Baron Davis will miss the Clippers upcoming three-game road trip because of back spasms. Typically, Davis typically shuts it down at some point most years. Steve Blake is now the starting point guard in Los Angeles Clippers.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Houston: Aaron Brooks shot just 5-of-20 for 11 points on Tuesday, but he accumulated eight rebounds and 11 assists in over 39 minutes of action. Brooks remains a legitimate candidate for Most Improved Player honors — he’s increased his production across the board this season and is slowly becoming a more well-rounded PG.

Houston: Houston Rockets forward Chase Budinger scored a career-high 24 points off the bench in Tuesday’s win over Washington, making 9-of-13 FGs and 5-of-6 FTs in 27 minutes.

Budinger also hit a three, grabbed six rebounds, and had one steal and one block without a turnover. His career night gave the battered Rockets a much-needed lift, as they had lost four straight games before escaping with this victory.

Washington: Andray Blatche returned to his Most Improved Player form in Tuesday’s tough loss to the Rockets, piling up 31 points (13-of-23 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), 10 rebounds, three assists, four steals, and three blocks. This was fairly predictable, as the 6′11″, 260 pound Blatche pretty much had his way with Houston’s small frontcourt.

Chicago: Flip Murray lit up the Suns for 23 points off the bench on Tuesday, making 9-of-12 FGs with four 3-pointers, a season-high nine rebounds, four assists and one steal.

Phoenix: Suns guard Jason Richardson poured in a game-high 27 points vs. Chicago on Tuesday, making 10-of-19 FGs, 4-of-9 threes, and 3-of-4 FTs. The Phoenix Suns are streaking into the playoffs, winners of eight consecutive games.

Milwaukee: Andrew Bogut played just 25 minutes on Tuesday, finishing a win over the Clippers with 14 points, nine rebounds, one steal, two blocks and zero turnovers. Milwaukee might be conserving their prized big man, which makes sense after his back flared up on him last week, but three other starters (Brandon Jennings, John Salmons, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute) also played sub-30 minutes in the relatively easy win.

Dirk Nowitzki recorded his second career triple-double in Monday’s win over the Denver Nuggets, scoring 34 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Dirk hadn’t cracked the 20-point barrier in any of the previous four games, making his massive game even sweeter, especially as it comes in such a crucial week for fantasy owners. He made 7-of-17 field goals, 4-of-5 three-pointers, and a whopping 16-of-17 free throws. Denver has never felt Kenyon Martin’s absence more keenly.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Los Angeles: Ron Artest bounced back after a pair of single-digit scoring games, finishing Monday’s loss to New Orleans with 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals in 43 minutes. Not the greatest line (6-of-14 FGs, 1-of-8 from downtown) but it’s an improvement.

Los Angeles: Pau Gasol finished Monday’s loss to the New Orleans Hornets with 26 points and a career-high-tying 22 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive glass. Gasol scored the Lakers’ first 12 points and wound up 11-of-22 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line. He added two assists and two blocks with just one turnover, but his massively economical night wasn’t enough to lift his cold-shooting team to victory.

Dallas: Rookie Rodrigue Beaubois followed up Saturday’s 40-point gem with just five points on 2-of-7 shooting in Monday’s victory. Beaubois played under 15 minutes off the bench, despite the absence of injured guard J.J

Utah: Carlos Boozer (26 points, 14 rebounds) and Paul Millsap (14 points, 10 rebounds) both played well in Monday’s win over the New York Knicks. Neither guy had much luck containing Al Harrington, but it’s nice to see them both double-doubling in the same game. Boozer made 11-of-16 FGs in 37 minutes, while Millsap made 5-of-8 FGs and 4-of-8 FTs in 24 minutes off the bench.

New York: Al Harrington erupted for 26 points and a season-high 17 rebounds vs. the Jazz on Monday, making 8-of-20 FGs, 3-of-9 threes, and 7-of-10 FTs. Harrington was one rebound shy of his career-high, while adding one steal, one block and just one turnover in 39 minutes.

New Orleans: Chris Paul led the Hornets to a win over the Lakers on Monday with 15 points (including one 3-pointer), four rebounds, 13 assists and one steal.

Brandon Jennings woke up from a severe drought against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, scoring 29 points on 10-of-24 shooting with seven rebounds, eight assists, three treys, and four steals in 42 minutes.

To say his week had been brutal would be an understatement, and in truly maddening fashion he comes back with this pearl to give owners an intriguing decision heading into the Bucks’ four-game week.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Sacramento: Beno Udrih secured his first career triple-double against the Cavs on Sunday, scoring 18 points on 6-of-17 shooting with 10 rebounds, 15 assists, and two steals while playing nearly the entire game.

Phoenix: Channing Frye got hot from 3-point land on Sunday, hitting 5-of-10 shots from deep to finish with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting overall, six rebounds, and two assists in 31 minutes off the bench.

Phoenix: Amare Stoudemire continued to pound the opposition on Sunday, finishing with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting with 17 rebounds, three assists, and a block. There has been chatter about whether or not he would be affected by Robin Lopez’s absence, and the early returns are a resounding “no.” The Phoenix Suns’ win tonight gave them a season-high seven straight wins.

Detroit: Rodney Stuckey tweaked his ankle but finished the game on Sunday, and scored 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting (including a three) with three rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes off the bench. “I think I’ll be OK—it is sore, but I’ll get it taken care of tomorrow,” Stuckey said. Coach John Kuester added that he wasn’t sure if he would be able to play Wednesday against the Heat, but that’s typical coach-speak on the night of an injury like this.

Detroit: Richard Hamilton scored 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting (including two 3-pointers) with one rebound, five assists, and a steal in 34 minutes on Sunday. He apparently tweaked his ankle late during the game, and coach John Kuester said after that game that he is questionable heading into Wednesday’s game against the Heat.

Chicago: Flip Murray got hot off the bench for the Bulls on Sunday, scoring 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting (including three 3-pointers) with three rebounds, four rebounds, and two steals in 30 minutes.

Cleveland: LeBron James scored 34 points on 13-of-22 shooting (including three 3-pointers) with seven rebounds, eight assists, and three steals in the Cavs’ 97-90 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Tyreke Evans (concussion) will miss the Kings’ next two games after he felt dizzy during Thursday’s practice. With the current climate around professional sports surrounding concussions, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Sacramento Kings are out of the playoff chase and will not rush him back just so he can win the Rookie of the Year award. He’s in danger of missing more than just two games. Meanwhile, Beno Udrih’s piping hot streak stands to continue while Francisco Garcia will stick in the starting five.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Memphis: Marc Gasol (strained neck) says he is targeting Sunday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks for his return. Gasol worked out on Monday, practiced on Tuesday and the Grizz have three days off before taking on the Bucks. If he’s going to come back, this is a perfect spot.

Houston: Trevor Ariza was productive in the Rockets’ 99-93 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, scoring 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting (including three 3-pointers) with eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and one block.

Houston: Luis Scola scored 16 points on 7-of-21 shooting with 14 rebounds, three assists, and two steals on Thursday. It marks the 30th double-double he has secured this year, and during the month of march, Scola is averaging a robust 21.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

Los Angelas: Craig Smith scored a season-high 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in 25 minutes off the bench against the Rockets on Thursday.

Miami: Udonis Haslem (ankle) returned to action against the Bulls on Thursday, and scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting with six rebounds, no assists, and a steal in 23 minutes.

Chicago: Joakim Noah played just 10 minutes in the Bulls’ blowout loss to the Heat on Thursday, and chipped in four points on 1-of-5 shooting with two rebounds and no assists. He was scheduled to play 15 minutes, and if there is any positive takeaway from their embarrassing night it’s that Bulls got to rest him a little bit more than was planned.

Miami: Jermaine O’Neal scored 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting with four rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 24 minutes of the Heat’s dominating win over the Bulls on Thursday.

Josh Smith putback a Joe Johnson miss at the buzzer with an incredible dunk on Wednesday, just beating the buzzer for another thrilling finish for the Hawks. Smith had a modest line of 15 points, seven boards, three assists, a steal and four blocks on the night, but his game-ender will be the talk of the sports world for the next 24 hours.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Washington: Despite a tiff with coach Flip Saunders on Tuesday, Andray Blatche had 21 points and six rebounds in 39 minutes of work in Wednesday’s loss to the Pacers. Saunders has apparently put the altercation behind him, but it’s worth noting that Blatche had this to say at the shootaround: “I don’t appreciate what was said about me to the press and in the papers, because I never said those kind of words. Over time things will heal.” Still, we don’t see any ramifications going forward in terms of Blatche’s minutes.

Washington: James Singleton came off the bench for 19 points, 21 rebounds and a block in 35 minutes of work on Wednesday night. Singleton has now played 35+ minutes in three of his last four games and it should be noted that JaVale McGee saw just 12 minutes of work tonight. Still, Singleton has just one block in those four games and was going up against Josh McRoberts tonight with Roy Hibbert out.

Orlando: Dwight Howard had 19 points, 24 rebounds, two steals and four blocks, and even hit 11-of-16 free throws on Wednesday, but couldn’t it wasn’t enough as the Hawks beat the Orlando Magic.

Utah: C.J. Miles had 12 points, five rebounds, two treys and a block in Wednesday’s win over the Raptors. Miles picked up another start with Andrei Kirilenko (calf) still sidelined.

Charlotte: Stephen Jackson, who is playing through a painful left hand injury, got hot early and stayed hot, finishing with 37 points in Wednesday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jackson hit 15-of-24 shots to break out of a 10-for-40 shooting slump, including four 3-pointers, and added five boards, three assists and two steals.

Portland: Brandon Roy is recovering from a left knee bruise, but he’s fully expected to play against the Mavs on Thursday. Roy apparently banged the knee in a recent game, but it’s nothing serious. Roy has salvaged his season after that nasty hamstring pull and is averaging 22.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 treys in nine March games.

Drew Gooden exploded in 39 minutes vs. the Mavericks on Tuesday, posting 26 points and 20 rebounds (both season-highs), with two assists, two steals and one block.Gooden was a man possessed against his former teammates, connecting on 8-of-21 FGs and a perfect 10-of-10 FTs. He had just one double-double in the previous six games

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Charlotte: Stephen Jackson revealed on Tuesday that he has been bothered by a bruised ligament in his left hand for nearly a month. Jackson said the top knuckle on his left index finger has been bothering him and he has “excruciating pain” every time he slaps down on the ball, which is affecting his offense. This helps explain his sub-39% shooting in March.

Dallas: Erick Dampier started Tuesday’s game but finished with just three points, six rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes. The veteran center shot 1-of-5 and was outplayed by Brendan Haywood most of the night.

Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki was ejected from Tuesday’s game after scoring 18 points in 19 minutes. Dirk was playing well before getting the boot, just the third ejection of his NBA career. He made 8-of-11 FGs with two rebounds and one steal, and at least he’ll be be rested for Thursday’s game vs. Portland Trail Blazers.

Detroit: Tayshaun Prince played a team-high 40 minutes on Tuesday, finishing with 14 points (6-of-12 FGs), one 3-pointer, nine rebounds and six assists. Amazingly, Prince’s 14 points were also a team-high. Will Bynum was the only other starter to crack double-digits (scoring 11 points in 17 minutes), as the Pistons’ first unit was thoroughly demolished by the Pacers.

Indiana: Danny Granger scored 32 points to help the Pacers snap a nine-game road losing streak with a win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. The Pacers’ MVP made 8-of-20 FGs, 5-of-11 threes, and 11-of-14 FTs, with six rebounds, four assists and one steal. His season has been marred by injuries and stretches of lackluster play, but he looks determined to finish on a high note.

New York: Danilo Gallinari was hot again on Tuesday, finishing a win over the Denver Nuggets with 28 points, five rebounds and one steal, making 7-of-19 FGs, 5-of-13 threes, and 9-of-10 FTs.

Kevin Durant quickly recovered after Sunday’s dismal effort, scoring 45 points (15-of-24 FGs, 14-of-15 FTs) in Monday’s loss to the visiting Spurs. Durant is averaging 29.5 ppg this season and projects as a top-three MVP candidate. He added one 3-pointer, eight rebounds and three blocks but couldn’t prevent OKC from falling into a tie with the San Antonio Spurs for sixth place in the West.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Utah: Paul Millsap scored 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting with three rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 18 minutes off the bench on Monday. Both him and Carlos Boozer (19 points, nine rebounds) were in foul trouble tonight.

Utah: C.J. Miles poured in 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting (including two threes) with three rebounds, one assist, and one steal on Monday against the Celtics.

Houston: Trevor Ariza played 37 minutes on Monday, notching 18 points, two 3-pointers, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. This was Ariza’s highest-scoring game since returning from his hip injury on March 9th.

Chicago: Derrick Rose piled up 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Bulls defeated the visiting Houston Rockets on Monday. Rose played nearly 47 minutes, making 12-of-22 field goals, including 2-of-7 three-pointers.

Dallas: Brendan Haywood finished Monday’s loss to the New Orleans Hornets with 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 26 minutes.

Charlotte: Chris Paul started the Hornets game on Monday, scoring 11 points with three assists in 21 minutes. It was his first action since late January. CP3 was out for 25 games with a knee injury, and his minutes were pre-determined to stay around 20 per game. His conditioning and playing time should slowly increase over the next few games, but the presence of backup Darren Collison means there is no need to overload Paul.

Hornets coach Jeff Bower said after Saturday’s game that he expects Chris Paul (knee) to return at some point in the following week. “We will be seeing him soon,” Bower said. “Probably next week at some point; hopefully earlier in the week. We don’t have a firm date, but we’re very close.” The report goes on to tell readers to check back in after Monday’s shootaround, with games Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday as potential return dates.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Sacramento: Tyreke Evans (slight concussion, bruised jaw) could still play in Monday’s home game vs. the Grizzlies, according to Sacramento Kings beat writer Jason Jones. Jones’ report is far more optimistic than an early text message from Evans’ brother, which indicated he would miss at least one week. Evans will be re-evaluated on Monday, so check back for updates.

Sacramento: Beno Udrih scored 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting (including a three) with four rebounds, a career-high 17 assists, and two steals in the Kings’ win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Atlanta: Al Horford went off for 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting with 18 rebounds, one assist, and two steals, and hit a jumper with the shot clock expiring and 35 seconds left in overtime to put away the Spurs on Sunday.

San Antonio: Manu Ginobili tied a season-high with 38 points on 12-of-26 shooting (including five 3-pointers) with one rebound, six assists, and a steal in the Spurs’ overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
He is carrying the load with Tony Parker out, and has been a borderline elite play throughout the month of March.

Los Angeles: Phil Jackson said Sunday that he hopes Andrew Bynum (Achilles) can return before the end of the month, and that he will be traveling with the team on their upcoming 5-game road trip.
“Maybe this will be just a short duration,” Jackson said, adding that Bynum felt much better from Saturday to Sunday, helping to spark some optimism.

Okalahoma City: Russell Westbrook was held scoreless in the Okalahoma City Thunder’s blowout loss to the Pacers on Sunday, going 0-for-4 from the field to go with one rebound and five assists in just 17 minutes of action.

Tyreke Evans left Friday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks with a concussion and is having X-rays taken currently to see if he has a fractured jaw according to the Kings’ broadcast crew. Needless to say he will not return, and his season would likely be over if he suffered a fractured jaw.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Phoenix: Robin Lopez took advantage of the Jazz’s small lineup on Friday, scoring 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting with 10 rebounds, no assists, one steal, and four blocks in 34 minutes. Mehmet Okur (stomach virus) and his backup, Kyrylo Fesenko (fouls), both exited the game early which left Utah Jazz with just Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap to defend the paint. It’s good to see him get back on track, but we’d like to see him do it against a team with their frontcourt in tact.

Phoenix: Leandro Barbosa played just 11 minutes in Friday’s win over the Jazz, scoring four points on 1-of-2 shooting with two rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer. His return-game on Tuesday yielded a decent stat line because the benches were emptied during a blowout, but this game is more in line with what to expect, at least for the time being. He’s not worth adding unless he shows that he’s ready to produce.

Utah: Sundiata Gaines may have passed up Ronnie Price for backup point guard duties, as he played over Price during the second half of Friday’s game and finished with eight points on 2-of-4 shooting with four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in just 12 minutes. Price had just two points and a turnover in nine minutes of run. Gaines’ line is stat-packed for just 12 minutes of run, but the only reason it’s generating a blurb is the fact that Deron Williams is banged up, and if he gets a day off in the future it could be Gaines, and not Price, that reaps the benefits.

Washington: Andray Blatche played through his ankle sprain and had 12 points, five rebounds and a steal in 36 minutes on Friday night. It’s Blatche’s worst game since he entered the starting lineup in early February, and the ankle is likely to blame. The good news is that he played a full complement of minutes and didn’t suffer a setback.

Portland: Marcus Camby had 19 rebounds, four blocks and two steals in Friday’s win over the Wizards. It was Camby’s best game in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform and his minutes are on the rise. After playing 36 on Sunday, the veteran logged 36 again tonight.

Dwyane Wade scored 36 points on 12-of-26 shooting (including three 3-pointers) with 10 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in the Heat’s 108-102 overtime loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday. He is playing like a man possessed lately, averaging 32.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in the month of March.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: Dwight Howard got his 15th technical foul of the season, and played just 31 foul-plagued minutes on his way to 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting with 11 rebounds, one assist, and four blocks in Thursday’s win over the Miami Heat. One more technical foul for him and he will be suspended for a regular season game, which only serves to put owners on edge for the rest of the season, since it’s unlikely he’ll be on their benches unless his free throw woes and/or turnovers are proving to be too meddlesome.

Orlando: Matt Barnes logged 40 minutes against the Heat on Thursday despite his sprained toe, and finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting (including a three) with nine rebounds and three assists. Surely the Magic didn’t want him to have to play this much, but with Mickael Pietrus (ankle) out for at least a week they don’t really have a choice. Barnes defended Dwyane Wade for much of the game, illustrating how much Orlando needs him, and luckily for him his next game isn’t until Monday.

Charlotte: Peja Stojakovic (groin) said Thursday that he still doesn’t have a timetable for his return as he has hit the halfway point of his original two-week projection. “It has improved,” said Stojakovic. “But I wouldn’t say a great deal. I’d say it’s better this last week, since we started the road trip. It’s getting better.” These are not words that fantasy owners should be counting on, as it’s looking like he’ll be back for just a handful of games.

Oakland: Kelenna Azubuike said Thursday that he is leaning towards taking a $3.3 million player option available to him for the 2010-11 season, which is the last year of his contract. “I’m leaning toward a certain way – coming back,” said Azubuike, which is a welcoming piece of news for the Warriors.

Washington: Andray Blatche (sprained left ankle) said that he will play Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers, but coach Flip Saunders has been a bit less optimistic saying he is 50-50 to play. “It’s a little tender. I’m going to try to play – no, I’m not going to try, I’m going to play,” Blatche said. “I’m just going to work through it.” He also added, that “the pain, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being worst, it’s probably a five.” This will be a case of a player’s heart versus a coach’s mind, and owners would be wise to heed Saunders’ assessment of “50-50.”