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

Elsewhere around the NBA:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elsewhere around the NBA:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Cavilers F LeBron James scored 31 points in 16 minutes during the first half of Saturday’s game vs. New York, then cruised to a huge night — 47 points (17-of-31 FGs, 7-of-7 FTs), six 3-pointers, eight rebounds, eight assists and five steals. LeBron scored 24 consecutive points for Cleveland at one point, a streak during which he made 10-of-11 shots, including four 3-pointers. The Kings keeps one-upping himself, and we expect the heroics to continue as long as Mo Williams is out

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Portland: Although Brandon Roy (hamstring) is targeting a return on Feb. 16, there’s no official timetable for his return. The Portland Trail Blazers are already very shorthanded and fighting for playoff position, but prudence won out “In the end, we had to do what was best for Brandon,” said GM Kevin Pritchard. Roy intends to rest throughout the All-Star break and we should have a few updates before Feb. 16.

Houston: Houston Rockets guard Kyle Lowry sprained his ankle on Saturday and will not return. He is also expected to sit out Tuesday vs. the Heat. We’re surprised he’s been ruled out of Tuesday’s game so quickly, which could be due to the severity of the injury or nothing more than the proximity of the All-Star break (or maybe both).

Detroit: Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko made all nine of his FG attempts on Saturday, including two 3-pointers, to finish with 20 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Jerebko’s line was even more efficient than it seems, as he did his damage in a mere 24 minutes. It’s safe to say he’s secured a starting gig whether the Detroit Pistons shake things up before the trade dealine or not.

Charlotte: Darren Collison had another excellent game on Saturday, leading the Hornets to a road win in Charlotte, he had 24 points (9-of-17 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), five rebounds, four assists and one steal.

Los Angelas: Kobe Bryant will not play on Saturday because of his ailing ankle. This is the first game Kobe has missed because of an injury since Dec. 8, 2006. Consider him day-to-day, and expect all the usual suspects (Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom) to carry the scoring burden in his absence.

Chicago: The Bulls have suspended forward Tyrus Thomas one game for conduct detrimental to the team. He will not play vs. the Heat on Saturday. Thomas and coach Vinny Del Negro have had their share of conflict, and this will only fuel the recent trade rumors swirling around the promising PF. With Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) already sidelined, expect to see plenty of Brad Miller and Taj Gibson.

Boston: Paul Pierce (mid-foot sprain) plans to play against the Orlando Magic on Sunday, but coach Doc Rivers said he will be a game-time decision. “I feel pretty good, light practice, I’m good to go tomorrow,” Pierce said. Doc Rivers, on the other hand, said Pierce looked “a little hesitant … And if he’s hesitant, then I will probably sit him.

J.R. Smith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rafer Alston, whose contract was recently bought out by the Nets, is poised to be signed by the Miami Heat and become the teams starting point guard. Alston, who is expected to replace current starter Carlos Arroyo if he does officially sign with Miami, has to be excited about escapting one of the worst teams in the league for a playoff contender. The Nets acquired backup point guard Chris Quinn for a heavily protected draft pick on Tuesday, clearing the way for Alston to go to the Heat.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Washington:  In the continuing saga that is Gilbert Arenas, the NBA is reportedly considering suspending Arenas before the legal process involving his gun possession concludes. While the league usually waits until the courts have made a decision, “Arenas has already admitted to breaking league rules on gun possession both publicly and to federal investigators.” The incident took place in a lockerroom is already smearing the NBA’s public image and most expect David Stern to come down hard on Arenas.

Los Angeles:  Ron Artest (concussion) and Lamar Odom (flu) are expected to play Tuesday against the Houston Rockets.

Utah:  Jazz PG Deron Williams (bruised and sprained right wrist) will be a game-time decision on Wednesday vs. the Grizzlies. X-rays were negative but Williams will have an MRI on Tuesday afternoon, which should determine his status. He is officially listed as day-to-day.

Portland:  Brandon Roy is dealing with a sore right hamstring, which bothered him Monday, when he scored just six points and had his streak of scoring at least 23 points in a game broken at 15. “It’s pretty sore,” Roy said. He suffered the injury during Saturday’s victory over the Golden State Warriors. Roy should be able to play on Tuesday.

Toronto:  Hedo Turkoglu is expected to resume starting at SF on Wednesday after missing one game with the flu. Turk has also been battling a knee injury lately, making him a shaky start until he gets going.

Indiana:  Coach Jim O’Brien said Tuesday that he thinks Danny Granger (heel) is still about two weeks away from returning to action. O’Brien’s estimate would bring Granger back by around Jan. 20, on the long end of the original 4-to-6 week prognosis Granger received Dec. 8.

Philadelphia:  The Philadelphia 76ers have announced that Allen Iverson’s contract has been extended for the remainder of the season.

Iverson has played decently through injury this season, averaging 15.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in nine games with the 76ers. While he’s not the star he once was, he continues to put up consistent stats.

Kevin Garnett (thigh) went through a full shootaround on Wednesday, but the Celtics may opt to hold him out of games on Wednesday and Saturday. The Boston Celtics are reporting that Garnett’s current trouble is related to his bruised thigh, which got kicked in Monday’s game against the Warriors.

The good news is that this sounds precautionary and the Celtics see an opportunity to get Garnett a week of rest with only two games scheduled in the next seven days. In the long run we remain concerned about KG holding up, especially considering his injury plagued 2009 season, but it looks like the thigh isn’t a major issue.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

New Jersey: Dave D’Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that Chris Douglas-Roberts (ankle) has been cleared to return to action on Wednesday. CDR tweeted earlier that he’d be back in action, but it’s good to see the official news coming from a New Jersey Nets beat reporter. It should be safe to activate him in daily leagues, though it’s possible he’ll be rusty in his first game since Dec. 19.

Los Angeles: Lakers G Kobe Bryant’s offensive tear continued on Tuesday, as he scored a season-high 44 points (13-of-27 FGs, 16-of-16 FTs) against the Warriors. He added four rebounds and 11 assists, with just one turnover. Kobe came into this game 0.1 ppg behind Carmelo Anthony for the league lead in scoring, and will be #1 after this gem. This was the 103rd game in his career that he’s scored at least 40 points.

Los Angeles: As expected, Ron Artest did not play in Tuesday’s game vs. the Warriors. He is hoping to return against Sacramento on Friday. “He’ll get a workout in [Wednesday],” said Phil Jackson. “The big danger is obviously elevating heart rate and blood pressure in this type of situation, so that’s going to be something that we monitor.” When Artest returns to the lineup, expect reduced minutes.

Washington: The Wizards allowed the Thunder to score 110 points on 54% shooting, coach Flip Saunders hinted that a lineup change could be imminent. “Spots will be open. If guys don’t like it, that’s fine,” said Saunders. “Guys want to come out of the zone [defense] and play man-to-man, but they can’t guard anybody. The Wizards have been on of the biggest disappointment thus far in 2010.

New Orleans: David West scored a career-high 44 points vs. the Houston  Rockets on Tuesday — he made 18-of-30 FGs, 2-of-4 three-pointers, and 6-of-8 FTs. West even pitched in 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals, but New Orleans couldn’t pull out the victory and dropped to 13-16 on the season.

The decision to fire coach Vinny Del Negro has already been made and the only thing keeping him employed is the fact that the Bulls have not found a replacement. The Bulls would like to have a coach that appeals to the potential free agents available this summer, but they may have to settle for assistants Bernie Bickerstaff or Pete Myers and seek out a better option in the offseason. Once it becomes clear who will be coaching in Chicago, we’ll have a better idea of what system will be installed and what free agents, if any, will be interested in playing for the Bulls.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Clippers F Blake Griffin (knee) continues to progress in his rehabilitation, and said that he expects to make his season debut in three weeks. Coach Mike Dunleavy agreed, saying he expects him back in the second or third week of January. This timetable appears to be solid Dunleavy will have to sort out minutes between Griffin, Marcus Camby, Rasual Butler and Al Thornton.

Sacramento: Tyreke Evans is considered to be doubtful for Monday’s game against the Nuggets after spraining his ankle in Saturday’s game against the Lakers. Evans missed Sunday’s practice after he woke up with swelling in the ankle. Beno Udrih and Donte’ Greene would be the likely starting backcourt in his absence, as this was the lineup Nov. 21 when Evans missed his only game of the season.

Houston: The Houston Rockets have told Tracy McGrady that he will not see an increase in playing time, and that they will address his situation Monday when they return from their road trip. This comes after the team gave McGrady permission to take the weekend off to be home for his son’s birthday.

Detroit: Pistons F Charlie Villanueva (foot) is in uniform and has been seen loosening up prior to Sunday’s game against the Toronto Raptors.

San Antonio: DeJuan Blair played for a season-high 35 minutes on Sunday, and ended up with eight points on 4-of-11 shooting with 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony struggled with foul trouble on Sunday, scoring just 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting with 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block in 30 minutes of action. He missed tying his lowest-scoring game of the season by just two points, but on the bright side his 12 rebounds were a season-high.

Dallas: Drew Gooden (back spasms) returned to action Sunday and scored 19 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting to go with 10 rebounds and a block in 27 minutes of run on Sunday.
Gooden may have gotten some extra run after Erick Dampier (10 points, nine rebounds, 20 minutes) played 35 minutes in his absence Saturday.

Jonny Flynn had 14 points and set a career high with nine assists in Wednesday’s loss to the Hornets. Flynn was beaten by Chris Paul for the game-winner, but is playing well. He also had a steal and a three tonight, and is averaging 13 points, seven assists and more than a steal and three over his last five games. Obviously, he’s becoming more comfortable in his role. Ramon Sessions came off the bench for just two points and six assists and is averaging just six points and three dimes over his last five games.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Milwaukee: Milwaukee Bucks PG Brandon Jennings got hot early and finished with 22 points, four 3-pointers, six assists, two steals and two blocks on 8-of-14 shooting in Wednesday’s win over Toronto, snapping a four-game losing streak for the Bucks. Jennings came in shooting just 32 percent in his last nine games, which was a far cry from his hot start. However, the news was not all good as he left early with a left knee injury. He returned briefly after getting hurt, but was not able to finish the game. Hopefully he just banged knees with another player.

Houston: Rockets F Trevor Ariza hit 11-of-19 shots and four 3-pointers for 26 points, five boards, two assists and two steals in Wednesday’s impressive win over the Cavaliers. Ariza has not been a good shooter from the floor this season, but we think his percentage will continue to improve as he gets more selective with his shots. Ariza’s strong play this season is probably one of the reasons the Houston Rockets are in no rush to bring Tracy McGrady back from knee surgery.

New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul had 15 points and 14 assists, and hit the game-winning layup after blowing by Jonny Flynn near the buzzer for a tough win over the Timberwolves.

Oakland: Warriors F Anthony Randolph returned from a personal leave on Wednesday and came off the bench for 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists, a steal and three blocks on 4-of-7 shooting in just 20 minutes of action.

Philadelphia 76ers: Allen Iverson hit just 3-of-10 shots for 11 points, three assists, two steals and a block in Wednesday’s loss – the 11th in a row for Philly.

Marc Gasol posted an impressive 26-point, five-rebound, six-assist, three-steal and three-block line against the Clippers on Sunday. Perhaps most amazing of all, Gasol’s 13-of-18 shooting today brings him to 59-of-76 (78%) over his last eight games. Gasol is emerging into a potential NBA all-star and a very efficient, effective player. His hot stretch shooting will end sooner than later, but ride the wave while you can.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Houston: Houston Rockets F Luis Scola left Sunday’s game 22 seconds into the first quarter after getting poked in the eye by the Thunder’s Etan Thomas. Expect Scola to be day-to-day.

Boston: Kevin Garnett shot a near-perfect 11-of-12 from the field to score 24 points with eight rebounds, one assist and one steal in the Boston Celtics’ 92-85 win over the Heat on Sunday. At times, Garnett still appears to be struggling with injuries but the big-ticket is still better than most.

Philadelphia: Eddie Jordan admitted that the Sixers have held conversations about Allen Iverson, and other free agents, just an hour after saying certainly that “he had not talked to anyone about Allen Iverson.” We all know that coaches bend the truth, but it’s always nice to see it happen on an hour-by-hour basis.

Detroit: Charlie Villanueva announced Sunday on his Twitter account that he will have surgery on his broken nose Monday, and we’re calling his status for Wednesday’s game “questionable.”

Detroit: Ben Wallace grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds on Sunday, and added 10 points to go with two steals and two assists.

San Antonio: Manu Ginobili (groin) will play Sunday against the Sixers, but Roger Mason (hamstring) will not. “If he got over 20 minutes, I’d be very surprised,” coach Gregg Popovich said.

Phoenix: The Associated Press updated a post-game report identifying that Leandro Barbosa left Sunday’s game due to an ankle injury, not Amare Stoudemire.

New Orleans: Peja Stojakovic will not play against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday due to personal reasons.
Peja was also suffering from an illness, but this adds a new wrinkle to his situation as he hasn’t even made the trip to Sacramento. It’s unclear at this time whether he’ll be able to meet the team in Los Angeles to play the Lakers on Tuesday. The Nets have just two games next week, and Peja belongs on the bench.

Gilbert Arenas accused his teammates of having “hidden agendas” after Saturday’s loss, which dropped the Wizards to 3-9. Arenas mentioned that eight of his teammates will be free agents this summer. “I converted my game to try to get people involved, but at the end of the day, to be honest, this is the same team since three years ago,” he said. “Do I have to go in attack mode like I was two years ago to get us over this hump? I hope not…I think the only person who actually had to sacrifice is me. Everybody else can just play their game.” Is Arenas trying to be the team captain or does is he complaining about not scoring enough? It remains to be seen whether this diatribe awakens the Wizards or makes things even worse.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Houston: Houston Rockets swingman Tracy McGrady did not attend Saturday’s game or go through his customary pregame workout because of a sore back. Rather than have an MRI on Monday for his knee, it appears he’s having one Sunday for his back and his knee. It remains to be seen if McGrady will ever play in the NBA again.

Los Angelas: Lakers C Andrew Bynum (ankle) returned to action Sunday against the Thunder, scoring 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting (7-of-7 from the foul line) with nine rebounds, one steal and two blocks. Bynum only played 28 minutes because the Los Angelas Lakers had such a big lead.

Los Angelas: Lakers F Lamar Odom scored just two points in the Lakers’ blowout win over the Thunder on Sunday, and added five rebounds and two assists. Another victom of the Lakers great play: Odem only played 19 minutes due to the blowout.

Atlanta: Hawks PG Mike Bibby’s sprained left ankle is “very sore”, but he is still listed as “day-to-day” according to the Atlanta Hawks‘ team spokesperson. It appears that Bibby’s injury is not a high ankle sprain so he could see the court relatively quickly.

Oakland: Oakland Warriors G Stephen Curry is being more aggressive offensively according to assistant coach Keith Smart. “He’s coming down and taking a shot without worrying if he should have taken the shot,” said Smart. As expected, the trade of Stephen Jackson is opening things up for Curry, who is a nice, albeit risky buy low target right now.

Phoenix: Phoenix Suns PG Steve Nash scored 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting (including a three) with zero rebounds and nine assists in 28 minutes of action Sunday. Nash and the rest of the starters sat for most of the fourth quarter as the Suns were in the midst of a blowout.

Houston Rockets SG/SF Tracy McGrady and Head Coach Rick Adelman on Friday both denied a Yahoo! Sports report that the two had engaged in a heated argument behind closed doors on Wednesday.

McGrady said he put on his game uniform Wednesday, despite having no targeted date to return from a knee injury, because “I was excited. I put it on, like a little kid. It felt refreshing to put it on because it was in sight.” Adelman said he simply reminded McGrady that he wouldn’t play, at the earliest, until after his Nov. 23 MRI, and that “We haven’t had any arguments. He wants to know what we’re going to do.” Check back after Nov. 23 for updates. It has long been rumored that the Rockets would like to trade McGrady, but there have been not takers.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Toronto: Toronto Raptors C Andrea Bargnani hit 9-of-14 shots and two 3-pointers on his way to 24 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks on Friday. Bargnani, who is starting to live up to his talent, is averaging nearly 18 points, six boards, two threes and more than a block per game thus far in 2009.

Miami: Heat G Mario Chalmers hit 9-of-15 shots and five 3-pointers to score a career-high 30 points in Friday’s loss to the Raptors. Chalmers also added three assists and three steals on the nigh.

Philadelphia 76ers: Lou Williams hit 12-of-16 shots and four 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 31 points to go along with two rebounds, five assists and six steals. Even with the steller performance, Williams and his team lost to Memphis at home.

Indiana: Pacers F/C Troy Murphy returned from a six-game absence with a back injury and had 12 points, 10 boards, on three pointer and two steals in 24 minutes. Barring a setback, Murphy should see steady minutes in Indiana.

Minnesota: An X-Ray revealed that Kevin Love’s broken hand is progressing, but he’s still about two weeks from practicing and three weeks from playing in a game. Love did some outside shooting Friday, and though he says he feels almost no pain in his hand, he is unable to do anything physical. If he returns Dec. 11 against the Los Angeles Lakers, that would put him right in the 6-to-8 week recovery time originally reported when he broke his hand Oct. 16

Washington: Wizards C Brendan Haywood had 14 points and 16 rebounds in Friday’s loss to the Thunder.
Haywood has play great thus far this season, averaging 11 points, 11 boards and 2.5 blocks.

Boston: Celtics F/C Rasheed Wallace hit just 4-of-16 shots and was 0-for-8 from downtown for nine points, 13 boards, three steals and a block in Friday’s loss to Orlando.

Nets G/F Chris Douglas-Roberts had career highs of 27 points and 12 rebounds in Tuesday’s loss to the Pacers, dropping the Nets to 0-11 on the season. CDR had been out with the flu but is back and appears to be developing into a very good player.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Houston: Houston Rockets F Carl Landry got hot on Tuesday, hitting 13-of-18 shots for a career-high 27 points to go along with nine rebounds in a loss to the Suns. The Suns are notorious for not playing defense, but Landry’s play has been impressive as of late.

Denver: J.R. Smith came off the bench and hit five 3-pointers to finish with a season-high 29 points in Tuesday’s win. He hit 11-of-17 shots, and even though he won’t start many games he plays starter’s minutes and is primed for a big season as long as he can stay out of trouble.

Phoenix: Suns PF/C Amare Stoudemire hit 8-of-14 shots on his way to 23 points, six rebounds and four assists as the Phoenix Suns beat the Rockets in Houston on Tuesday to improve their record to 10-2. Steve Nash hit just 2-of-10 shots, but finished with 12 points and 16 assists, while Jason Richardson chipped in with 20 points, five boards, two blocks and two 3-pointers in the win. The Suns are a very tough team to beat when Stoudemire, Richardson and Nash are playing well.

Milwaukee: Bucks SG Michael Redd went through non-contact drills at practice Tuesday and said he hopes to practice fully Thursday and play in Friday’s game against the Bobcats. “They’re throwing me to the wolves Thursday,” he said. Redd has been out since Oct. 31 with a left patella tendon strain, but hasn’t suffered any recent setbacks and appears on track to return very soon.

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Clippers G Kareem Rush suffered a torn ACL in his right knee Tuesday, ending his season.
He’ll have surgery soon and Ricky Davis will see more minutes in the short term as a result.

Los Angeles: Clippers C Al Thornton got hot and hit 12-of-17 shots for a season-high 30 points to go along with four boards and an assist in Tuesday’s loss. Thornton has been playing very good in the absence of Eric Gordon.

Indiana: Pacers F Tyler Hansbrough played just 16 minutes Tuesday and missed all five of his shots, failing to score. Hansbrough currently has a limit on the amount of minutes he can play due to a shin injury.

Indiana: Pacers C Roy Hibbert tied a career high with 19 points and added 10 rebounds and three blocks in Tuesday’s win. Hibbert is actually starting to play good basketball, although he appears to be playing in slow motion.

The Houston Rockets got their start in 1967, when they joined the NBA as an expansion team. The club was originally based in San Diego, Calif., but moved to Houston in 1971. The team’s first coach was Jack McMahon, and the team’s first draft pick, in 1967, was Pat Riley (who went on to play for the L.A. Lakers before enjoying a Hall of Fame career as a coach).

The Rockets’ first playoff appearance came in 1969. Led by Elvin Hayes, the team made it to the Western Conference semifinals before being eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in six games. The following year, the team drafted Calvin Hayes and Rudy Tomjanovich (who would later coach the team).

The Early Years

The 1970s started off roughly for the Rockets, perhaps because they were essentially homeless during their early years in Houston. They had no home arena, so they played in the Astrodome and other venues.
In 1975 the team moved to The Summit. Having their own home court may have helped the team’s cohesiveness; in the 1975-76 season, the Rockets made the playoffs for the first time since moving to Houston. They made it to the semifinals before losing to the Boston Celtics.

The Rockets didn’t make the playoffs in 1975-76, but their fortunes took a turn for the better when they acquired former ABA star Moses Malone. Malone led the team in rebounding and led the league in offensive rebounds as the Rockets posted a franchise-high 49 wins and made the playoffs. This time they made it to the conference final before falling to the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

Championships

The Rockets were the beneficiaries of Michael Jordan’s first retirement, in 1993. Led by center Hakeem Olajuwon (and coach Rudy Tomjanovich), Houston won its first 15 games on their way to a playoff appearance and a championship showdown with the Patrick Ewing-led New York Knicks. The Rockets came back from a 3-2 deficit to win the NBA title in seven games.

The following year, the team acquired shooting guard Clyde Drexler. Drexler, who was Olajuwon’s college teammate at University of Houston, had reached the NBA Finals with the Portland Trail Blazers, but never got over the hump. Houston was Drexler’s last and best shot at a title.

After playing their way to a sixth seed in the playoffs, the Rockets beat the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs to earn a Finals appearance against the Orlando Magic. The Magic were led by center Shaquille O’Neal and point guard Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, and they were expected to give the Rockets a run for their money. But the Rockets won four consecutive games and swept the Magic for a second straight title.

2007-2008 season

This past season, the Rockets were expected to make a deep run in the playoffs. An injury to their star center, Yao Ming, appeared to derail those hopes. Without their best player, the team turned to shooting guard Tracy McGrady to help salvage the season. He did more than that. The team ripped off a 22-game winning streak (12 of which were won with Yao Ming), the second-longest in NBA history, and finished the season with a 55-27 record.

The Rockets lost in the first round of the 2007-08 playoffs, four games to two, to the Utah Jazz.

2008-2009 Outlook
Assuming Yao Ming fully recovers, things look good for the Rockets. Steve Francis returns after an injury-plagued season, and the Rockets acquired Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings. If McGrady and Yao can stay healthy, and Artest can blend into the team’s framework, the Rockets could be a threat to the Western Conference champion L.A. Lakers.