Pacers’ O’Neal Hurt; Cavaliers Roll

The Indiana Pacers might have bigger problems than finding a new team for Ron Artest.

With a proposed trade sending Artest to Sacramento apparently on hold, the Pacers scored only 28 points in the second half, lost Jermaine O’Neal to another injury and were defeated, 96-66, by the Cavaliers on Tuesday night at Cleveland.

“We sure have had enough bad luck for a year,” said O’Neal, who may have torn a groin muscle in the fourth quarter. “I’m really, really concerned. I heard it pop. Hopefully, I won’t need surgery.”

O’Neal, who said he has felt tightness in the groin for weeks, also hurt his right shoulder and was playing on a tender left ankle. He limped to the locker room with 9:30 remaining and the Cavaliers ahead by 20.

Meanwhile, LeBron James met with Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson before the game and then flirted with a triple-double in front of the man who patented them, finishing with 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds while wearing white leggings under his shorts.

“I’m 2-0 with them,” James said. “I’m wearing them to keep warm so when I go to the bench it [his sore left knee] doesn’t stiffen up.”

Indiana made 11 of 38 shots after halftime and lost its fourth in a row.

“We’re not a very good basketball team right now,” said Coach Rick Carlisle. “This was very disappointing. We couldn’t hit a bull in the butt with a bass fiddle.”

Stephen Jackson had 17 points for Indiana..

Detroit 107, Minnesota 83 -- Chauncey Billups outscored his former team in the third quarter, 18-13, helping the Pistons win their eighth straight and giving Coach Flip Saunders a winning return to Minneapolis.

Saunders was fired in February after 9 1/2 seasons there.

Billups finished with 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds and keyed a 33-13 third quarter.

Kevin Garnett had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota .

Orlando 111, Phoenix 102 -- Hedo Turkoglu scored 30 points, and the Magic limited the Suns to one basket in the final 4:48 at Orlando, Fla., for their fourth straight victory.

Shawn Marion had 26 points and 16 rebounds for Phoenix.

Philadelphia 109, Sacramento 103 -- Allen Iverson scored 41 points at Philadelphia to help the 76ers overcome Mike Bibby’s career-high 44 points and hand the Kings their third straight loss. The 76ers’ Chris Webber had 17 points and 13 rebounds against his former team.

Miami 94, Memphis 82 -- Dwyane Wade scored 18 of his 25 points in the second half, and Shaquille O’Neal had 20 points and 15 rebounds in only 30 minutes to help the Heat win its 51st straight home game when leading after three quarters. Bobby Jackson had 22 points for Memphis.

San Antonio 104, Charlotte 76 -- Beno Udrih had season highs of 17 points and eight assists at San Antonio to help the Spurs easily avoid losing consecutive games for the first time this season.

Charlotte lost its eighth in a row.