Wall, Bledsoe still pushing each other

Former University of Kentucky guards John Wall and Eric Bledsoe went face-to-face in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas late Monday night, and Wall's Washington Wizards got the better of Bledsoe's Los Angeles Clippers, 89-64.

Wall, playing his second Summer League game with the Wizards, had 18 points, 10 assists and five steals. Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, made all eight of his free throws to improve to 19-for-19 at the line in two games. Wall, who was guarded by Bledsoe for much of the game, also committed eight turnovers.

"I had too many again tonight," said Wall, who also committed eight turnovers in his debut Sunday. "That's what we need to work on."

Bledsoe, starting at point guard in his Summer League debut, scored 17 points but, like his former UK teammate, admittedly committed too many turnovers. Bledsoe had six rebounds, four assists and a steal in 33 minutes, along with 10 turnovers.

"We did a great job knocking down shots," Wall said in the post-game interview on NBATV. "We knew coming in, me and Eric, we always want to make each other better. Off the court, we're brothers. On the court you have no friends. You try to make each other better. That's how we've been ever since Kentucky."

Wall was fouled on a drive with 41 seconds left in the first quarter and landed hard on his back with Bledsoe, trailing the play, falling on top of him. Wall made both free throws before leaving the game to be checked.

But Wall quickly returned in the second quarter and had 10 points in the period.

Wall finished 5-for-12 from the field and missed both of his three-point attempts.

"We just wanted to go at each other and make each other play 100 percent," Bledsoe told NBATV. "John came at me, I came at him. We're just trying to make each other better pros."

Bledsoe acknowledged that while Wall looks like the clear-cut starting point guard for Washington this winter, he'll probably have to wait his turn behind veteran Baron Davis in Los Angeles.

"I'll try to learn from him," Bledsoe said. "Try to learn leadership. How to run a team."

Rockets: Houston has reached an agreement with first-round draft pick Patrick Patterson

Patterson's agent, Odell McCants, said the deal is a standard rookie contract, with the first two years guaranteed and two one-year options. McCants said Patterson was to sign the contract after the Rockets' summer league game Tuesday night.

Hornets: General Manager Jeff Bower is leaving after spending 14-plus seasons with the club in various capacities. He was the club's GM since 2005.

Bower took over as head coach nine games into last season after the firing of Byron Scott, leading the Hornets to a 34-39 record that left the club at 37-45 overall and out of the playoffs. He went back to the front office when Monty Williams was hired as the new coach.

Jazz: Minnesota agreed to send power forward Al Jefferson to Utah for two future first-round draft picks and center Kosta Koufos.

Magic: Quentin Richardson wasn't swayed to take less money to be part of the Heat's All-Star trio. Instead, he'll have a chance to wreck the South Beach party. After a year with the Heat, Richardson joined the Magic with a three-year deal worth around $7.5 million.

Knicks: New York has signed Russian center Timofey Mozgov. The 7-foot-1 Mozgov spent last season with BC Khimki of Russia, averaging 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 32 games. The 23-year-old represented Russia at the 2009 European championship, scoring 11 points per game.

Mavericks: Tyson Chandler has been traded after all, just not to the team he thought a day earlier. After Charlotte's potential deal with Toronto fell through, the Bobcats sent Chandler and fellow center Alexis Ajinca to Dallas on Tuesday for center Erick Dampier, forward Eduardo Najera, shooting guard Matt Carroll and cash considerations.

Heat: Zydrunas Ilgauskas has dealt Cleveland another blow by planning to follow LeBron James to Miami.

The veteran center, who started playing for Cleveland in 1997 and has never suited up for another NBA team, expects to sign a two-year contract with the Heat later this week, agent Herb Rudoy said Tuesday.

Wizards: Center Hilton Armstrong has signed a free-agent contract. He's an experienced 6-foot-11 backup known as a shot-blocker.