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

Elsewhere around the NBA:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

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.

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.

Kobe Bryant won’t play in Sunday’s All-Star game because of his sprained left ankle. Bryant hasn’t played since Feb. 5 and by taking this weekend off, he’ll end up with a full 10 days of rest before the Los Angeles Lakers play again. We’re fully expecting Kobe to suit up when the Lakers take on the Warriors on Tuesday.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Cleveland: Shaquille O’Neal played just 19 minutes due to foul trouble, but his contributions on the court outweighed the 10-point, six-rebound effort he gave against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in the Cavs win on Thursday. He drew double teams that opened the door for J.J. Hickson’s 20-point night, and then held Howard scoreless in the last 7:48 of the fourth quarter. After the game the quotable one said, “I don’t really consider it manning up until you play me straight up,” and in reference to Howard, “Superman my ass.” Game on.

Cleveland: Lebron James nearly triple-doubled in the Cavs’ 115-106 win over the Magic on Thursday, finishing with 32 points on 10-of-21 shooting (including two threes) with eight rebounds, 13 assists, and two steals. It goes without saying that when we’re hesitant to blurb a line like this because it doesn’t really surprise anyone, the player in question is good.

Philadelphia: Allen Iverson (personal reasons) will not play in Sunday’s All-Star game. Iverson is tending to his ill daughter and has missed the Sixers’ last four games. We’re still tentatively expecting him to rejoin the team after this weekend, but that’s far from certain. David Lee gets the nod to replace AI.

Los Angeles: Coach Phil Jackson acknowledged that he’s contemplating starting Lamar Odom over Andrew Bynum when the Lakers come out of the All-Star break. It would be a bold move for Jackson to change his lineup while sporting a 41-13 record, but the bottom line is that the Lakers play even better when Odom is on the floor.

New York: New York Knicks beat writer Marc Berman spotted Nate Robinson and coach Mike D’Antoni shouting at each other during a timeout on Tuesday night. Here we go again? According to Berman, D’Antoni barked at Robinson for botching a play, Nate shouted back at his coach and then turned his head and “uttered an F-bomb.” No word yet on if this lands Robinson back in the doghouse, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it did.

Lakers G Kobe Bryant missed Wednesday’s game against the Utah Jazz with a sprained left ankle. After playing through a multitude of injuries, Kobe has finally succumbed to them. If he skips the All-Star game he’ll have 10 days of rest under his belt and should be able to start the second half of the season strong, pushing for home court advantage in the playoffs. Of course, this logically means that he will suit up for the All-Start game and probably log big minutes.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

New Jersey: Devin Harris returned from a shoulder injury Wednesday and had 27 points, nine assists and a 3-pointer in another loss.

Philadelphia: Sam Dalembert tweaked his back at the end of the first half on Wednesday night and ended up sitting out the majority of the second half. Dalembert tried to go in the second half, but came out of the game quickly and never went back in. The good news is that he didn’t go to the locker room and didn’t seem to be in pain. He simply watched the second half from the bench. We’d expect that he’ll be fine after the All-Star break.

Chicago: Derrick Rose left Wednesday’s game in the first quarter with a right hip injury and will not return.
X-rays were negative, but this will leave his status for the All-Star Game in doubt. He finished with just three points in two minutes, and Kirk Hinrich will take over at point guard, while John Salmons should also see the ball a lot tonight.

Atlanta: Jamal Crawford was a late scratch for Wednesday’s game due to a sore shoulder. Expect Crawford to be back at 100 percent after the All-Star break.

Oakland: Monta Ellis (knee) will not play Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. An MRI on Tuesday revealed that Ellis’ knee injury is only a mild sprain.

Utah: Jazz PF Carlos Boozer poured in 34 points (13-of-17 FGs, 8-of-9 FTs), 14 rebounds, four assists and four steals in Tuesday’s win over the Clippers, Utah’s ninth consecutive victory. The Jazz are red-hot going into the All-Star break, and Boozer hasn’t missed a beat since returning from his calf injury. His name is no longer appearing in many trade rumors and it seems like Utah hopes to keep this chemistry going into the postseason.

Orlando: Vince Carter came back to earth on Wednesday with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.
The Magic were up 41-17 after one quarter, so Carter and the rest of the Orlando Magic starters played limited minutes. Still, this type of game is more in line with what we’d expect from Carter going forward.

Charlotte: Peja Stojakovic hit 7-of-16 shots and four more 3-pointers on his way to 20 points, four boards, an assist, two steals and a block in Wednesday’s win over the Celtics.

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.

Josh Smith hit 7-of-14 shots to record his second career triple-double with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and added two steals and a block in Friday’s tough win over the Bulls. Smoove is feeling it again and should be primed for a big second half now that he has officially abandoned the 3-point shot.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Minnesota: Jonny Flynn hit 6-of-16 shots and three 3-pointers on his way to 19 points and seven assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Mavericks to snap a 13-game losing streak against Dallas. They’ve also won three straight for the first time all season. All five Wolves starters hit double figures in scoring, while Kevin Love double-doubled off the bench. Flynn surprisingly only had one turnover tonight, and was basically dominated by Jason Kidd and Rodrigue Beaubois, but still got it done for the Wolves.

Charlotte: Peja Stojakovic hit 8-of-14 shots and four 3-pointers for 23 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in Friday’s loss. He’s averaging 16 points in his last five games and has hit either three or four 3-pointers in four of those.

Philadelphia: Samuel Dalembert, playing through a back injury, had seven points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in Friday’s win over the New Orleans Hornets. Don’t look now, but the Sixers have won three straight games. Rodney Carney, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young all hit double digits in scoring off the bench, while Andre Iguodala filled the stat sheet in the win. Dalembert isn’t a reliable scorer, but doesn’t miss games and is playing for a contract.

New York: Nate Robinson started at point guard Friday and hit just 3-of-12 shots (zero 3-pointers) for 13 points, four boards, seven assists and a steal in Friday’s loss to the Bucks. Larry Hughes had two points in 20 minutes, while Chris Duhon had six points and three assists in 15 minutes tonight. Robinson will get more chances to start at point guard, so don’t give up on him after tonight’s struggles.

Washington: Caron Butler returned from a knee injury and exploded for a season-high 31 points, including the game-winning 19-footer with 0.5 seconds left on the clock in Friday’s win over the Orlando Magic.

Oakland: Anthony Randolph will remain in a walking boot for another month, according to the Warriors, which means he’s not likely to play again this season. With three torn ligaments in his ankle, Randolph was always a longshot to have an impact again this season. Now it sounds like he’s had a setback and/or the ankle is not healing was originally expected. Once he gets out of the boot, he’ll have a long way to go in terms of rehab and getting back in shape, and we’d be surprised to see him play again this year.