--G O.J. Mayo got his shooting untracked Monday, hitting 9-of-16 shots and finishing with 21 points. "I really feel like I've matured as a player and a person this year," Mayo said. "The sky is the limit."
--C Darko Milicic's 12 points and 11 rebounds in Sunday's win at Detroit were huge for him. He had been drafted high by the Pistons but never developed there and was benched. "Every time I step into this building it reminds me of the days of not playing," Milicic said. "It was a critical time in my career, and I wasn't playing. I (still) learned how you had to get prepared for every game." --Monday's loss was the second of five games in seven days -- a stretch that includes a pair of back-to-backs.
"Players would prefer to play, coaches would, too," coach Lionel Hollins said. "The more you play, the better you get in a rhythm. When you start sliding in your fundamentals, then coaches want practice. But I think players just like to play more often."
This week, every opponent -- Portland, Denver, New Orleans and Boston -- is jockeying for playoff seeding.
"Anytime we can get our wins it'll mean a lot whether it's against a playoff team or not," forward Rudy Gay said. "We're not giving up. We're trying to get better."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "With me playing extra minutes, it takes a toll on you by the end of the game." -- F Rudy Gay on having to play 39 minutes because of injuries to Darko Milicic and Darrell Arthur.
