation, Tressel said, "There is nothing more important than the team and nothing more important than the kids."

Before the program ended, Tressel left the dais and was escorted out a side door and into a waiting car.

Athletic director Gene Smith said he would have "no comments until the case is resolved." The university issued a statement that the allegations were consistent with what it had already self-reported to the NCAA on March 8.

Tressel's troubles began with an April 2, 2010, email from Columbus lawyer Christopher Cicero. Cicero, a former Ohio State walk-on player, informed Tressel that a federal agency had raided the house of tattoo-shop owner Eddie Rife and discovered a multitude of autographed Ohio State jerseys, cleats, pants and helmets, Big Ten championship rings and the "gold pants" trinkets given to Buckeyes players for beating archrival Michigan.

Tressel responded, "I will get on it ASAP."

[+] Enlarge AP Photo/Terry GilliamThe NCAA says Ohio State's Jim Tressel "falsely attested" that he reported all knowledge of NCAA violations to the school.

Yet he did not notify Smith or Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee, anyone else in the athletic department, the NCAA compliance department, or anyone in the university's legal department. Instead, he forwarded the email to Jeannette, Pa., businessman Ted Sarniak, a friend and mentor to star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who was subsequently discovered to be one of the players involved with Rife.

Tressel also called an FBI agent, according to The Columbus Dispatch, though the agent has said their eventual conversation wasn't concerning any potential NCAA violations.

Tressel's initial phone call to FBI Special Agent Harry Trombitas lasted less than a minute, according to documents obtained by the newspaper through a public-records request.

Trombitas' son, Matt, was a walk-on quarterback on the roster of Tressel's 2002 national championship team, the newspaper reported.

Trombitas returned Tressel's call on his cell phone the next morning, a call lasting five minutes, according to The Dispatch. Trombitas told the newspaper the call "wasn't related to anything like the situation that came out in the media."

Trombitas said Tressel was seeking information for a "friend of the coach or a former player who knew of a kid interested in [a career with] the FBI."

The newspaper reported that Tressel went on to exchange at least 12 emails with Cicero, and also had numerous lengthy telephone conversations with Sarniak over the weeks and months ahead. Tressel still did not tell any of his superiors, anyone at the NCAA or his own compliance or legal departments.

In September 2010, Tressel even signed a mandatory and rather routine Ohio State compliance form which clearly and simply asks if he the coach has knowledge of any NCAA violations. By signing and dating it, he said that he did not.

The U.S. Attorney contacted Ohio State in December to notify the university that it had come across the memorabilia. That prompted a cursory investigation -- Smith conceded to The Associated Press last week that the effort was rushed -- that did not turn up the telltale emails between Cicero and Tressel but did uncover the players' involvement with Rife. After consulting with the NCAA and the Big Ten, Pryor and four other top players were handed five-game suspensions -- curiously not including the next game, the Allstate Sugar Bowl, but beginning with the first five games of the 2011 season.

ESPN's Joe Schad thinks Ohio State will do whatever it can to keep coach Jim Tressel.

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Tressel was asked at a news conference if the players knew they were doing something wrong.

"I suppose that would be something rattling around inside the head of each of them individually," he said. "We all have a little sensor within us, 'Well, I'm not sure if I should be doing this."

At the same time he said that, Tressel later admitted he was covering up his own knowledge of the players' violations.

The NCAA and Ohio State say the case against the players is closed.

It was only when Ohio State began appealing the players' suspensions that it uncovered the emails, leading to Tressel ultimately receiving a five-game suspension and a $250,000 fine. Smith said last week that the fine given to Tressel -- who makes around $3.5 million a year -- would not cover Ohio State's costs of the investigation.

Pryor responded to the allegations with a note of encouragement for his coach.

"I Love Coach Tress!!" Pryor posted on Twitter Monday afternoon.

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback, said: "The Ohio State fan base blindly is supporting Ohio State and Jim Tressel. It's almost gotten to the point that he beats Michigan, he wins 10 games, he goes to BCS bowl games, they'll support him no matter what he does as far as the fan base.

"If this would have happened to John Cooper [Herbstreit's coach], not only would they have fired him, they would have actually lined it up and had a firing squad and fired him."

Herbstreit said that he thinks people are being a little unfair to Tressel's character, but added "I think it would be very difficult moving forward with Jim Tressel."

Former Ohio State All-American Chris Spielman, now a college football analyst for ESPN, said he expects Tressel to face additional punishment at the very least.

"I think if you're a true fan of Jim Tressel and a true fan of Ohio State, you understand that there has to be action taken against his mistakes that he's made," Spielman said Monday on ESPN. "He's admitted he's made mistakes and I think ... the NCAA's going to come down hard. I don't think you can have a coach who knowingly put ineligible players on the field and you're not going to take those games from them last year."

Spielman added: "I think he's intent was pure, but his actions justify the punishment that's coming his way."

Tressel has a record of 106-22 at Ohio State and won the 2002 national championship, the Buckeyes' first in 34 years. His team went 12-1 last season, including the 31-26 win over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.

The NCAA could accept Ohio State's suggestion of sanctions -- the five-game suspension and the fine -- or could levy much more severe penalties. Since the NCAA says that Tressel knowingly used ineligible players, it would seem probable that the 2010 regular season would be vacated -- ending the Buckeyes' run of Big Ten titles at six in a row. The NCAA could also come down hard on Tressel, compelling Ohio State to add to Tressel's suspension or issue sanctions leading to the school firing him.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra bonded with LeBron James in Dec. meeting

MIAMI -- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has maintained that the Heat's early-season struggles would make his team more unified. And that seems to have happened between him and star forward LeBron James, but Spoelstra said it took a conversation to get there.

Speaking after Wednesday's practice, Spoelstra said that he had a conversation with James in early December, in the wake of the swirling controversy generated by a bump between the two in the third quarter of a Nov. 27 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. It has been reported that the two met immediately after the incident in November as well.

Nonetheless, Spoelstra said Wednesday that the December meeting was a turning point in their relationship.

"It was a reminder for both of us that we have to manage all the noise outside and keep it to what's real," Spoelstra said. "The only things that matter are the people in the locker room. At the end of the day, a lot of the noise will be pointed in our direction.

"It was probably one of the steps when we started to develop a deeper trust [with each other]. We were in a similar boat together and it wasn't about us. And we needed to be able to manage that and not let it be a distraction."

We've taken our talents to South Beach. Check out the Heat Index.

Spoelstra lauded James' leadership and ability to focus despite the intense media scrutiny that has followed the Heat all season.

"He's been a lightning rod," Spoelstra said. "He's done a very good job of compartmentalizing all of that and to just be a member of the team."

Was Spoelstra surprised with how well James responded to the pressure?

"Probably," Spoelstra said. "Then I started to think about it. This has been new for me. This has been new for a lot of the guys in this gym."

Spoelstra pointed to the horde of reporters surrounding James at Wednesday's practice before continuing.

"This right here is the world that LeBron has been living in since seventh grade," Spoelstra said. "He's used to navigating and negotiating this world. But it was an adjustment for me in November."

Spoelstra is currently in his third season as coach of the Heat.

Since the 10-8 start, the Heat went on a roll, getting a franchise-high 15 wins in the month of December. The Heat finished the regular season with a 58-24 record, good for the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Heat are up 2-0 in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers and are set to play Game 3 Thursday night.

Tom Haberstroh covers the NBA for ESPN Insider and ESPN The Magazine.

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Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony support New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni

Updated: April 25, 2011, 9:47 PM ETBy Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com
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GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Amare Stoudemire gave a strong endorsement Monday for retaining Mike D'Antoni as coach of the New York Knicks, while Carmelo Anthony wasn't quite as declarative but still offered praise for D'Antoni's job performance.

D'Antoni has one year remaining on his four-year contract, and team president Donnie Walsh also is entering the final season of his deal if the Knicks pick up his option.

Neither man spoke publicly Monday, a day after the Knicks were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

But Stoudemire said he wants them back.

"Oh, absolutely. Absolutely," Stoudemire said. "Donnie has done a phenomenal job. He's one of the main reasons why I'm here in New York. He turned the Knicks' franchise around. Coach D'Antoni is the reason why we had the winning record and had a chance to do something special in the playoffs if it wasn't for a few injuries. And so I definitely think both those guys will be back next season."

Anthony is ready to support the two if they make it back.

"I support whatever decision that they make," Anthony said. "If Mike is here, I've got his back 100 percent. If Donnie is here, I've got his back 100 percent. So I support all the decisions."

One of the most pressing decisions the Knicks need to make by Friday is whether to pick up the $14.2 million option on Chauncey Billups' contract or pay him a $3.7 million buyout. Billups said he wants to return to New York next season, in part to atone for the postseason failure that was partly attributable to his knee injury and to Stoudemire's back injury.

Amid the wreckage of a first-round sweep by the Celtics, priority No. 1 is too obvious to ignore any longer: Mike D'Antoni has to go, writes Stephen A. Smith. Story

• Knicks blog | ESPN New York

"Getting swept in the first round, I don't do this," Billups said. "We're on the move, and it's how fast can we get that elevator up?"

Stoudemire said he would like to see the Knicks add an additional center in the offseason, while Anthony said the team does not necessarily need a third star player and would be best served in the short term by having an entire season together.

The Knicks went 14-14 to close the regular season (including a six-game losing streak and a seven-game winning streak) after acquiring Anthony and Billups from the Denver Nuggets, finishing 42-40 for the franchise's first winning record in 10 years.

And while Anthony didn't go overboard with praise in speaking about D'Antoni, he did offer support.

"I can only speak on since when I got here," he said. "Due to the circumstances, we came a long way since I first got here. With the expectations being so high so quickly, for us to lose some games and take a step backward, and then close out the regular season winning the way we did, you have to take your hat off to Mike for being able to handle a situation like that -- losing damn near his whole team, having to start off fresh with something new. He lost four key components to his team."

"They had something rolling here, and for him to have to take on another challenge of getting everybody on the same page since we got here, I think it took a lot. I respect that from him," Anthony said.

Anthony said he expects to have input along with Stoudemire on the team's offseason personnel moves. He believes the Knicks should be a 50-plus win team for the foreseeable future and should set a goal for next season of finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference.

He also said players from opposing teams have told him they want to come to New York.

"You just hear it. You'll be playing against guys, and everybody wants to play in New York now, especially with the excitement we brought back to the city," Anthony said. "A lot of players [have said] 'Man, I need to get there, I need to get there.' We'll see what happens with that, though."

Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN.com.

Follow Chris Sheridan on Twitter: @csheridanespn

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Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony support New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni

Updated: April 25, 2011, 9:47 PM ETBy Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com
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GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Amare Stoudemire gave a strong endorsement Monday for retaining Mike D'Antoni as coach of the New York Knicks, while Carmelo Anthony wasn't quite as declarative but still offered praise for D'Antoni's job performance.

D'Antoni has one year remaining on his four-year contract, and team president Donnie Walsh also is entering the final season of his deal if the Knicks pick up his option.

Neither man spoke publicly Monday, a day after the Knicks were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

But Stoudemire said he wants them back.

"Oh, absolutely. Absolutely," Stoudemire said. "Donnie has done a phenomenal job. He's one of the main reasons why I'm here in New York. He turned the Knicks' franchise around. Coach D'Antoni is the reason why we had the winning record and had a chance to do something special in the playoffs if it wasn't for a few injuries. And so I definitely think both those guys will be back next season."

Anthony is ready to support the two if they make it back.

"I support whatever decision that they make," Anthony said. "If Mike is here, I've got his back 100 percent. If Donnie is here, I've got his back 100 percent. So I support all the decisions."

One of the most pressing decisions the Knicks need to make by Friday is whether to pick up the $14.2 million option on Chauncey Billups' contract or pay him a $3.7 million buyout. Billups said he wants to return to New York next season, in part to atone for the postseason failure that was partly attributable to his knee injury and to Stoudemire's back injury.

Amid the wreckage of a first-round sweep by the Celtics, priority No. 1 is too obvious to ignore any longer: Mike D'Antoni has to go, writes Stephen A. Smith. Story

• Knicks blog | ESPN New York

"Getting swept in the first round, I don't do this," Billups said. "We're on the move, and it's how fast can we get that elevator up?"

Stoudemire said he would like to see the Knicks add an additional center in the offseason, while Anthony said the team does not necessarily need a third star player and would be best served in the short term by having an entire season together.

The Knicks went 14-14 to close the regular season (including a six-game losing streak and a seven-game winning streak) after acquiring Anthony and Billups from the Denver Nuggets, finishing 42-40 for the franchise's first winning record in 10 years.

And while Anthony didn't go overboard with praise in speaking about D'Antoni, he did offer support.

"I can only speak on since when I got here," he said. "Due to the circumstances, we came a long way since I first got here. With the expectations being so high so quickly, for us to lose some games and take a step backward, and then close out the regular season winning the way we did, you have to take your hat off to Mike for being able to handle a situation like that -- losing damn near his whole team, having to start off fresh with something new. He lost four key components to his team."

"They had something rolling here, and for him to have to take on another challenge of getting everybody on the same page since we got here, I think it took a lot. I respect that from him," Anthony said.

Anthony said he expects to have input along with Stoudemire on the team's offseason personnel moves. He believes the Knicks should be a 50-plus win team for the foreseeable future and should set a goal for next season of finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference.

He also said players from opposing teams have told him they want to come to New York.

"You just hear it. You'll be playing against guys, and everybody wants to play in New York now, especially with the excitement we brought back to the city," Anthony said. "A lot of players [have said] 'Man, I need to get there, I need to get there.' We'll see what happens with that, though."

Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN.com.

Follow Chris Sheridan on Twitter: @csheridanespn

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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra bonded with LeBron James in Dec. meeting

MIAMI -- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has maintained that the Heat's early-season struggles would make his team more unified. And that seems to have happened between him and star forward LeBron James, but Spoelstra said it took a conversation to get there.

Speaking after Wednesday's practice, Spoelstra said that he had a conversation with James in early December, in the wake of the swirling controversy generated by a bump between the two in the third quarter of a Nov. 27 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. It has been reported that the two met immediately after the incident in November as well.

Nonetheless, Spoelstra said Wednesday that the December meeting was a turning point in their relationship.

"It was a reminder for both of us that we have to manage all the noise outside and keep it to what's real," Spoelstra said. "The only things that matter are the people in the locker room. At the end of the day, a lot of the noise will be pointed in our direction.

"It was probably one of the steps when we started to develop a deeper trust [with each other]. We were in a similar boat together and it wasn't about us. And we needed to be able to manage that and not let it be a distraction."

We've taken our talents to South Beach. Check out the Heat Index.

Spoelstra lauded James' leadership and ability to focus despite the intense media scrutiny that has followed the Heat all season.

"He's been a lightning rod," Spoelstra said. "He's done a very good job of compartmentalizing all of that and to just be a member of the team."

Was Spoelstra surprised with how well James responded to the pressure?

"Probably," Spoelstra said. "Then I started to think about it. This has been new for me. This has been new for a lot of the guys in this gym."

Spoelstra pointed to the horde of reporters surrounding James at Wednesday's practice before continuing.

"This right here is the world that LeBron has been living in since seventh grade," Spoelstra said. "He's used to navigating and negotiating this world. But it was an adjustment for me in November."

Spoelstra is currently in his third season as coach of the Heat.

Since the 10-8 start, the Heat went on a roll, getting a franchise-high 15 wins in the month of December. The Heat finished the regular season with a 58-24 record, good for the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Heat are up 2-0 in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers and are set to play Game 3 Thursday night.

Tom Haberstroh covers the NBA for ESPN Insider and ESPN The Magazine.

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Rick Adelman won't return as Houston Rockets' head coach

HOUSTON -- Rick Adelman is out as coach of the Houston Rockets.

The team announced that the Rockets and Adelman "have mutually agreed to part ways." Adelman's contract expires on June 30.

General manager Daryl Morey said in a statement Monday night that the decision came after "numerous discussions and careful consideration."

[+] Enlarge David Sherman/NBAE/Getty ImagesThe Houston Rockets announced that the team and Adelman "have mutually agreed to part ways."

"It has been a privilege and an honor to work with and learn from Rick during these past four years," Morey said. "He is a Hall of Fame coach who earned the respect and admiration of our entire organization during his time here. These situations are always difficult, but we would like to personally thank Rick and his staff for their efforts the past four seasons and we wish them the best in their future pursuits."

The 64-year-old Adelman went 193-135 in four seasons with the Rockets. The .588 winning percentage was the highest among the 11 full-time coaches the franchise has had. Adelman led the Rockets to their only playoff series victory since 1997. His career record is 945-616 and ranks eighth in all-time wins.

"I have enjoyed my time in Houston over these past four seasons," Adelman said in a statement. "We accomplished quite a bit, despite overcoming numerous obstacles during the past few years.

"I especially enjoyed coaching this group of players the past two seasons," he said. "Despite difficult circumstances, they never gave in and they never quit. It was a joy coming in every day and working with such a group of dedicated players and coaches. I wish them all the best."

Adelman accepted the Houston job in 2007 and envisioned building a championship contender around Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. By the end of Adelman's first season, both All-Stars had injuries that would require surgery.

With Yao healthy and McGrady still hurting, Houston reached the Western Conference semifinals in 2008-09, snapping a streak of seven consecutive first-round exits for the franchise.

Yao broke his left foot in the playoffs and underwent surgery that would keep him out the entire 2009-10 season. The Rockets went 42-40 without him and missed the postseason after winning at least 50 games in each of the previous three years.

The Rockets traded McGrady to New York in February 2010, and Yao played only five games in 2010-11 before he was sidelined again, this time with a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Rick Adelman has never won a Coach of the Year award, but he's finished second four times.

-- ESPN Stats & Information

Houston went 17-8 after the All-Star break and fell short of the playoffs again, despite a 43-39 record.

The Rockets made a flurry of roster moves in Adelman's tenure and consistently ranked among the league's highest-scoring teams. Kevin Martin emerged as the leading scorer, and the surrounding starters were Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes, Kyle Lowry and Chase Budinger.

Although the Rockets were always competitive, Adelman couldn't help but think about what could have been.

"I look at the team today," Adelman said in late February. "In 3½ years since I came here, we have only two guys left, Luis and Chuck. That's not a lot of stability. I came to coach Yao and Tracy and ended up with Luis and Chuck.

"It is kind of amazing those are the only two guys left," Adelman said. "I told them, 'This is the group we have. What are you going to make of it?' That is the same approach I have to take."

The Rockets will search for their third coach since 2003, when Rudy Tomjanovich stepped down for health reasons. Jeff Van Gundy coached the team from 2003-07, guiding it to three playoff appearances.

Houston's current players uniformly raved about Adelman in their exit meetings with team management and lobbied for the Rockets to bring him back.

Adelman came to the Rockets after guiding Portland to two NBA finals in the early 1990s, missing the playoffs in two disappointing seasons in Golden State, then transforming Sacramento into a perennial contender in the Western Conference in the early 2000s.

His contract was not renewed after the 2005-06 season, and Adelman sat out a season. He mulled several options in 2007 and decided the Rockets job was the most appealing -- under the assumption that Yao and McGrady would stay healthy.

"At the time, I was talking to two or three teams, and this was obviously, the best situation," he said. "Those guys were here. They had won 50-plus games.

"I had three experiences [before Houston]," he said. "At two, I had a lot of talent and at one, I didn't. I won at two places and didn't win at the other. I figured it out that talent is pretty important, especially if you have a unique blend of a big guy who's one of the best in the league and a perimeter player who's one of the best in the league."

Now, Adelman will take time to ponder his next move. He said in the last week of the Rockets' season that he still has a passion for the job.

"I don't think I've lost the desire to coach; I think I still can do it," Adelman said. "This team has been a lot of fun. It's been tough during the season. I tell people that, when you go through it, it's not so easy. But when you work with a group of guys who just won't quit, and play above and beyond what people expect them to do, that's a lot of fun when you look back on it."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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2011 NBA Playoffs: Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan fined for comments about officiating after Game 1 vs. Dallas Mavericks

Updated: April 18, 2011, 5:40 PM ETBy Tim MacMahon
ESPNDallas.com
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DALLAS -- Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan was fined $35,000 for public comments on the officiating after Saturday's Game 1 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA announced Monday.

During his postgame press conference, McMillan questioned why there was such a large free throw disparity in Dallas' favor. The Mavericks shot 29 free throws, compared to 13 for the Trail Blazers. Dallas had a 19-2 edge in free throws during the fourth quarter, when Dirk Nowitzki was 13-of-13 from the line.

"The free throws, I just don't get that," McMillan said. "It's hard for our guys to know how to play out there when it's called a little different; 19 to two in the fourth quarter. And I felt like we were attacking, and guys really didn't know how to play with the fouls that were being called. A lot of touch fouls. I thought that took the momentum away and pretty much gave them control in the game."

McMillan pointed out that Portland shot far fewer free throws despite having a major advantage in points in the paint (46-18).

"There were no calls in some situations," McMillan said. "But I thought we were being aggressive."

McMillan did not back away from his critical comments the next day, when he acknowledged that he wouldn't be surprised to get fined.

"I'm not hoping to get fined," McMillan said, flashing a brief grin. "You know, I don't even want to discuss it.

"I said what I said. We have to make adjustments to the situation and the officiating, but our guys have to continue to be aggressive and keep a calm head. I thought we got out of character because of not getting calls."

McMillan indicated that he didn't have a problem with the fouls that were called against the Trail Blazers, saying Portland "didn't play smartly" after the Mavericks got into the penalty. His frustration was due to the fact that Portland's aggressiveness on offense wasn't rewarded with trips to the free throw line.

"We'll continue to do what we were doing, continue to be aggressive and attack the basket," McMillan said Sunday. "That's the game plan for us and for Dallas. They were rewarded with getting to the free throw line. Hopefully on Tuesday, we'll get there."

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle scoffed at the suggestion that McMillan's comments could affect the officiating for the rest of the series.

"You're asking me if I think the coach's comments are going to influence the officials?" Carlisle said. "I believe the officials are going to make every effort to make the calls that are there. I said it the other day, our officials are the best officials in sports and they have the toughest job. Our job is to make sure we're as aggressive as possible and that we play our game as well as we can.

"If you want to get in a debate about officiating, there's plenty of calls that could have gone the other way as well."

Tim MacMahon covers the Mavericks for ESPNDallas.com.

Follow Tim MacMahon on Twitter: @espn_macmahon

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Senators fire coach Cory Clouston after failing to make playoffs

The Ottawa Senators have fired head coach Cory Clouston and two assistants after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

More about → Senators fire coach Cory Clouston after failing to make playoffs