Dealing For Dollars

Through Sunday, Fox led the Celtics in assists (4.9) and was second in scoring (14.1 ppg). Boston coach/executive vice president M.L. Carr says he sees a more reliable player who has assumed more responsibility. "Now that he's come to grips with this issue, he can make a mistake and know it's not the end," says Carr. "He still needs to be pulled from a game sometimes when he gets befuddled, but he's able to gather himself and go back in."

Hallowell says Fox's public declaration that he has ADD will help children with the condition understand that they should not be ashamed of it. "Kids with ADD need to know they are not mental or stupid or weird," says Hallowell. "Now that Rick Fox says he has it, they're going to believe us when we tell them it's O.K."

Line of the Week
Heat guard Rex Chapman, last Friday, versus the Bulls: 40 M, 12-17 FG, 9-10 3PT, 6-7 FT, 39 points. Chapman was one of only eight players available to the Heat that evening because four of its new acquisitions had yet to join the club. But he was by far the hottest, helping Miami tie the team record of 15 treys while stunning the mighty Bulls 113-104. Chapman and Co. led by as many as 26 points in the third quarter before holding off a fourth-quarter Chicago surge.

Around the Rim

A couple of nondeals on the day of the trading deadline: Golden State tried to send Rony Seikaly to Boston for Eric Montross, but the Warriors would not take on Dee Brown and his remaining four years as part of the package; Cleveland made a pitch for Montross by dangling first-round picks, but the Cavs wouldn't part with any of their potential lottery selections....

Word out of Gotham is that the Knicks will make a strong push for Mourning this summer because they want him—and because detested former Knicks coach Riley is the one that has him....

Phoenix forward Charles Barkley (season averages: 23.7 points and 12.3 rebounds) averaged 27.4 points and 13.3 rebounds in the first seven games after Danny Manning returned from his one-year layoff following reconstructive surgery on his left anterior cruciate ligament. By contrast Lakers guard Eddie Jones (season average: 11.3 points) averaged 7.0 points a game in the first seven games after Magic Johnson un-retired.