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ATLANTA - You get the idea Pat Riley and referee Steve Javie don't like one another. Javie was the lead ref in the Heat-Knicks game last Sunday in New York. It was after a Heat-Knicks game in Miami on Dec. 13 that Riley claimed the league's referees have a bias against his team.

"The officials' hatred for me is absolutely, I think, unjust for what it's doing to my players," Riley said after the first Heat-Knicks game. "It all started, I think, last year. I sensed something changing last year when Steve Javie in Cleveland (in a Heat loss), as we were getting beat and going through a real tough time, came to my face after we were having a discussion and said, 'It's giving us absolute delight to watch you and your team die.'

"I didn't say anything about it that time, but we sort of mentioned it to the league office. He doesn't call many of our games anymore, but I think it's absolutely spread throughout the league."

Riley was fined $50,000 last Wednesday for those comments. That's double the largest individual fine levied against him previously.

Javie and Riley did not exchange a word during the game Sunday (won by the Heat, incidentally) to avoid any confrontations.

NO NETS BUZZ: So you think the Hawks have box-office trouble? Nets CEO Lou Lamoriello has been stumped by New Jersey's poor attendance this season.

With the Nets coming off their first NBA Finals appearance, Lamoriello expected fans to fill the Meadowlands, which has a capacity of 20,049. Instead, the team owned the fifth-worse home attendance average (13,497) going into the Christmas sellout with the Celtics.

MOTIVATION IN DETROIT: Grant Hill recalled a final conversation he had with Pistons executive Joe Dumars before departing Detroit three years ago.

"Joe was telling me that maybe by me leaving, it would make it get better. He said they would have the sense of urgency to get the right people there," recounted Hill.

While Hill went through injury rehabilitation in Orlando, Dumars made several good moves. It began with a decision to grab Chucky Atkins and Ben Wallace in the sign-and-trade deal that sent Hill to the Magic.

ONE AGAINST SEVEN: It's not that Detroit's Richard Hamilton shoots too much. It's just, well, he won't share.

Cliff Robinson has been riding Hamilton to give up the ball a little bit more, especially on the fast break.

"We all believe in his ability," Robinson said. "But it's a matter of understanding the situation. There are times when I tell him you can't go to the basket when it's one-on-seven. There are the five defenders back, plus two officials who aren't going to give him a call."

SEE CINERGY IMPLOSION
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Galleries: Implosion | Crowd | Aerial shots | Views from Kentucky

CINERGY IMPLOSION STORIES
What's next for the Riverfront?
New skyline already earning praise
Cinergy Field down in 37 seconds
Implosion called 'perfect event'
Partiers impressed by implosion
Fifty-five years that shaped Cincinnati's riverfront

BENGALS GAMEDAY
Bills 27, Bengals 9
Game might be LeBeau's last
Mooshagian to interview for college job
Isolation Booth: TKO Vs. Bledsoe
Keys to the game
Bengals-Bills by the numbers
The Edge
Life as a Rookie

AROUND THE NFL
This week's NFL picks, power rankings
If winning is only stat that matters, give McNair MVP
Giants 10, Eagles 7
Raiders 24, Chiefs 0
Home not so sweet for Browns
Colts in, but are they ready?
The playoff picture remains unclear

UC BEARCATS
UC 66, Miami 54
Fouls hurt RedHawks
UC-Miami Notebook: Hicks comes back
DAUGHERTY: What if UC had beaten OSU?

WOMEN'S CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT
UC women beat Xavier with defense
Ex-Bearcats, Pirtle say hello

XAVIER
No. 21 Xavier 84, Eastern Kentucky 60

OTHER COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
Pitino's rebuilt Cardinals rout Wildcats
Stone's redemption - UK's nightmare
Ohio State 94, Tennessee State 73
Temple 71, No. 10 Indiana 64
Saturday's Top 25 roundup
NKU men top Ferris St. to reach perfect 10

FIESTA BOWL
Buckeyes wary Miami has speed to burn
Close wins got Miami, OSU to Tempe
Buckeyes' home away from home is isolated in desert
Five questions with John Gonsior

OTHER COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
Brooks hired as UK football coach
Alamo goes to Badgers in OT
Lundy powers Virginia to win
Bowls at a glance

PREP SPORTS
Ohio boys: No. 1 Bacon loses first game
Ky. boys: Dixie gives Draud 100th win
Ohio girls: No. 2 Mercy runs away from Notre Dame
Ky. girls: Campbell wins Ryle challenge with 73-46 win
Hockey: Powell too much for Moeller
Preps schedules, results

BASEBALL
Reds Q&A
Prospects aren't improving for Orioles
It's goodbye to an era
Final countdown on Cinergy Field
Riverfront timeline

PRO HOOPS
NBA: Riley, ref ignore each other
Local players in the NBA

HOCKEY
Kariya plays despite death of father
Ducks go down; Cyclones roll

TRISTATE SPOTLIGHT
Area players' bowl (games) runneth over
Enquirer's Page Two power rankings

PLAN YOUR DAY
Sports on TV, radio this weekend