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From The Associated Press

Nuggets coach eager for arrival of Billups

DENVER—Denver coach George Karl has been petitioning for a pure point guard, a player with a proclivity for passing.

He got his wish when the Nuggets acquired Chauncey Billups from Detroit on Monday in a trade involving Allen Iverson.

Now, Karl needs to tweak the offense, restructuring it from Iverson’s shoot-first mentality to Billups’ pass-often mind-set.

Not that he minds the challenge.

“We all get excited when you’ve got a point guard that’s special,” Karl said Tuesday. “I think he’s an orchestrator of winning. He’ll help everybody get better shots. He’ll help me coach the game.”

Karl has been searching for just such a point guard since surrendering Andre Miller to the Philadelphia 76ers in the trade that brought Iverson to town in December 2006.

“I think it fits, it fits what we need,” said Karl, who’s not expected to have Billups available Wednesday at Golden State, but should have him Friday against Dallas. “But when you make a trade, there’s a nervous depression — ‘Is this the right thing? Will it work out? How’s it going to work out?’”

Besides acquiring Billups, the Nuggets got Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb from the Pistons.

If McDyess ends up playing for the Nuggets, it will be his third time with the team. But there’s a chance the cost-cutting Nuggets could buy out his contract.

Roethlisberger has MRI, status uncertain

PITTSBURGH—Byron Leftwich has already shown the Pittsburgh Steelers he can finish. He may get the chance Sunday to prove he can start.

With starter Ben Roethlisberger’s status for Sunday’s game against the Colts uncertain due to his reinjured right shoulder, the Steelers (6-2) may give Leftwich his first start since last Nov. 18 with Atlanta.

Roethlisberger underwent an MRI exam Tuesday, but the Steelers did not immediately release the results. He reinjured his separated right shoulder on a quarterback sneak near the end of the second quarter Monday night.

Leftwich took over to set up a touchdown with a long completion on his first throw, threw for a score and led another TD drive during a 23-6 win in Washington.

Leftwich’s linescore for a short but productive night’s work: 7 of 10 for 129 yards, no interceptions and one satisfied locker room as the Steelers preserved their AFC North lead.

Stoudemire’s big third quarter lifts Suns

PHOENIX—Amare Stoudemire took over the game just long enough to give the Phoenix Suns yet another victory over Portland.

Stoudemire scored 16 of his 23 points in the decisive third quarter and Phoenix beat the Trail Blazers 107-96 Saturday night to give Terry Porter his first home victory as Suns coach.

“I had my mind set I wanted to dominate,” Stoudemire said. “I wanted to go out there and dominate the third quarter and kind of set the tone for the second half.”

All five Phoenix starters reached double figures as the Suns beat Portland for the 10th straight time, their longest active streak against any opponent. It’s also the Blazers’ longest current losing streak against any team.

Steve Nash had 20 points, including a 3-pointer that put Phoenix ahead 101-90 with 1:48 left.

Matt Barnes scored 21, Shaquille O’Neal 16 and Raja Bell 13 for the Suns, who shot 55 percent. Nash also had seven assists.

Devils’ Brodeur out 3-4 months

NEWARK, N.J.—For the next three to four months, the New Jersey Devils are going to learn about life without Martin Brodeur.

The 36-year-old Brodeur, a four-time Vezina Trophy winner who is on the verge of becoming the NHL’s all-time winningest goaltender, will be sidelined until at least February after tearing a distal biceps in his left elbow last weekend.

Brodeur will undergo surgery Thursday.

“It’s shocking because you expect my knee is going to go or my groin or my thumb, something I use as a goalie,” Brodeur said Tuesday in a conference call. “I didn’t expect my biceps could be a big factor in an injury. It was a freak accident. That’s why I am shocked about the injury. That’s not something I expected to hurt.”

The biceps attaches to the big bone (proximal radius) in the forearm at the elbow joint.

Rafael Nadal has knee tendinitis

MADRID, Spain—Rafael Nadal has tendinitis in his right knee and could be in doubt for Spain’s Davis Cup final against Argentina.

Medical tests Tuesday confirmed the tendinitis, and Spain team doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro said the top-ranked player would undergo treatment through Saturday.

Nadal will have more tests Monday to assess the injury. Spain plays Argentina in the final on indoor hard court at Mar del Plata from Nov. 21-23.

Spanish Davis Cup captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario will not pick Nadal if he is unfit, Nadal’s uncle and coach Toni said Tuesday.

On Monday, Nadal pulled out of the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai citing fatigue after a season in which he’s played in 111 matches.

Armstrong still unsure about Tour de France

SAN DIEGO—Lance Armstrong has yet to decide whether he will try for an eighth Tour de France title in 2009.

“I want to say I’m not trying to be coy; I’m not playing games with them (the Tour) or with fans or with media. I simply don’t know,” Armstrong said Tuesday during wind tunnel testing at the San Diego Air & Space Technology Center. “I’m not in a hurry.”

Jean-Etienne Amaury, the new president of the Tour’s organizer, said last month that Armstrong had “embarrassed” the event.

Armstrong suggested his safety might be at risk if he enters the Tour again. The Austin, Texas, resident recalled watching his hometown college football team, the Texas Longhorns, lose at Texas Tech last weekend.

“(Texas Tech fans) hated, hated Texas; they hated them. ... I’m at home watching it and the trick there is that you’re in a stadium and you’re sort of protected,” Armstrong said. “Cycling’s not that way. So if they hate you and you’re on the roads and they want you, they can get you.”

His last Tours “weren’t good,” Armstrong said.

Giambi, Pavano options declined by Yankees

DANA POINT, Calif.—The New York Yankees declined their 2009 options on first baseman Jason Giambi and pitcher Carl Pavano on Tuesday, making the pair eligible for free agency.

Giambi will receive a $5 million buyout rather than a $22 million salary next season, completing his $120 million, seven-year contract. Pavano gets a $1.95 million buyout instead of a $13 million salary, finishing his $39.95 million deal.

The 2000 AL MVP with Oakland, Giambi hit 209 homers during his time with the Yankees. Slowed by injuries and in the center of controversy during baseball’s performance-enhancing drug investigation, Giambi failed to win any World Series titles during his time in New York.

Pavano was one of the biggest free-agent busts, spending most of the past four years on the disabled list. He made just 26 starts during the contract, going 9-8 with a 5.00 ERA.