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.”

Stephen Curry will not play on Wednesday due to a sprained left ankle. He was fine at shootaround today, but it acted up on him when he returned to the arena. C.J. Watson is probably in for big minutes and production tonight with this news. Curry will likey finish second in rookie of the year voting to Evans.

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.

Thaddeus Young has a fractured right thumb and is out indefinitely. So much for Thadd just having a cracked thumbnail. His thumb will be placed in a removable cast and he’s been ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Nets. The only good news is that the injury is to Young’s non-shooting hand, but there is no timetable for his return. This means Lou Williams’ spot in the starting five should be safe going forward.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Indiana: Danny Granger exited with under a minute remaining in Tuesday’s game after being elbowed in the face. Granger appeared woozy on his way to the locker room and didn’t return to the game. He scored 26 points with three 3-pointers, eight rebounds and five turnovers before leaving.

New Jersey: Nets big man Josh Boone swooped in for a season-high 20 rebounds in Tuesday’s game, adding 13 points on 5-of-7 FGs and 3-of-5 FTs. Clearly Boone was doing something right tonight, but the eventual return of Yi Jianlian is one reason for skepticism, as is Boone’s career 45% free throw shooting.

New Jersey: Terrence Williams made just 5-of-16 shots in Tuesday’s loss, but added 5-of-6 free throws to finish with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists.

San Antonio: Manu Ginobili led the San Antonio Spurs with 22 points on Tuesday, making 7-of-14 FGs, 2-of-5 threes, and 6-of-6 FTs. Manu played nearly 36 minutes after playing just 18 in an easy win on Saturday.

Miami: Michael Beasley returned from his bruised thigh on Tuesday with just six points on 3-of-10 shooting, five rebounds, and zero assists. The Miami Heat were dead in the water for most of this game (interrupted only by a brief, bench-led surge in the second half) and it’s hard how much of Beasley’s struggles were caused by his recent injury.

Atlanta: Playing SG on Tuesday, veteran Mike Bibby (back) had 10 points, two 3-pointers, three rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes.

Atlanta: Jamal Crawford made 11-of-18 field goals for 25 points on Tuesday, adding two 3-pointers, three rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes. It didn’t hurt that Joe Johnson was out, but when Crawford gets hot he tends to score 20+ regardless of the circumstances.

Charlotte: Stephen Jackson was very active with Gerald Wallace out on Tuesday — he piled up 20 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals, two blocks and six turnovers in over 47 minutes.

Utah: Deron Williams aggravated his shoulder during Sunday’s loss to the Thunder, and briefly left the game, but returned and finished with 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting (including a three) with two rebounds, 14 assists, and a steal.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Miami: Dwyane Wade scored 38 points on 14-of-25 shooting (including a three) with five rebounds, two assists, five steals, and a block in the Miami Heat’s 104-91 win over the Sixers on Sunday.

Miami: Jermaine O’Neal was ejected during the second half of Sunday’s game against the Sixers after grabbing Samuel Dalembert’s face in retaliation for an accidental poke in the eye by Dalembert. He finished with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting with eight rebounds and a block. He could be facing a suspension from the league

Utah: Wesley Matthews scored a career-high 29 points with the Jazz missing Andrei Kirilenko (calf) and Mehmet Okur (back) on Sunday, hitting 9-of-11 shots from the field including six 3-pointers, three rebounds, and no assists in 35 minutes. He has been starting and playing a very consistent 25 mpg over the past few weeks, but with the Utah Jazz ailing they needed him to step up — and he did.

Orlando: Matt Barnes told reporters that he expects to play Wednesday against the Spurs despite a sprained big toe in his left foot that caused him to miss Sunday’s game. Coach Stan Van Gundy was reportedly optimistic about his chances even if his words were measured, saying “I would hope with us not playing again until Wednesday that this would be the only one he’d miss, but you never know.” With the Orlando Magic playing just two games this week, we’re not sure if it matters.

Orlando: Mickael Pietrus started for injured Matt Barnes (sprained toe) on Sunday, and scored 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting (5-of-7 from downtown) with five rebounds and no assists in 42 minutes of action.

Charlotte: Stephen Jackson scored 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting (including three 3-pointers) with six rebounds, six assists, and a steal as the Charlotte Bobcats went into Orlando and beat the Magic by a score of 96-89. The win ties a franchise record for consecutive wins with six, and for Jackson we may be seeing the beginning of a hot streak, as he has scored at least 24 points in three straight games.

Cleveland: Antawn Jamison returned from a one-game absence due to a sore knee on Sunday, and double-doubled with 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting, 12 rebounds, no assists, and two blocks in 30 minutes.

Derrick Rose will have an MRI on Friday to evaluate his left wrist that he sprained in Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic. “Derrick has a sprained wrist,” coach Vinny Del Negro said. “I have no idea how bad it is. He’s going to get an MRI [Friday] to see how bad the damage is and see how he feels.” It’s unclear who will run the point if he’s out, whether that be Kirk Hinrich or Jannero Pargo, or if Flip Murray joins the starting lineup instead.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Portland: Brandon Roy scored 41 points on 14-of-22 shooting (with no threes) to go with eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block against the defenseless Warriors on Thursday. Granted, this came against the Warriors, but it’s Roy’s first “statement” game since injuring his hamstring.

Atlanta: Jamal Crawford tied a season-high with 29 points on 8-of-16 shooting (4-of-7 from downtown, 9-of-11 from the foul line) with no rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes off the bench on Thursday. With all of his huge fourth quarter performances this year, this one may fly a bit under the radar, especially with the game not being on the TNT schedule. He is showing no effects from his past shoulder and thumb injuries,

Orlando: Vince Carter scored 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting (including two 3-pointers) with four rebounds, no assists, and a block in 26 minutes of action on Thursday.

Washington: JaVale McGee scored a career-high 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting with nine rebounds and an assist against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, and also tied Dwight Howard for dunks in a game this year with eight.

Miami: Michael Beasley (bruised left thigh) is listed as a game-time decision for Friday’s game against the Bulls. It’s a huge game for the Heat, who lead the Bulls by one game for the final playoff spot in the East. That will give Beasley every incentive to be out there and we’d expect him to play through mere soreness.

Terrence Williams came off the bench for 18 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes of work on Thursday. With Yi Jianian (ankle) out 7-10 days and Chris Douglas-Roberts (ankle) also sidelined, Williams is going to get consistent minutes. The rookie is averaging 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists over his last six games.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Chicago: Luol Deng is expected to miss at least two games due to a strained right calf. At this point, we wouldn’t be surprised to see him sit out longer, but his timetable beyond Friday is unclear.

Miami: Michael Beasley had 15 points before leaving Wednesday’s game with a thigh bruise in the third quarter. We should have more details on Thursday, but Beasley should be considered day-to-day for now. If he misses time, Quentin Richardson, James Jones and Dorell Wright will all see a boost in minutes.

New Jersey: Brook Lopez made just five of his 16 shot attempts on Wednesday en route to 10 points, six rebounds and one block. That’s two straight bad showings for Lopez, who hasn’t missed a game all season and is averaging 37 minutes a game. It’s a ton of burn for a 7-footer that bangs on the blocks every night and we suspect he’s wearing down a little. It’s not a major concern, but something to monitor.

Los Angeles: DeAndre Jordan had eight points, seven rebounds, a steal and a block in Wednesday’s loss.
He played just 14 minutes, but managed to put down a 60-foot alley-oop on a pass from Baron Davis.

Detroit: Charlie Villanueva hit 8-of-18 shots and three 3-pointers for 19 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block in Wednesday’s loss to the Utah Jazz.

Charlotte: Emeka Okafor had two points, three rebounds and two blocks on Wednesday, after going for 22 points and 11 boards on Monday. He simply can’t get things figured out, nor can he post more than one solid line in a row. We assumed he would have a solid game against Serge Ibaka and Nenad Krstic, but it was not meant to be. He even airballed both of his free throw attempts, which is probably not going to help his confidence.

The streaking Bucks defeated the Boston Celtics on Tuesday behind a huge game from Andrew Bogut, who posted 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, with 17 rebounds, two assists, one steal and four blocks. Bogut has finally figured out how to play well consistently, and the Bucks are reaping the rewards. They are 9-1 in the past 10 games, fueled by Bogut’s surge and the seamless addition of John Salmons

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Cleveland: LeBron James (rest) is expected to play against the Sixers on Friday. The Cleveland Cavaliers decided to give The King two games off as he’s dealing with a left quad bruise, a right ankle tweak and a sore back. He won’t practice on Tuesday or Wednesday before getting back on the court Thursday. With a full seven days off between games, look for James to be especially fresh and focused on Friday night.

Cleveland: An MRI on Antawn Jamison’s left knee showed no serious problems and he plans on playing against the Sixers on Friday. Sore knees are nothing new for Jamison, who left Monday’s win in the third quarter after the back of his knee got tight. We’d expect him to sit out practice on Tuesday and Wednesday but be fine for his full complement of minutes on Friday.

Utah: C.J. Miles exploded for 26 points in a mere 18 minutes off Utah Jazz bench on Tuesday, draining 9-of-12 field goals, including six 3-pointers.

Chicago: Luol Deng strained his calf during Tuesday’s game and will not return. Deng was already battling the flu, and he’s recently dealt with a sore and swollen knee. The severity of the strain will likely determine his status for Thursday’s game at Orlando, so check back soon for more information.

Houston: Trevor Ariza (hip) came off the bench on Monday for 13 points (4-of-13 shooting), three 3-pointers, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 28 minutes. This was his first game since Feb. 21 and clearly conditioning was an issue. Presumably he will overtake Shane Battier (zero points, seven rebounds, two blocks) for the starting SF job before long, but we’ll keep a close eye on this situation.

LeBron James has been ruled out for Monday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. He’s not really injured, although his ankles are a bit dinged up. This is simply for some rest, and we do expect him to play Friday against the Sixers. NBA TV is not going to be happy with this news, as they’re showing the game tonight.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

New Orleans: Chris Paul, who is already in week five of his four-to-six week recovery period from knee surgery, has still not been cleared to run and may not be before the end of the week. With only 19 games remaining, coach Jeff Bower said there is no magic date to decide if Paul will play again this year. “Our plan is for him to return when he’s 100 percent healthy and that’s what he wants to do as well,” Bower said. This is not good news at all, and Paul’s chances to return this season will likely decrease with each New Orleans Hornets‘ loss.

Oakland: Andris Biedrins will have surgery to repair a small tear in his abdominal muscle. A timetable will be set for his return after the surgery is performed, but we’re guessing this means his season is probably over. Anthony Tolliver and Ronny Turiaf should hold value the rest of the way,

Memphis: Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph will miss his first game of the season on Monday because of lower back tightness, the team announced just before tip-off.

New York: Tracy McGrady will miss Monday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to fatigue and soreness.

Portland: Marcus Camby practiced despite his sprained ankle on Monday and is hoping to play on Tuesday against the Kings. He’s not the most trustworthy center around right now, but it does sound like he will be in the starting lineup on Tuesday, barring any setbacks.

Chicago: Luol Deng missed Monday’s practice with the flu and was sent home with the illness. Deng is now questionable for Tuesday’s game.

San Antonio: Tony Parker will miss approximately six weeks due to his broken right hand, but will not need surgery.

San Antonio: With Tony Parker (hand) sidelined, Manu Ginobili will start at SG for the Spurs with George Hill moving to PG. This is terrific news if you own either guy, both of whom should be safe starts in all leagues. Expect Ginobili’s playing time to increase significantly going forward — he was averaging 27:30 per game as a reserve.

LeBron James hit 16-of-27 shots and three 3-pointers on his way to 40 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks in Friday’s win. He didn’t have a triple-double tonight, but this is still one of his best lines of the year. The Cleveland Cavaliers fantasy playoff schedule isn’t great, but LeBron is still the top fantasy player in the league, and should remain so in the playoffs. LeBron said after the game that he tweaked his right ankle, but “hoped” to play tomorrow in Milwaukee.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Dallas: Brendan Haywood failed to score in seven minutes on Friday before leaving the game after his lower back tightened up. Eduardo Najera played 26 minutes in his absence, but had just one points and five rebounds, while Dirk Nowitzki also filled in some at center. Erick Dampier is still out for a week or so, meaning that Haywood will play if he can. Hopefully this is not a long-term injury and he’ll be ready to go for Saturday’s game at Chicago.

Oakland: Corey Maggette returned from a hamstring injury a few days earlier than expected, scoring 18 points in Friday’s loss to the Hawks. He came off the bench and added seven rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting. He played 23 minutes, but we still don’t really trust Maggette.

Toronto: Andrea Bargnani received three skin staples in the back of his head after suffering a laceration in Friday’s game. He finished with nine points, four boards, one block and one 3-pointer on 4-of-15 shooting, but at least returned to finish the game. He should probably be considered day-to-day at this point, but watch for an update over the weekend.

Cleveland: J.J. Hickson started at center again, but was replaced in the second half by Anderson Varejao. Hickson struggled tonight, hitting just 1-of-6 shots for four points and one rebounds in 16 minutes, while Varejao had 16 points and 10 boards on 8-of-10 shooting.

Detroit: Rodney Stuckey had eight points and 10 assists before leaving Friday’s game with some sort of seizure on the Pistons’ bench. A Detroit Pistons spokesman said Stuckey’s vital signs were normal, he was breathing on his own and was conscious at Cleveland Clinic where he was taken after the incident. However, given the fact the Pistons are out of the playoff hunt, and Stuckey’s seizure was termed “violent” on television, it’s possible he could be shut down.

Denver: Kenyon Marting will miss Friday’s game against the Pacers with a partial tear of his left patella tendon, and might need surgery. The Denver Nuggets will use the next 48 hours to decide on a treatment plan, which will include rest and injections, but he very well may need surgery.

Michael Finley will sign with the Celtics in the next couple of days, a source tells Yahoo’s Marc Spears. The Celtics are stocking up on scoring off the bench, but Finley isn’t a real answer. He’ll eventually take some minutes away from Tony Allen and Marquis Daniels. Finley was waived by the Spurs on Monday after complaining about his role and is expected to report to the Boston Celtics on Saturday.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Memphis: Zach Randolph scored 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting with 18 rebounds, one assist, and one steal in Thursday’s 105-96 win over the Bulls. This marked his 43rd double-double of the season, and he is the second-best rebounder in the NBA (11.8 boards per game entering tonight), with the 12th best scoring average (20.7 points per game entering tonight).

Miami: Dwyane Wade scored 27 points on 9-of-21 shooting with five rebounds, a season-high 14 assists, and a steal in the Miami Heat’s 114-111 overtime win over the Lakers on Thursday.

Chicago: Kirk Hinrich injured his right ankle during the beginning of the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game, and stayed in the game until the two-minute mark when he tweaked it again and did not return. He left with 13 points, four assists, four steals, and two blocks. He was limping significantly throughout the fourth quarter, and surprisingly stayed in the game until he turned the ankle again late.

Houston: Trevor Ariza (hip) will not play in this weekend’s back-to-back games against the Wolves and Pistons. The Houston Rockets were hopeful Ariza would be ready for Saturday, but he’s now targeting Tuesday for his return. He has missed the last five games and Houston has gone 2-3 over that span.

Charlotte: Chris Paul (knee) has still not been given clearance to run. Paul is exactly four weeks removed from the surgery that cleaned up meniscus cartilage in his left knee, and the Hornets still have no official target date for his return. He’s riding a bike and shooting around, but admitted that the knee still doesn’t feel great. Mid-March has been speculated as a return date by beat writers.

Philadelphia: Tawanna Iverson has filed for divorce from Allen Iverson and for custody of their five children. The Sixers cut ties with Iverson for the remainder of the season yesterday. Obviously Iverson has more important things on his plate than basketball.

Dallas: Jason Terry will see a doctor on Thursday due to swelling in his face after he took a shot from Corey Brewer on Wednesday. We’ll know more about his future status after the visit to the doctor, but he was able to return and finish tonight’s game. He had 26 points and five threes in the absence of Jason Kidd.

Mike Conley had a season-high 26 points, seven assists, five steals and three rebounds as the Grizzlies knocked off the New Orleans Hornets. Conley has found his stroke and is suddenly playing with extreme confidence on the offensive end. Over his last four games, he’s averaging 17.5 points on 60 percent shooting. Consider this a simple hot streak as we don’t think Conley’s offensive game has turned the corner yet.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Sacramento: Tyreke Evans went 4-for-22 from the field on Wednesday night, but the Sacramento Kings won in Houston anyway. Evans field goal percentage coming into this game stood at a surprising 46.6 percent as he defies critics of his jumper. Consider tonight a mere blip on the road during his ROY campaign.

Sacramento: Beno Udrih started on Wednesday and had 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and a trey in 37 minutes of action Wednesday night. This was Udrih’s fourth straight start as coach Paul Westphal has been true to his word about sticking with Beno. Considering the Kings shockingly won this game in Houston, Beno’s leash just got a lot longer.

Minnesota: Corey Brewer had 24 points, seven boards, four assists, two steals and two 3-pointers in Wednesday’s close loss to the Mavericks. He’d scored 10 or less points in his previous four games, and like most of his teammates on the Wolves, is simply unreliable playing under Kurt Rambis.

Minnesota: Darko Milicic started at center for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, but only played 14 minutes. He had six points, two boards and zero blocks, and this is why we stopped trusting Darko long ago. No matter how good things are looking for him, he rarely answers the call.

Charlotte: Emeka Okafor struggled with foul trouble and ineffectiveness on Wednesday night en route to just 10 points, one rebound and one block.

Boston: Nate Robinson hit 5-of-8 shots and four more 3-pointers for 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in an easy win over the Charlotte Bobcats. Robinson posted an eerily similar line in Tuesday’s win over the Pistons, but the only problem is the minutes. He played 20 or less in both games and things are not going to be so pretty on nights when his long ball isn’t falling.

Russell Westbrook had 30 points, five boards, 13 assists, a steal and a 3-pointer in Tuesday’s win over the Kings. Westbrook is having a dream season and has proven to be one of the more valuable point guards. Also, Kevin Durant had 39 points, 10 rebounds and a 3-pointer on 13-of-26 shooting. The Oklahoma City Thunder have now won nine out of the last eleven games.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Miami: Dwyane Wade went off for 35 points, six boards, 12 assists and three steals on 15-of-23 shooting Tuesday’s win over the Warriors. Leave it to the Golden State Warriors to let an injured guy get healthy. Wade looks good to go for now, but as usual, keep an eye out for news on his tender calf.

Boston: Paul Pierce returned from a thumb injury on Tuesday but had just nine points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one 3-pointer on 2-of-6 shooting.

Detroit: No word yet on the severity, but Wallace finished with six points, 12 boards, a block and an 0-for-5 free throw shooting night. Hopefully the injury’s not serious and he’s back for the next one.

New Orleans: Sources close to Chris Paul (knee) tell beat writer John Reid that the all-world point guard is about 10 days or so from returning. Reid guesses that Paul “may return” for the beginning of the New Orleans Hornets’ five-game road trip that begins on March 14. Paul is taking part in pregame warmups right now and is doing some running as part of his rehab

Phoenix: Leandro Barbosa (wrist) got full medical clearance on Monday to return to the court. Even though he’ll be practicing, Barbosa likely won’t return to game action until March 12 against the Lakers. When he returns, he’ll wear a light wrap on his right (shooting) wrist. We’re skeptical about how effective he can be and with Goran Dragic’s emergence, it’s hard to expect much.

Chris Bosh (ankle) will not play on Monday and remains questionable for Friday’s game vs. the New York Knicks. The good news is that he’ll get another four days off before Toronto plays New York, though that leaves him with a maximum of two games this week.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: The Orlando Magic rode Jameer Nelson’s 22 points and 10 assists to a victory on Monday — he made 8-of-11 shots, including 2-of-4 from downtown. This was just the third time all season Nelson has scored 20+ points, but he has scored double-digits in nine straight and is dishing out a season-high 6.7 assists per game in February.

Minnesota: Due to the two-game suspension of Al Jefferson, Darko Milicic is likely to start in his place for the next couple games. Obviously Kurt Rambis doesn’t want to break up the delicate bench rotation by starting Kevin Love for the 14-win T-Wolves. So it will be Darko, who is all set to go to Europe forever once the season is over, who will get the call tonight. If you want to use him for the Wolves’ two-game week, he should put up some numbers.

Oakland: Monta Ellis, who missed Saturday’s game with a sore back, is not with the team for the start of their five game road trip and is awaiting test results before determining his availability for the rest of the week.

Oakland: Andris Biedrins did not accompany the Warriors for the start of their five-game road trip and is out indefinitely with his groin injury. He’ll see a specialist soon in order to determine a plan for recovery.

Toronto: Jose Calderon will miss Monday’s game with a lacerated elbow he suffered on Sunday in Oklahoma City Thunder.

Houston: Trevor Ariza will not play on Monday because of his lingering hip injury. He was questionable coming in and should be considered day-to-day

A

The Wolves have suspended Al Jefferson for two games following his recent arrest on suspicion of DWI. Maybe with Big Al out Kurt Rambis will give Kevin Love a full set of minutes, but we’re not holding our breath. Darko Milicic also stands to benefit and could get as much run as he can handle, which isn’t saying much since he’s getting winded by just 22-24 mpg. Regardless, he’s worth watching to see how this plays out.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Miami: Dwyane Wade (calf) was a surprise participant in Sunday’s 96-80 loss to the Orlando Magic, and scored 21 points on 6-of-17 shooting with five rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Milwaukee: John Salmons went off for season-high 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting (including two 3-pointers) with eight rebounds, four assists, and one steal.

New Jersey: Yi Jianlian scored 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting with a career-high 19 rebounds to go with two assists and a steal on Sunday.

Washington: Andray Blatche exploded for a career-high 36 points on 17-of-31 shooting with 15 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks, and hit two key jumpers with under 44 seconds left in the Wizards’ 89-85 win over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday. We can’t say enough about Blatche, who is the undisputed No. 1 option offensively for the Wizards. Tonight, they were force-feeding him the ball to the point that he was getting tired as a result of it.

Cleveland: Shaquille O’Neal will have surgery on this right thumb in Baltimore on Monday, and a timetable for his return will be announced after that. Surgery usually means a 6-8 week timetable for recovery, which means the appropriate question is whether or not he’ll be able to return for the NBA playoffs.

Cleveland: According to sources close to Phil Jackson, LeBron James has expressed interest in joining the Los Angeles Lakers. “LeBron wants to win. He’s a smart guy, and Phil loves LeBron, absolutely loves him,” according to the report. Obviously, there is way too much involved with a situation like this for one blurb, but if the report holds water then look for this to become a big storyline in the upcoming days.

Shaquille O’Neal left Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter after taking a hard foul, has suffered a “significant right thumb sprain” according to TNT’s David Aldridge, and will not return to the game. Shaq’s short-term future doesn’t look bright, and Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson are worth a look if Shaq is out. Varejao has better size for the position, and projects to be a more consistent option than Hickson, who will provide more upside and scoring possibilities. Both will struggle with foul trouble.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Boston: Coach Doc Rivers said Thursday that Paul Pierce’s thumb is not healthy enough to sustain contact during a game, and that he could miss “a couple of games of for sure.” “We just want to get him to the stage where if someone hits it he can sustain the hit, and right now if someone hit it it would go right back to where it was at,” said Rivers.

Oakland: C.J. Watson will miss Thursday’s game due to the flu and a possible appendicitis according to team officials. The Golden State Warriors are decimated by injuries, which means that Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry are strong candidates to play close to a full game, and Anthony Morrow and Anthony Tolliver will get more touches.

Utah: Andrei Kirilenko made it through Thursday’s practice and is expected to play Friday against the Sacramento Kings.

Sacramento: With Jason Thompson out for up to two weeks with a back injury, Kings beat writer Ailene Voisin reported that Spencer Hawes worked with the first team during the portion of Thursday’s practice that was made available to the media. His status for Friday’s game against the Jazz is still unknown, although beat writer Sam Amick said he would be surprised if he didn’t suit up.

Sacramento: Jason Thompson will miss up to two weeks with two non-displaced transverse processes fractures in his lower back, which were confirmed by X-rays taken Thursday.

Chicago: Joakim Noah missed Thursday’s practice due to a prescheduled doctor’s appointment about his plantar fasciitis.” No worries,” Noah said. “I’m just trying to get back as much as I can and help this team. I’m hurting, obviously, but it’s the end of the season right now and I want to be there for my team and I want to be as ready as possible come playoff time.”

Kobe Bryant returned to action after a five-game layoff due to an ankle injury on Tuesday, and quickly resumed being the deadliest closer in the league by scoring the Lakers’ last nine points including a 30-foot game-winning 3-pointer. He finished with 32 points on 13-of-19 shooting (including three 3-pointers), seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks in 40 minutes of run. With 18 days of rest under his belt, he’s rested, and may be as dangerous as anybody not named LeBron for the rest of the year.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Sacramento: Sacramento Kings’ big man Spencer Hawes was inactive for Tuesday’s game. Head Coach Paul Westphal said he is helping Hawes to learn his “role.” This takes being in a coach’s doghouse to another level, as Westphal seems intent on breaking his young pup of a center.

Sacramento: The Kings have waived Larry Hughes, a source tells Adrian Wojnarkowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Hughes was only part of the Tracy McGrady deal to make the salaries work. He was never going to play for the Kings. Hughes can still give a little ball handing and scoring off the bench for a contender.

Miami: Miami Heat swingman Dorell Wright scored a season-high 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting off the bench on Tuesday, including 6-of-7 shooting from downtown. He also had seven rebounds, two steals and three blocks in 30 minutes. It’s important to remember that Dwyane Wade was sidelined, boosting Wright’s playing time well above his 19 minutes average.

Charlotte: Hornets backup guard Marcus Thornton unleashed a career-high 37 points on 15-of-22 shooting vs. the Cavaliers on Tuesday, adding three 3-pointers, two assists and two steals in 31 minutes.

Thornton scored a franchise-record 23 points in the second quarter alone, but didn’t start the second half despite his out-of-body experience. He lost his starting gig to veteran Morris Peterson (two points in 21 minutes) when he got injured a few weeks ago, but may have taken it back tonight.

Portland: Nicolas Batum has taken over for Martell Webster as the Portland Trail Blazers starting small forward. It’s a changing of the guard for the Blazers. Batum has been shooting it well enough lately to not be a liability on offense, and we know what he does defensively.

Joe Johnson made 12-of-19 FGs in Monday’s win over the Jazz, scoring 28 points with two 3-pointers, six rebounds, six assists, one steal and one turnover. Atlanta hadn’t won in Utah Jazz in 17 years. JJ came into this game averaging a season-high 23 ppg in February, making 1.9 threes on 47% from downtown.

He’s rested and raring to go as the Hawks cruise into homecourt advantage in the first round — they sit in 4th place, one game behind Boston and 3 1/2 games ahead of Toronto.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Boston: Paul Pierce isn’t sure whether his sore thumb will allow him to play vs. the Knicks on Tuesday — according to Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated, Pierce will “likely” rest for one week. “It’s pretty banged up right now,” said Pierce. The injury is to his shooting hand, and considering his recent struggles his fantasy owners should start considering the alternatives. Marquis Daniels, Ray Allen and Nate Robinson should each pick up a few minutes and shots with Pierce sidelined.

Utah: Deron Williams said he will play on Wednesday after missing Monday’s game with a right quad contusion. This takes some sting out of his sudden DNP, and it doesn’t sound like the bruise was too severe.

New York: Tracy McGrady’s status for Tuesday’s game is unclear, after he pulled himself out of Monday’s game with an obvious left leg issue. His left knee is the one that needed surgery last season, and this is exactly why we weren’t sold on his durability.

Dallas: Brendan Haywood propelled the Dallas Mavericks to a win on Monday with 13 points, a career-high-tying 20 rebounds, and three blocks in 33 minutes.

New York: Knicks point guard Sergio Rodriguez moved into the starting lineup on Monday, replacing struggling Chris Duhon. He only had four points (2-of-8 FGs) and one assist, but racked up a whopping eight steals in 29 minutes. Mike D’Antoni had endorsed Rodriguez’s “speed and rhythm,” though the Knicks stagnated in this game and would up with just 67 points on 34% shooting. Still, Rodriguez played 29 minutes while Duhon never left the bench, and opportunistic owners should grab him while they still can.

Milwaukee: Brandon Jennings had eight rebounds and seven assists on Monday, but scored just four points on 1-of-9 shooting. Jennings’ FG% has been sliding all season, from 51.6% in October to a paltry 31.3% in February. He shot under 40% from the field while playing in Europe last season, so these struggles aren’t exactly shocking.

Milwaukee: Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut dominated the Knicks in New York on Monday, piling up 24 points on 12-of-15 shooting, 28 rebounds and five blocked shots.

After a solid showing in Sunday’s game, coach Mike Brown told reporters after the game that Antawn Jamison will probably be a starter for the Cleveland Cavaliers at some point. “At the end of the day, he’s probably going to be a starter for us, he’s a starter in this league,” Brown said. “I’ve just got to figure things out and we’re in the process of doing that right now.” It sounds like he’ll be a starter very soon, and the doomsday scenario for him appears to be averted.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Sacramento: Carl Landry had the best game of his short Sacramento Kings career on Sunday, scoring 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting with seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in 37 minutes.

Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook triple-doubled in Sunday’s 109-107 win over the Wolves, scoring 22 points on 9-of-19 shooting with 10 rebounds, 14 assists, and two steals. Wow. The Russell Westbrook Experience continues to reach new heights, Jeff Green had a meaty 17-point, 14-rebound double-double, and Kevin Durant had his 28th straight game scoring more than 25 points.

Detroit: Richard Hamilton continued his tear against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, scoring 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting (9-of-9 from the foul line) with five rebounds and three assists. He has now hit 46 straight free throws, but even more impressive are the scoring totals of 36 and 29 points in the two games entering tonight.

Boston: Reporter A. Sherrod Blakely who covers the Boston Celtics for Comcast, calls the thumb injury Paul Pierce suffered Thursday against the Lakers “a problem,” and adds that he’s “definitely questionable” for Tuesday’s game against the Knicks. This injury has flown under the radar, but judging by his recent play it makes sense.

Minnesota: Darko Milicic debuted as a member of the Wolves on Sunday, and surprised everyone with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting with eight rebounds, two assists, and a block in 19 minutes off the bench.

Minnesota: Kevin Love posted a solid double-double against the Thunder on Sunday, scoring 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting (including a three) with 14 rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block in 31 minutes off the bench. Love, to some degree, has been in coach Kurt Rambis’ doghouse, and has come off the bench and gotten less than starter’s minutes.

Darren Collison blistered the Pacers for 18 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, a block and a 3-pointer while hitting 7-of-13 shots in Friday’s easy win. Not much to say here, other than the Hornets have two stellar point guards on their hands. Trading Chris Paul would bring back a fleet of studs, but we doubt the New Orleans Hornets are ready to put that kind of deal together.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Miami: Mario Chalmers returned from a thumb injury for 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and four 3-pointers in Friday’s win. He came off the bench and this explosion was a surprise. Carlos Arroyo also played well, while Daequan Cook, who started for Dwyane Wade, hit just 1-of-7 shots for three points.

Miami: Michael Beasley hit 13-of-25 shots for a career-high 30 points to go along with eight rebounds, three steals and a block in a double-OT win over the Memphis Grizzlies. With Dwyane Wade out, Beasley is going to be the focal point of the offense.

Sacramento: The Kings’ new starting lineup Friday night is Tyreke Evans, Francisco Garcia, Omri Casspi, Carl Landry and Jason Thompson. Garcia is the biggest benefactor of the Kevin Martin trade, as we expected.

Toronto: Raptors beat writer Eric Smith expects Chris Bosh (ankle) to sit out Saturday in addition to Friday. It makes sense. After Saturday’s game against the depleted Wizards, the Toronto Raptors don’t play again until Wednesday against the Blazers.

Washington: Coach Flip Saunders said he thinks he’ll start Josh Howard against the Nuggets Friday night. Well that was quick. We assume that Howard will take over at the small forward spot, shift Mike Miller to shooting guard and send Nick Young to the bench.

Atlanta: Josh Smith had a nice all-around game in the Hawks’ 88-80 loss to the Suns on Friday, scoring 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting with five rebounds, one assist, three steals, and four blocks.

Tracy McGrady is headed to the Knicks as part of a three-team deal with the Houston Rockets and Kings. This one is getting messy, but the bottom line looks like it will be T-Mac and Sergio Rodriguez in New York; Kevin Martin, Jared Jeffries, Hilton Armstrong and Jordan Hill to Houston and Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey and Larry Hughes in Sacramento. We’re adding Donte Greene and Francisco Garcia off this news, and giving T-Mac a look in deep formats. We’re not sure yet if coach Mike D’Antoni is planning on giving McGrady real minutes.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Chicago: The Bulls have traded Tyrus Thomas to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Flip Murray, Acie Law and a future first-round pick. This is huge news for Tyrus Thomas owners. The Bobcats’ frontcourt is thin and a fresh start in Charlotte could lead to 30+ minutes a game for the uber-athletic shot blocker.

New York: Beat writer Howard Beck says it’s “very likely” that Sergio Rodriguez will start for the Knicks one he gets settled. Consider adding Rodriguez in deep-to-medium sized formats. Coach Mike D’Antoni is looking for an excuse to bench Chris Duhon and Rodriguez is capable of pushing the ball and shooting better than the incumbent. With 30+ minutes in this system, Rodriguez will put up solid assist and points numbers.

Memphis: Ronnie Brewer has been traded to Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for a protected first-round draft pick in 2011. It’s a big blow to Brewer’s already declining value. He’ll go from a starter in Utah to a strict backup behind Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo in Memphis.

Philadelphia: The Bucks have agreed to trade Jodie Meeks and Francisco Elson to the 76ers in exchange for Royal Ivey, a second-round pick and Primoz Brezec. The Sixers always liked Meeks, ever since his predraft workout with the team. He’s a true shooting guard with decent size, something they’ve been grasping at for years. Meeks won’t have any value right away, but he could end up as the starter at that spot in 2010-11.

Miami: Dwyane Wade (left calf) is almost certainly out of the Miami Heat’s next two games, but the injury is not considered serious. This is actually a positive report on Wade. He’s listed as day-to-day with a strain, which is great news considering Wade said he heard a “pop” on Wednesday night. This kind of injury can take at least two weeks to heal, but the Heat seem confident their franchise player can return well before that. He’s in a walking boot for now and is not using crutches.