Playing his first game against his former team since a July trade, Spurs veteran guard Steve Smith scored 36 points to lead his team to a 106-90 win Saturday at Portland. Smith made all eight of his 3-pointers, tying an NBA record for three-pointers made without a miss, joining Utah's Jeff Hornacek and Seattle's Sam Perkins. "That was sweet," said Smith, who demanded a trade this summer after Portland GM Bob Whitsitt refused to give him a two-year contract extension. Smith's Spurs were 2-2 through Monday, while the Blazers were 1-3.

Wednesday marks the 10th anniversary of Magic Johnson's stunning announcement that he had contracted the AIDS virus. While the disease ended his playing career, it hasn't stopped him from continuing to live a full and rich life. In addition to being part-owner of the Lakers and involved in several business ventures, Magic, 42, still plays pickup basketball nearly every day at UCLA. He had a triple-double in a summer league game last year, holding his own against several NBA players.

"It's early yet, but he's off to a great start. We knew he had terrific ball skills, could push the ball up court, was aggressive, and made good decisions on the break. The question was how well he could shoot, and whether he was disciplined enough to run an NBA team. He had a pretty high turnover ratio in college, but it might have been misleading. In the games I saw, he took a lot of chances. Sometimes college kids aren't gifted enough athletically to play with a guy like Tinsley. He might be better in the NBA because the athletes here can finish his plays. Defensively, he's got good instincts, he's quick and he's big enough (6-foot-3) to defend guys like Jason Kidd and Gary Payton. Playing for Isiah Thomas is only going to help his development."