NEW YORK — Yao Ming's lead over Shaquille O'Neal in the race to finish No. 1 overall in NBA All-Star Game balloting has increased to more than 70,000 votes.

The Houston Rockets' center had 1,888,533 votes through three rounds of voting as of yesterday. O'Neal of the Miami Heat tops the Eastern Conference with 1,817,828.

Fans can vote through Jan. 23. The game is Feb. 20 in Denver.

Minnesota's Kevin Garnett leads West forwards with 1,545,544 votes, followed by San Antonio's Tim Duncan (1,224,697).

Yao's teammate Tracy McGrady (1,469,005) is the top guard in the West, trailed by the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (1,362,409).

In the East, New Jersey's Vince Carter (1,294,646) and Orlando's Grant Hill (1,118,795) lead the forwards, while Philadelphia's Allen Iverson (1,154,074) and Cleveland's LeBron James (1,151,688) are the leading guards.

• Andrei Kirilenko (knee) won't return to the Utah Jazz's lineup tomorrow as previously planned, with coach Jerry Sloan deciding to give the forward another week of practice and rehabilitation.

• Scottie Pippen, ex-Chicago Bulls star, has filed a legal malpractice lawsuit against a firm, Katten Muchen Zavis Rosenman, that he said persuaded him to use a financial adviser who lost millions of dollars through questionable investments. The lawsuit does not seek specific damages, but Pippen attorney Robert P. Cummins said that "to suggest that it would be in the range of $20 million would not be overstating the problem."

• Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Luke Jackson had back surgery and will miss the rest of the season.