Jamal Crawford led the Hawks to a 100-91 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday, scoring 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting (3-of-7 from downtown, 7-of-7 from the foul line) with three rebounds, six assists and two steals in 39 minutes off the bench. Crawford will continue to score if given the opportunity.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Philadelphia: Allen Iverson turned back the clock Friday night, dueling with Kobe Bryant on his way to a season-high 23 points. AI also added two three’s, four assists, one steal and one block. He went shot-for-shot with Kobe during a memorable third quarter that brought back memories of the 2001 NBA Finals. All that said, we’d sell high on Iverson right now. He’s had 20+ points in two of his last three games and someone should be ready to bite on the name recognition.

Los Angeles: Kobe Bryant shook off a minor leg injury and scored 22 points in the second half of Friday’s win in Philadelphia. Kobe finished with 24 points, four rebounds, three steals, two blocks and three assists.

Portland: Coach Nate McMillan said that Brandon Roy (hamstring) is not expected to make his return on Monday. Roy will be re-evaluated on Monday and the Portland Trail Blazers are now hopeful that he gets back on the court by Feb. 3 or 4.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony (ankle) will not play Friday against the Thunder. Coach George Karl said that the ankle has worsened since playing in Houston on Wednesday, adding that the ankle had swollen up on the flight to Oklahoma City Thunder and that they’ll be taking a “wait and see process.”

Minnesota: Kevin Love will continue to come off the bench against the Clippers on Friday, with Ryan Hollins starting at center and Ryan Gomes at small forward.

New Jersey: Devin Harris (wrist) will not play against the Wizards on Friday. Harris is improving, but tonight will mark the third straight game he’s missed with this injury. We don’t have a timetable on his return but the New Jersey Nets will play it safe considering Harris is their best trade bait and their record is 4-40. Keyon Dooling gets another start.

Tim Duncan had 21 points, a career-high 27 rebounds (10 offensive), six assists and one block in Wednesday’s easy win over the Hawks. He dominated Al Horford (2-of-10, 4 & 9) tonight despite hitting just 5-of-20 shots. It was a strange night for Duncan, who had the biggest rebounding night of his 12-year career and hit 11-of-11 free throws. We don’t know why he would be on any fantasy benches, but hopefully he was in there for you tonight. Amazingly, Duncan has never lost to the Hawks when he has played in a game against them.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

San Antonio: Tony Parker suffered a left ankle sprain on Wednesday, which appeared to be of a severe nature. He has had problems with the same ankle in the past and while X-rays were negative, it does sound like he will probably miss some time with the injury. We should know more information on Thursday. Our guess is George Hill, who was already starting at shooting guard, will take over at point guard if Parker is out.

Chicago: Joakim Noah hit 6-of-10 shots for 13 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and two blocks in Wednesday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s playing through a painful foot injury, but looked great tonight. Go ahead and keep him active. Derrick Rose added 26 points and seven assists in this one.

Cleveland: .J. Hickson got hot early and hit 8-of-10 shots for a career-high 23 points to go along with eight rebounds and a block in Wednesday’s easy win over the Wolves. We’ve seen Hickson do this before and it usually happens when he hits a bunch of shots early. He was scoreless in his last game, but had 11 points and 14 boards in the previous one.

New Jersey: Keyon Dooling started in place of injured Devin Harris and had 18 points, eight assists and two 3-pointers on 7-of-13 shooting as the New Jersey Nets beat the Clippers for their fourth win of the year on Wednesday.

New Jersey: Kris Humphries scored a career-high 25 points to go along with eight rebounds, a steal and a block, and hit 10-of-14 shots as the Nets won for the just the fourth time this season by beating the Los Angeles Clippers in Jersey. The Nets avoided the worst 44-game start in NBA history with the 103-87 win and you can bet Humps has probably earned more playing time after this effort. Brook Lopez added 19 points and nine rebounds in the win, helping the Nets snap an 11-game losing streak.

Milwaukee: Carlos Delfino left Wednesday’s game against the Sixers in the second half with an ankle sprain. We’re assuming this is an aggravation of the ankle Delfino rolled on Tuesday. He had just six points, five rebounds and no 3-pointers in 24 minutes before getting hurt.

Devin Harris

Devin Harris (wrist) is not expected to play on Wednesday. Harris missed practice on Tuesday and spent some time putting up free throws left handed.

He didn’t rule himself out for Wednesday, but coach Kiki Vandeweghe essentially did. Harris has been playing through injuries all season and will try to do so again on Friday. Keyon Dooling will start in Harris’ place

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Minnesota: Ramon Sessions provided a lift off the bench for Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, scoring 20 points with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in 31 minutes.The Wolves got blown out, the starting unit was awful, and we’re taking this big game (his second-highest point total all season) with a grain of salt.

Timberwolves GM David Kahn said on Tuesday that he won’t trade Al Jefferson unless he is offered a deal that is “preposterously one-sided.”

Jefferson will make $42 million over the next three seasons, but at 25 years old the dominant post presence is not exactly a liability.

Kevin Love played just 17 minutes off the bench on Tuesday, posting six points, five rebounds and four turnovers. Love shot 3-of-8 and had a team-worst +/- rating of -26 despite such limited playing time.

We still expect him to rejoin the starting five before long, so stay patient — starting PF Ryan Gomes had 13 points, two 3s, seven rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes.

Pau Gasol couldn’t be stopped on Tuesday, rolling up 26 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal in a win over the Wizards. In fairness, Gasol also had difficulty slowing Antawn Jamison on the other end.

He has rediscovered his rhythm after sitting out with a hamstring injury and has scored 20+ points in three straight games.

Washington: Mike Miller moved into Washington’s starting lineup on Tuesday and had 15 points (7-of-12 FGs), one 3-pointer, five rebounds, four assists and one steal in a loss to the Lakers. Perhaps most importantly, Miller logged 36 minutes and looked perfectly healthy.

Washington: Playing through a sprained foot, Antawn Jamison finished Tuesday’s game with 27 points (11-of-22 shooting), two 3-pointers, nine rebounds and one turnover.

He didn’t seem bothered by the injury in a team-high 46 minutes, and fantasy owners can continue to use him normally. The Wizards’ defense didn’t put up much of a fight in this game, however, and L.A. shot 59% in another Washington defeat.

New York: Playing despite a sore knee, Al Harrington scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an easy win over the visiting Timberwolves on Tuesday. Al made 8-of-18 FGs, 4-of-10 threes, and 6-of-6 FTs. His production is erratic, to say the least, and there’s no way to tell when he’ll go off — though the absence of Jordan Hill (illness) on Tuesday certainly didn’t hurt.

J.R. Smith

The Nuggets decided to postpone a press release on what had previously been reported as an announcement of J.R. Smith being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, and while a suspension is still very possible, it is not a certainty at this point.

Smith’s behavior has grown tiresome, and something he did on the bench in Saturday’s game was the tipping point, enough for coach George Karl to say, “some guys (Nuggets) had strong opinions last night.” The Denver Nuggets are slowing their assessment of Smith’s situation, but any way you slice it he looks headed for the doghouse.

Toronto: Hedo Turkoglu drove the lane and drew a foul with 1.5 seconds left and calmly nailed two free throws to give the Toronto Raptors a 106-105 win over the Lakers on Sunday. Aside from the heroics, he didn’t look good Sunday, scoring just nine points on 1-of-6 shooting (6-of-6 from the foul line) with two rebounds, five assists, a block, and a 3-pointer.

Toronto: Andrea Bargnani (back) returned to action Sunday and scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting (including a three) with eight rebounds, a steal, a block, and an assist. He played a full complement of minutes Sunday, and didn’t show any signs of his back hurting him.

Los Angeles: Kobe Bryant came one assist away from a triple-double on Sunday, scoring 27 points on 11-of-23 shooting (including a three) with career-high 16 rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and one block.

Los Angeles: Lamar Odom was non-existent in the Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Raptors on Sunday, playing just 16 minutes and scoring only four points to go with six rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony will not play Monday against the Bobcats due to an ankle sprain, and is targeting Wednesday’s game for his return. “The best bet is to wait until Wednesday’s game to get it better. It didn’t swell up, so that’s a good sign. I’ve had ankle injuries before, but this one is not as bad as the others,” said Anthony, who is wearing a protective boot to keep him from limping.

Houston: Houston Rockets center Chuck Hayes had just two points and zero rebounds in 10 minutes on Saturday, the result of tendinitis in his right knee. He started the game but was in pain and needed to ride a stationary bicycle when he wan’t playing. “As I get going, sometimes it loosens up, sometimes it tightens on me,” Hayes said. “We’re going to try to keep it loose as much as possible.” Any games or minutes he loses should directly increase the opportunities for Luis Scola and Carl Landry.

Martell Webster

Martell Webster poured in a career-high 28 points and six 3-pointers for the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, adding seven rebounds, two assists and one steal in 48 minutes.

Webster is having a huge month of January, despite a two-point dud last Wednesday. He’s averaging 17.1 points, 3.0 three-pointers, 5.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks, with just 0.6 turnovers in 37 minutes. This isn’t likely to continue when Brandon Roy, Nicolas Batum and Travis Outlaw filter back into the lineup, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Phoenix: Suns guard Goran Dragic scored a career-high 20 points off the bench on Saturday, making 5-of-9 FGs, 3-of-6 threes, and 7-of-8 FTs. He added three rebounds, four steals and one block in 26 minutes.
Standard disclaimer — this career night came against the Golden State Warriors. On the other hand, it’s probably no coincidence that he broke out while Leandro Barbosa (wrist) was unavailable.

Oakland: Warriors forward Anthony Tolliver was impressive again on Saturday, racking up 19 points (9-of-15 FGs), one 3-pointer, 11 rebounds and one assist in 38 minutes.
Tolliver was called up from the D-League to help fill out the Warriors’ decimated rotation, but he may be carving out minutes even when healthy bodies start returning.

Milwaukee: Carlos Delfino hit 9-of-11 shots and four 3-pointers on his way to 24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals in Saturday’s win over the Wolves.

Utah: The Jazz frontcourt of Mehmet Okur (20 points, 11 rebounds) and Carlos Boozer (22 points, nine rebounds) was simply too much for the Nets on Saturday. They combined to shoot 18-of-26 from the field, and Okur even blocked three shots despite playing just over 21 minutes in the lopsided victory. This was the second-highest scoring game of the season for Okur, and with any luck it’ll jumpstart his middling offense.

Chicago: Bulls’ rookie Taj Gibson stepped up in 43 minutes on Saturday, recording 16 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in a road win against the Rockets. Gibson got extra playing time with Joakim Noah (foot) sidelined with an injury.

Cleveland: LeBron James had 37 points, six 3-pointers, nine rebounds and 12 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers edged the visiting Thunder in dramatic fashion on Saturday, 100-99. LBJ continues to flirt with nightly triple-doubles, though so far he only has two this season. He made 9-of-19 FGs and 13-of-19 FTs, and his season-high six 3s

Robin Lopez

Robin Lopez started for the second straight game and posted 20 points, seven rebounds and block, but most importantly it came against his brother. Brook had his usual 23 and 13, but it’s Robin that is one of the hottest young names in the NBA.

Robin Lopez has appeared to steal the starting center position away from Channing Frye, who only played 14 minutes on Wednesday night. It appears that Robin could be a good young big man that will grab rebounds, block shots and shoot for a high percentage from the field.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Detroit: Rodney Stuckey hit 11-of-24 shots for 27 points, a career-high 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block in Wednesday’s win over the Celtics. Stuckey hit just 8-of-26 shots in his last one, so this was a nice bounce back game for him. His production should decrease mildly when the Detroit Pistons get healthy, but who knows when that might happen.

Charlotte: Bobcats SF Gerald Wallace played through his sprained ankle and had 20 points, 10 boards, two assists, two steals, five blocks and two 3-pointers on 5-of-11 shooting in Wednesday’s easy win over the Miami Heat.

Miami: Michael Beasley pulled a Rasheed Wallace and suggested that “it should be an easy win” for the Heat over the red-hot Bobcats on Wednesday, if they stayed focus. The Bobcats came in as one of the hottest teams in the league and throttled the Heat by 39 points, good for a franchise record. Beasley, who had 20 & 10 on Tuesday, hit just 3-of-11 shots for six points, two rebounds and three steals on the night. Maybe he learned a lesson tonight.

Miami: Dwyane Wade hit just 6-of-16 shots for 16 points, four rebounds and one assists as the Heat fell to the Bobcats by a final score of 104-65.

Washington: Randy Foye got hot early and hit 9-of-14 shots and two 3-pointers for a season-high 26 points to go along with three assists, a steal and a block in Wednesday’s loss. Foye has been on fire for the struggling Wizards, and should stay hot as long as they don’t trade for another point guard.

Portland: Brandon Roy said after Wednesday’s win that he’s likely to miss a couple games after aggravating his hamstring injury. “Odds are high that I’ll miss the next two (games) just because we want to be smart with (the injury),” he said

Boston: Rajon Rondo hit 8-of-16 shots for 21 points, eight boards, seven assists and four more steals as the Boston Celtics fell to the Pistons to lose their third straight game for the second time in a month.

Jonny Flynn

Minnesota PG Jonny Flynn hit 9-of-16 shots and two 3-pointers on his way to a career high of 29 points to go along with four rebounds, nine assists and two steals as the Wolves came back from 20 down to shock the Sixers in overtime on Monday. Flynn’s rookie season has been hit or miss, but he got it done tonight. Maybe this will instill some confidence in the point guard and allow him to finish with a big second half.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Phoenix: Moving into the starting lineup vs. Memphis, Robin Lopez had a career-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds and three blocks in 29 minutes. Lopez gave the Phoenix Suns a big body to combat the Grizzlies’ powerful frontcourt, but his solid play could convince Alvin Gentry to use a conventional lineup more often.

Oakland: Warriors center Andris Biedrins broke out on Monday, racking up nine points, 19 rebounds and a career-high eight blocks in a win over the visiting Bulls. This was a statement game for Biedrins, he played 39 minutes and was hyperactive, looking fully recovered from the groin/abdomen injury that has spoiled most of his season.

Oakland: Monta Ellis scored 36 points in Monday’s win over the Bulls, but it took him 39 shots to get there — the most attempted by any player in a game this season.
Ellis finished 14-of-39 from the field and 5-of-9 from the line, with three 3-pointers, five rebounds, eight assists, four steals and one block.

Los Angeles: Chris Kaman hit 10-of-16 shots for 22 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in a return from a back injury for the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Houston: Luis Scola scored a season-high 27 to go along with 15 rebounds as the Rockets beat the Bucks in overtime on Monday.

Milwakkee: Bucks C Andrew Bogut hit 9-of-16 shots on his way to 18 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, one steal and six blocks in a tough overtime loss to the Rockets.

Boston: In our estimation, Paul Pierce is likely to play on Monday despite a knee injury aggravated in Sunday’s practice. In the latest Boston Globe blog entry from the Garden there is no mention of Pierce or his injury.

Memphis: The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Suns on Monday, led by Rudy Gay’s 31 points, three 3-pointers, nine rebounds, one steal and three blocks. Marc Gasol struggled with foul trouble, but still punished the Suns with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks, all without a turnover. O.J. Mayo made 11-of-21 FGs and 5-of-11 threes for 28 points, adding five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard reiterated the thoughts offered by Greg Oden leaving open the possibility that he could return before season’s end. “It’s possible, but you know, we’ll play this by ear, and we’ll be very cautious,” Pritchard says. His return will depend entirely upon how his body responds and how quickly he recovers. Oden has had a very poor history dealing with injuries.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Utah: Deron Williams (wrist) will be a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against the Bucks. It sounds like a simple aggravation of the sprain/bruise he dealt with last week and he’s considered day-to-day. Ronnie Price would start if Williams can’t go Saturday.

Boston: Doc Rivers says there’s a chance Kevin Garnett could return to action a week from today on Friday, Jan. 22, although it doesn’t exactly sound like a done deal. “There is an outside chance that that would be the return date,” Rivers said. “I am just glad that he’s running.” There’s also an outside chance the Nets will win 40 games this year. Garnett’s been out since Dec. 28 and for those of you scoring at home, was projected to miss a couple games. Then he was out for 10 days, which quickly became another 10 days, so the 22nd at home against Portland could be wishful thinking for Rivers and the Boston Celtics. But at least it sounds like he’s getting closer to playing again.

Washington: The Wizards released a statement Friday that distanced themselves from Gilbert Arenas.
“We are deeply saddened and disappointed in his actions that have led to the events of this afternoon. Gilbert used extremely poor judgment and is ultimately responsible for his own actions,” read the statement. Again, it appears as if Arenas will not suit up for the Wizards again.

Denver: Ty Lawson (ankle) is expected to make his return from an ankle injury against the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
Lawson has been out the last four games and will be out tonight as well, but it hasn’t hurt the Nuggets too badly with Chauncey Billups (groin) back and healthy.

Sacramento: ESPN’s Chad Ford says there have been “rumblings” of a Jose Calderon for Kevin Martin swap. Don’t expect this trade to happen any time soon. Martin is far more talented than Calderon and the Sacramento Kings need a big man.

New Jersey: Keyon Dooling will play through the recurring pain in his hip Friday night. Dooling is gutting it out all season as he tries to hang on in the NBA. The 10th overall pick in the 2000 draft is in a contract year and is a candidate to be traded.

1. Lakers (30-9): It’s amazing how the Los Angeles Lakers start to lose a few games when they have to play on the road.
2. Cavaliers (30-11): The Cavs should look to make a move before the trade deadline.
3. Spurs (21-12): Really starting to play better, watch out!
4. Celtics (27-11): Really hurt by injuries.
5. Hawks (25-13): Coming on of late, young players are developing.
6. Magic (26-13): Nobody has an answer for superman.
7. Mavericks (25-13): Could be a dark horse in the playoffs.
8. Suns (24-13): Nash is still the best PG in the NBA.
9. Nuggets (25-14): Lost to the Kings twice in a week.
10. Trail Blazers (24-16): Still a top-ten team after major injuries.
11. Rockets (22-17): They just play their harts out.
12. Thunder (21-17): How long before they’re one of the top three teams in the league?
13. Jazz (22-17): Year after year…they’re in the playoffs.
14. Heat (19-18): Will Wade be back?
15. Hornets (20-17): Starting to play better.
16. Grizzlies (19-18): One of the better “young” teams in the league.
17. Raptors (19-20): Bosh is as good as gone.
18. Bulls (17-20): Del Negro actually has this team playing better.
19. Bobcats (17-19): Always in the bottom third.
20. Clippers (17-20): They would be a playoff team if Blake did not get hurt.
21. Kings (15-22): Kevin Martin might play on Friday.
22. Knicks (16-22): Lee is inline for a huge contract this offseason.
23. Bucks (15-21): Jennings is tailing off a bit, but he is still a good young player.
24. Pistons (12-25): How the mighty have fallen.
25. Wizards (12-25): Arenas will never play for this team again.
26. Pacers (13-25): A few good young players.
27. 76ers (13-26): This team needs to be broken up.
28. Warriors (11-26): Has Nelson been fired yet?
29. Timberwolves (8-32): If Love can stay healthy, they have a few good big men.
30. Nets (3-35): Who will they select with the No. one overall pick?

Gilbert Arenas was charged Thursday with a single count of carrying a pistol without a license, a felony that carries a five-year sentence, but he has reportedly reached a plea agreement that should keep him out of jail, according to sources close to the case.

If Arenas is able to avoid jail time, it would be a major victory in his legal battles considering he has a previous gun charge. Whether he spends time behind bars or not, we don’t expect Arenas to play again this season, and it would also be surprising if he ever plays another game for the Wizards.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Los Angeles: Los Angeles  Lakers G Kobe Bryant said Thursday that his lower back is “a little tight [but] other than that, I’m fine,” and expects to play against the Clippers on Friday. Bryant says he had a “nice little device” to keep his back loose on the plane ride home from Dallas Wednesday and received more treatment on Thursday.

Los Angeles: Paul Gasol (hamstring) participated fully in Thursday’s practice and expects to play Friday against the Clippers. Though he is still officially listed as day-to-day, Gasol looks like a safe bet for Friday, as both he and Coach Phil Jackson were optimistic about his chances.

Los Angeles: Clippers C Chris Kaman (back) is hoping to play on Friday against the Lakers after a promising MRI report. This may be optimism speaking. We’d like to see a more concrete report before making a recommendation.

Chicago: Luol Deng hit 8-of-13 shots and 9-of-10 free throws for 25 points as the Bulls won their third straight game by beating the Celtics at Boston Celtics. Deng only had two rebounds, but also added four assists, two steals and two blocks. Yes he’s injury prone, and yes he’s playing with a banged up thumb, but he played 40 minutes tonight and doesn’t look like someone planning on shutting it down.

Portland: An MRI Thursday confirmed that Brandon Roy has a strained right hamstring. He remains questionable for Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic. The good news is that the MRI revealed no tears. But the bad news is it’s still a strained hamstring, which doesn’t heal without rest. Roy is still considered questionable for Friday, but he sounded very concerned about the injury Wednesday night, so don’t be surprised if he misses a game or two to let the hamstring heal.

Boston: Paul Pierce played through a sore knee and had 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two 3-pointers in Thursday’s loss to the Bulls. The Celtics have already lost six games at home, matching their total home losses for each of the last two seasons.