Two-time NBA All-Star shooting guard Manu Ginobili will return to the hardwood for the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday in New Jersey after missing more than a month with a broken left hand.

Ginobili practiced Friday and will play against the Nets, though coach Gregg Popovich wasn’t sure if he would start and said his minutes would be “not many.”

“I don’t have great expectations for the first few games. I just want to contribute, help a little bit, don’t change anything of what the team’s doing, just try to fit in again,” Ginobili said.

“I think at the beginning I’m not going to play 30 minutes (but) come back slowly. I mean I wasn’t in great shape even before the surgery, so not going to be now.”

Ginobili was hurt Jan. 2 in the fifth game of the season at Minnesota.

He was averaging 17.4 points in 23.2 minutes per game on 59.2 % shooting — including 51.9 % from beyond the arc.

The Spurs hold the second-best record in the Western Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (20-6) and are two games ahead of the Houston Rockets (16-11) in the Southwest Division with a record of 18-9.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Starting Lineup: PG Derrick Rose, SG Dwyane Wade, F LeBron James, F Carmelo Anthony, C Dwight Howard

Reserves: PG Deron Williams, SG Joe Johnson, G-F Andre Iguodala, SF Paul Pierce, SF Luol Deng, PF Chris Bosh, C Roy Hibbert

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Starting Lineup: PG Chris Paul, SG Kobe Bryant, SF Kevin Durant, PF Blake Griffin, C Andrew Bynum

Reserves: PG Steve Nash, PG Russell Westbrook, PG Tony Parker, PF Kevin Love, PF LaMarcus Aldridge, F Dirk Nowitzki, C Marc Gasol

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers rookie guard Kyrie Irving is being evaluated at the Cleveland Clinic as he recovers from a concussion.

Irving missed his first game of the season Wednesday night with the concussion. He was kept out after the team diagnosed him with the head injury, which he sustained Tuesday night in Miami when he was accidentally kneed in the head by the Heat’s Dwyane Wade.

Irving complained of a headache while warming up before Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Cavs coach Byron Scott said.

Irving remained in the locker room as his teammates won without him. Ramon Sessions started for Irving and scored a season-high 24 points with 13 assists.

There is no timetable for Irving’s return.

The Cavaliers host Milwaukee on Friday and Philadelphia on Saturday.

Legendary Detroit Pistons guard Isiah Thomas said he met Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose last year after a game in Detroit and that Rose contacted him after the Bulls’ season had ended.

Now, Rose is looking for more advice from the two-time Chicago-native NBA champion.

“He was pretty down,” Thomas told ESPNChicago.com by phone on Wednesday. “He asked me ‘How did you do it? How did you win back-to-back championships at this size?’ And my response to him was that once you understand your opponent and know your opponent better than you know yourself, you’ll win.”

What did Rose have to say about Isiah’s championship mentality?

Find out at Bulls Gab

With Danilo Gallinari out for a month with a fractured ankle, the Nuggets are looking for some help at the forward position.

Restricted free-agent forward Wilson Chandler plans to re-sign with the Denver Nuggets once he finishes playing in China, his agent told Yahoo! Sports.

He wants to re-sign with the Nuggets for either the rest or the season or a longer-term deal.

“Wilson likes their direction and the stabilization of their roster in Denver with the young talent,” Luchey said in a phone interview from China. “He wants to see how they develop as a team. It’s a unique situation. The ball is in their court. If Wilson is comfortable, he will be a part of their core group.”

Consider Denver has lost their last four games, including three straight home contests — the addition of Chandler would certainly give the club a much-needed boost.

HOUSTON – Houston will once again play host to a constellation of the world’s brightest stars as it has been selected as the site of NBA All-Star 2013, the NBA announced today.

The 62nd NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 17, at the Toyota Center, which will also host the NBA Rising Stars Challenge and NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm. NBA All-Star Jam Session, the hugely successful interactive basketball celebration, will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

“Houston is a spectacular sports city, and for one week it will be the basketball capital of the world,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “NBA All-Star is a magnificent celebration of our game, and I want to thank the city and the Rockets for welcoming us once again.”

The 2013 game will mark the third NBA All-Star celebration in Houston. The city also hosted the event in 1989 and in 2006.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The NBA said a goaltending call in the final seconds of regulation in the Portland Trail Blazers‘ overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night was incorrect.

Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge was called for goaltending on Kevin Durant‘s attempted layup with six seconds left. The call tied the game at 103 and it went to overtime.

The Thunder went on to win 111-107. Fans at the Rose Garden booed the officials as they left the court, and debate over the call raged on the Internet and on local sports talk radio.

“With the benefit of slow motion replay following the game, it has been determined that Aldridge made contact with the ball just before the ball hit the backboard. Therefore, this should have been ruled a good block and goaltending was the incorrect call,” according to a statement posted on NBA.com on Tuesday.

Referees cannot use instant replay on goaltending calls.

After the game, coach Nate McMillan said: “I thought it was a good block. That game should have been over.”

Aldridge, who finished with a season-best 39 points, also maintained the block was clean.

“The ref who called it was the furthest one from the basket, so that’s pretty interesting,” he said.

Durant led the Thunder with 33 points.

NEW YORK — The NBA has decided to try a new format for its All-Star Weekend game featuring the league’s top young talent.

The Rising Stars Challenge will feature teams comprised of both rookies and sophomores. TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal will serve as the general managers and conduct a draft on Feb. 16 to determine each team.

The rookies faced the sophomores in previous years.

The pool of players for this year’s game on Feb. 24 in Orlando, Fla., will be announced on Wednesday. The head coaches will be the lead assistants from the All-Star Game coaching staffs.

The NBA announced the details on Tuesday.