LeBron James

In 2006, Dallas held a 2-0 lead and was up 15 points in the second half before the Heat got their act together. Dwayne Wade starred for Miami and it remains to be seen if the Mavericks can contain Wade and his two henchmen.

Since that bitter loss, Dallas has gone 10-0 against the Heat. The Maverick that has been there for all the action is center Dirk Nowitzki. The center presents some matchup problems for the offensive minded Heat. Throughout the playoffs, Nowitzki has been the NBA’s steadiest and most impressive player.

Other than Nowitzki and 38-year old point guard Jason Kidd the balance of Dallas players are no-names compared to the deep Miami bench. Dallas plays with focus and this is a much better defensive team than in 2006.

It is no secret that the Dallas game plan begins with Nowitzki. The team’s first offensive choice is always Dirk but the multi-dimensional Nowitzki and company have proved to be outstanding at moving the ball in search of an open shot.

At the beginning of the year, Miami struggled to find their game. Without question the Heat will run, run and then run more. This allows their “big three” to all touch the ball. There is a lot of talent on Miami but there is also a ton of ego. Balancing those egos is what has gotten the Heat this far.

Coach Carlisle is hoping that foul-prone Tyson Chandler can log some serious playing time. The Mavs have had great success rebounding against Miami. The team averages 47 rebounds per game compared to their average against the rest of the league, which is 41 rpg.

With the Heat, any one of the James, Wade, Bosh superstars can carry the scoring load. James, Wade and Bosh will provide a real test foe the Mavericks who will be looking to take some air out of the ball and slow down play.

This may be a best of seven series but Game One on Tuesday night may well foretell the outcome of the Championship series.

Derrick Rose

Chicago was 20th in the league on offense (98.6 points per game) but 2nd in rebounding averaging 44.2 per game and most importantly 2nd in defense (91.3). The Bulls held the high-profile, high-flying Heat to just 82 points in the opener and lead the series 1-0 going into Wednesday’s battle.

The top seeded Bulls (62-20) used their youth and speed to their advantage and controlled play for most of the opening game. LeBron James was swarmed with young defenders and Dwayne Wade received similar attention. Only Chris Bosh with thirty points performed well for the Heat.

It is a credit to the Heat that they expect to overpower teams, but in Chicago, the Bulls are not buying it. With a win in game two, Chicago will be poised to claim the Eastern crown which was not expected. With high-priced Bosh, Wade and James the expectations are high and the disappointments could be even bigger.

Dirk Nowitzki

The Mavericks finished second in the Southwest Division but cruised past the defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers in the quarterfinals The Mavericks are led by Dirk Nowitzki, playmaker Jason Kidd and a solid corps of defenders who give up no easy points.

The Mavericks average 100.2 points per game, 11th in the league, 41.4 rebounds per game, 14th in the league and 96 points per game or 10th in the league. Against the Lakers, the Mavericks were firing on all cylinders and once in the lead, never looked back.

At 55-27, the Thunder topped the Northwest Division. In the quarterfinals they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 105-90 on Sunday. Oklahoma is led by all-world small forward Kevin Durant who averaged 27.7 points per game in the regular season Durant poured in 39 points on Sunday to set up this matchup.

The Thunder have a statistical edge over Dallas. Offensively they score 104.8 points per game, 5th best in the league, pull down 42.8 rebounds per game, 8th in the league and allow 101 points per game, 18th in the league. The defensive shortcomings give Dallas reason to expect to win. The Thunder are far less experienced at this level of the playoffs than are the Mavericks.

Dallas is a heavy favorite tonight. The Mavericks average more than 30 years of age while the top four scorers for the Thunder are 23 years of age or younger. This series is about the Dallas defense trying to contain the Oklahoma City offense.

These teams will meet in Dallas again on Thursday before moving to Oklahoma City on Saturday for game three of the best-of-seven playoff series. All three games are scheduled for 9:00PM ET.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Memphis: Rudy Gay did not appear bothered by his recent back pain on Tuesday, scoring a team-high 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting, with eight rebounds, two steals and four turnovers. Gay logged 40 minutes and has some serious motivation as a soon-to-be restricted FA.

Houston: Kevin Martin returned to form on Tuesday, scoring 29 points on 7-of-16 field goals, 3-of-6 three-pointers, and a perfect 12-of-12 free throws. KevMart added three rebounds, two assists and three steals in what was easily his best game since returning from a bum shoulder.

Chicago: Kirk Hinrich struggled in Tuesday’s loss to Milwaukee Bucks, scoring just nine points on 4-of-16 shooting, with zero assists in 44 minutes. Hinrich made 9-of-12 FGs in his last game, but as a career 41.4% shooter we knew things had to balance out. Every loss is costly at this point for the Bulls, who failed to gain ground on 8th-place Toronto (though injuries to Chris Bosh and Antoine Wright don’t hurt Chicago’s chances).

Milwaukee: Kurt Thomas started at center in place of injured Andrew Bogut on Tuesday, getting four points, 14 rebounds, two assists and one block in 32 minutes. Thomas is averaging under 14 minutes per game this season, and Milwaukee will fill the void at center with a platoon involving Dan Gadzuric (13 minutes), Ersan Ilyasova (32 minutes), and maybe even Primoz Brezec (DNP-CD).

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Cleveland: LeBron James is dealing with a sore left elbow and other minor ailments, and has made it clear that he wants some rest in the next five games. The Cleveland Cavaliers have clinched the league’s best record (and home court throughout the playoffs), so there is no reason to push any of the starters.

Dallas: Jason Kidd confirmed that he won’t play in the World Championships, but he plans to be “working with the coaching staff and hanging out with Coach K.”
Kidd helped Team USA win gold in Sydney in 2000 and Beijing in 2008, and he’s a perfect 56-0 in his Olympic career (including exhibitions and qualifiers). This doesn’t mean that he’s done with all international competitions, but it’s a good possibility.

Miami: Jermaine O’Neal (hyperextended right knee) will return to practice this week, and he might even play Wednesday vs. Philadelphia. “The swelling is almost completely gone,” said O’Neal. “Strength-wise … I’m probably at like 90 percent.” Miami has won four straight without him (eight overall) so there’s no real urgency — we’ll get a better feel for his status after he tests his knee on Tuesday.

Denver: The Denver Nuggets are hoping that Kenyon Martin will practice on Tuesday after being out for a month with patellar tendinitis in his left knee. “All I know is he was on the court today,” said acting head coach Adrian Dantley. “It’s Kenyon’s decision. When he says he’s feeling good, that’s when he’ll practice. That’s when he’ll play.” Denver isn’t going to rush him into action, so we’re still not expecting him to offer much before the playoffs.

Phoenix: Robin Lopez (back) went through a light workout on Monday, but there is still no timetable for his return. “Today was the first day. It was good,” Lopez said, but he wouldn’t commit on whether he’ll return before the end of the regular season. “I don’t know. We’ll see,” he said. “I can’t really say anything about my timetable. It differs from person to person.”

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Okalahoma City: Russell Westbrook had a career-high 16 assists on Sunday, and scored 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting to go with two rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes against the Wolves. He has been a bit all over the board recently, but keeping that in perspective his struggles have simply brought him back to the pack, and at the same time he has shown signs that he’s ready to be an elite PG once again.

Minnesota: Ryan Gomes hit four 3-point buckets on his way to 22 points on Sunday, finishing with a 7-of-13 mark from the field to go with three rebounds and no assists.

New Jersey: Devin Harris scored 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting (including a three) with three rebounds, three assists, and a steal in the New Jersey Nets’ loss to the Wizards on Sunday. He has been banged up and is a shutdown risk, as usual.. Brook Lopez also chipped in with 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting (10-of-11 from the foul line) with five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

Toronto: Chris Bosh’s 42 points weren’t enough in the Toronto Raptors’ 113-112 loss to the Warriors on Sunday, as he hit 11-of-19 shots from the field (20-of-23 from the foul line) with 12 rebounds, no assists, five steals, and a block. The loss means that the Raptors are still fighting for their playoff lives

Oakland: Coach Don Nelson tied Lenny Wilkins for most career wins as a coach on Sunday, as Corey Maggette led the charge with 31 points on 10-of-14 shooting (including a three) with four rebounds, four assists, and a steal in 37 minutes.

Oakland: Stephen Curry neared a triple-double with 29 points on 10-of-23 shooting (including five threes) with eight rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks against the Raptors on Sunday.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Portland: Andre Miller scored 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting as the Blazers defeated the Kings in Sacramento on Saturday. He was one of four Blazers’ starters to score 20+ points. Sacramento Kings beat writer Jason Jones summed up Miller’s style: “Andre Miller has old man game. Like that old guy who schools you at the park.” He’s settled in nicely since Steve Blake’s departure, and has guided Portland to 11 wins in their last 13 games.

Charlotte: Stephen Jackson has a strained hamstring, but he also has a turned ankle and a sore hand and elbow. “The way he was hurting, I wish I hadn’t played him at all,” said coach Larry Brown. “So we took him out for his own good.” Jax doesn’t want to sit out unless the Charlotte Bobcats have clinched a playoff berth, but said “I felt like I was running in quicksand … I couldn’t move.” Movement is essential to the game of basketball, so consider him questionable for Tuesday’s game vs. Atlanta.

Los Angeles: Baron Davis (back) is expected to play in Sunday’s home game vs. the New York Knicks, reports beat writer Lisa Dillman. The Clippers just completed an 0-3 road trip with Steve Blake at the helm, not that the losses were Blake’s fault. Davis should slide back into the starting lineup, and it’s nice to see him soldiering on until (we hope) the end of the season.

Minnesota: Wolves guard Corey Brewer shot 0-of-9 from the field on Saturday, finishing with one point, four assists and two blocks in 20 minutes.
Brewer has dramatically improved his shooting this season, but that doesn’t make him immune to awful games like this.

Milwaukee: Brandon Jennings had 23 points (7-of-15 FGs, 8-of-10 FTs) and four assists to lead Milwaukee Bucks past the Suns on Saturday.
The Bucks needed an emotional lift after watching Andrew Bogut leave the court after a scary fall (he was diagnosed with a partially dislocated elbow). Jennings’ shooting touch isn’t always there, but the impressive rookie continues to find ways to get his team the win.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: Dwight Howard posted a monster line on Thursday, scoring 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with 20 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and five blocks. He didn’t commit a personal foul and when he disagreed with a call just before halftime he showed excellent form on his argumentation. That, along with Stan Van Gundy’s commitment to increasing his playing time

Orlando: Jameer Nelson scored 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting (including two 3-pointers) with three rebounds, seven assists, and two steals on Thursday.
After a three-point, seven-rebound outing on Tuesday he has redeemed himself with two respectable performances including tonight. His thumb hasn’t surfaced in any reports lately, but with just three games next week he is a mediocre play given his recent struggles.

Cleveland: Anderson Varejao (hamstring) has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. Beat writer Brian Windhorst points out that coach Mike Brown sounds like he wants to rest him for one more game, and with the Cavs in control of home-court advantage for the playoffs there’s no reason to rush him back.

New York: Wilson Chandler (left groin strain) will have a 6-8 week rehabilitative process before he can set foot on a basketball court.

Memphis: Coach Lionel Hollins said Thursday that Marc Gasol will miss the rest of the season with a partially torn neck muscle. He aggravated it in Wednesday’s game and couldn’t reach for rebounds or attempt shots, and with the Memphis Grizzlies basically out of playoff contention the news is hardly surprising. In his stead, Hasheem Thabeet should see plenty of developmental minutes

Sacramento: Spencer Hawes (knee) is out for the rest of the season. The official injury is a “deep bone contusion and an irregular signal in the joint line in left knee.” We’re not sure exactly what that means for Hawes going forward,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Toronto: Jose Calderon returned to the starting lineup for the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday and hit 3-of-8 shots and a 3-pointer for nine points, three boards, six assists and two steals. He had been playing better than this off the bench, but the fact the Raptors won should mean more starts for Calderon.

Toronto: DeMar DeRozan hit 7-of-12 shots for 19 points in 35 minutes of Wednesday’s win. DeRozan is averaging 15 points over his last five games, but doesn’t do much else

Chicago: Jannero Pargo started again for the Bulls in place of injured Derrick Rose (wrist), but played just 17 minutes. He had nine points, four assists and five steals, and we’re not sure why he didn’t play more tonight.

San Antonio: Richard Jefferson stayed hot with 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting Wednesday night. Jefferson has started the last four games and been hot. He’s shooting 63. 8 percent from the field in those games and is averaging 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. With Tony Parker out, the San Antonio Spurs are deferring to Jefferson more as a playmaker.

Orlando: Dwight Howard had just nine points, seven rebounds and one block in Wednesday’s blowout of the Spurs. Howard also went 3-for-8 from the free throw line.

New York: Bill Walker started in place of Wilson Chandler (ankle) and had eight points in 23 minutes on Wednesday night. Chandler is in danger of being shut down for the season, so Walker is going to see consistent minutes the rest of the season. We’d expect most nights to be better than this, but he’s not much of a passer or rebounder.

New York: David Lee had 29 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals and block in 44 minutes of work on Wednesday night. Lee is showing no signs whatsoever of letting up. The 44 minutes are the most he’s played since Jan. 16 and it’s even more encouraging that coach Mike D’Antoni left him out there despite the blowout.

Atlanta: Jamal Crawford hit 14-of-24 shots and three 3-pointers on his way to 33 points in Wednesday’s loss. He’s had a nice season and is playing especially well with Joe Johnson out with an Achilles’ injury.