NBA ROUNDUP

> MUTOMBO’S RETIREMENT OFFICIAL: Dikembe Mutombo, 42, said he was retired from basketball after rupturing a quadriceps tendon in his left knee early in Houston’s 107-103 loss to Portland in Game 2 of their playoff series on Tuesday. Game 3 is today in Houston.

The 7-foot-2 Mutombo will have surgery on Monday. He limped around the Toyota Center on a crutch Thursday but stayed upbeat as he chatted with reporters. Mutombo played for six teams —- including the Hawks for five seasons from 1996-01 —- was the league’s top defensive player four times and played in eight All-Star games over 18 seasons. He ranks 17th in rebounds (12,359) and finished with 3,289 career blocks, second to Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830). He followed most of his blocks with a playful wag of his right index finger. “I had a wonderful, wonderful ride,” he said. Mutombo said he would talk with his wife, Rose, and six children before deciding. His humanitarian efforts in Africa were recognized in former President George W. Bush’s 2007, and he was invited to attend President Barack Obama’s inauguration in January.

> Etc.: The Sacramento Kings fired interim coach Kenny Natt, who replaced Reggie Theus on Dec. 15, and his four assistants a week after the club finished with the NBA’s worst record (17-65).

> Pistons make stand: Richard Hamilton slipped into his white Bentley luxury sedan, decked out in Jordan Brand gear from head to flip flops, and chatted for a couple minutes in the Detroit Pistons parking lot.

Hamilton was asked Thursday if he thought the Pistons could beat Cleveland in Game 3.

“We ain’t got a choice,” Hamilton said.

Detroit’s streak of advancing to the East finals will essentially be over if it can’t figure out a way to beat LeBron James and the Cavaliers at home on tonight.

Pistons coach Mike Curry sounds like he expects the series to shift back to Cleveland. “I fully believe that we’re going to take care of home court and win,” Curry said.

The top-seeded Cavs won the first two games of the first-round series by an average of 15 points and seem simply unstoppable.

Curry, though, said it’s too early to count out his team. “I’m sure the obituary has been written for a while, but the date keeps having to be changed,” Curry said. “We will die eventually.”