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.