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espn | NBA talks reportedly taking place

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Negotiations aimed at ending the NBA lockout resumed Tuesday with a specific goal at the heart of the talks -- to end the 146-day impasse in time for games to begin on Christmas, The New York Times reports. The newspaper cited two people close to the talks in its report Wednesday. Yahoo! Sports also is reporting on the talks, which are continuing Wednesday. According to The Times, the talks are taking place through lawyers representing both sides because of pending litigation -- different groups of players filed separate lawsuits in California and Minnesota last week. NBA owners locked out the players on July 1, and the labor strife has forced games to be canceled through Dec. 15. The NBA said Wednesday that "it remains in favor of a negotiated resolution (to the lockout)." The league declined to further comment. Christmas games generally are considered the launching pad for the NBA's national TV schedule. There are three games on the Dec. 25 schedule: the Boston Celtics at New York Knicks at noon ET on ESPN, and an ABC doubleheader featuring an NBA Finals rematch between the Miami Heat at the Dallas Mavericks (2:30 p.m.) and the Chicago Bulls visiting the Los Angeles Lakers (5 p.m.).