The Charlotte Bobcats have signed veteran guard Larry Hughes to help with depth in the backcourt as they attempt to reach the playoffs for the first time.

General manager Rod Higgins announced this month they wouldn't sign Hughes because of his broken finger. But the injury has healed, and a team spokesman says Hughes passed his physical and could practice on Saturday.

The 31-year-old Hughes was traded from New York to Sacramento last month and then waived.

Hughes has averaged 14.6 points since being the eighth overall pick of Philadelphia in 1998. He has also played for Golden State, Washington, Cleveland and Chicago.

Charlotte has been looking for help in the backcourt after trading Flip Murray to Chicago last month.

The Orlando Magic pulled away early to set up a 111-82 thrashing of the injury-hit Chicago Bulls on Thursday, extending their NBA winning streak to a season-best seven games.

Vince Carter had 23 points and Matt Barnes added 14 in another blowout victory against a struggling team for the Magic.

All-Star point guard Derrick Rose sprained his left wrist in a midair collision with Dwight Howard in the first quarter and didn't return for the Bulls, the latest setback in a season that's quickly going sour.

Officials broke ground Thursday on a much-delayed 22-acre development project that will bring the NBA's New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn.

Today is a great day for Brooklyn and for the soul of Brooklyn, which is very much alive, said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, the biggest cheerleader of the Atlantic Yards project since it was announced in 2003.

Markowitz joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Gov. David Paterson and hundreds of others at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the $4.9 billion project, which has been delayed by lawsuits filed by residents fighting the use of eminent domain.

Former NBA All-Star Alvin Robertson, facing sexual assault of a child and sex trafficking charges, is back in jail in San Antonio after a judge increased his bond.

Prosecutors say they had asked that Robertson's bail be doubled to $450,000 on Wednesday after allegations surfaced that he was threatening two women. The 47-year-old Robertson was still in jail late Wednesday.

He has been accused of being part of a sex trafficking ring that kidnapped a 14-year-old girl. Robertson, through his lawyer, has denied the allegations.

Attorney Jimmy Parks Jr. told the San Antonio Express-News the bond change was unusual because his client hasn't been charged with a new crime.

The Golden State Warriors say center Andris Biedrins has undergone surgery to repair a small tear of an abdominal muscle. Biedrins had the surgery Wednesday in Philadelphia. The team says it will be four to six weeks until Biedrins can resume basketball-related activities.

With only five weeks remaining in the season, that means Biedrins is not expected to return until next season. Biedrins is averaging 5.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in 33 games this season. If he does not return this season, his 16 percent free throw shooting (4-for-25) would be the worst in NBA history for a player with at least 20 attempts.

The previous low is held by Boston's Garfield Smith. Smith made 6 of 31 attempts for 19.4 percent in 1971-72.

LeBron James is expected to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers? lineup against the Philadelphia 76ers, while Antawn Jamison remains day to day.

Cleveland coach Mike Brown said on Wednesday that he expects James to play when the Cavaliers visit Philadelphia on Friday. James has missed two games to rest a tender right ankle he twisted last Friday against Detroit. Brown wanted to use the break in the schedule to allow James to rest.

Jamison missed the fourth quarter of Monday's win against the Spurs with a sore left knee. An MRI on Tuesday showed no damage, but Jamison says he has a cyst in the knee that periodically fills with fluid.

He will be a game-time decision Friday, but plans to be ready on Sunday when Cleveland hosts Boston.

Kobe Bryant never gets tired of being the Lakers' closer.

And though he savored the chance to stop Los Angeles' longest losing streak in nearly three years with yet another flawless game-winning shot, Bryant is hoping he won?t have to bail out the Lakers quite so frequently in the final weeks before they defend their title.

Bryant hit a 17-foot jumper with 1.9 seconds left, and the Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter to snap their three-game losing streak with a 109-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.