Drew Gooden exploded in 39 minutes vs. the Mavericks on Tuesday, posting 26 points and 20 rebounds (both season-highs), with two assists, two steals and one block.Gooden was a man possessed against his former teammates, connecting on 8-of-21 FGs and a perfect 10-of-10 FTs. He had just one double-double in the previous six games

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Charlotte: Stephen Jackson revealed on Tuesday that he has been bothered by a bruised ligament in his left hand for nearly a month. Jackson said the top knuckle on his left index finger has been bothering him and he has “excruciating pain” every time he slaps down on the ball, which is affecting his offense. This helps explain his sub-39% shooting in March.

Dallas: Erick Dampier started Tuesday’s game but finished with just three points, six rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes. The veteran center shot 1-of-5 and was outplayed by Brendan Haywood most of the night.

Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki was ejected from Tuesday’s game after scoring 18 points in 19 minutes. Dirk was playing well before getting the boot, just the third ejection of his NBA career. He made 8-of-11 FGs with two rebounds and one steal, and at least he’ll be be rested for Thursday’s game vs. Portland Trail Blazers.

Detroit: Tayshaun Prince played a team-high 40 minutes on Tuesday, finishing with 14 points (6-of-12 FGs), one 3-pointer, nine rebounds and six assists. Amazingly, Prince’s 14 points were also a team-high. Will Bynum was the only other starter to crack double-digits (scoring 11 points in 17 minutes), as the Pistons’ first unit was thoroughly demolished by the Pacers.

Indiana: Danny Granger scored 32 points to help the Pacers snap a nine-game road losing streak with a win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. The Pacers’ MVP made 8-of-20 FGs, 5-of-11 threes, and 11-of-14 FTs, with six rebounds, four assists and one steal. His season has been marred by injuries and stretches of lackluster play, but he looks determined to finish on a high note.

New York: Danilo Gallinari was hot again on Tuesday, finishing a win over the Denver Nuggets with 28 points, five rebounds and one steal, making 7-of-19 FGs, 5-of-13 threes, and 9-of-10 FTs.

Tyreke Evans left Friday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks with a concussion and is having X-rays taken currently to see if he has a fractured jaw according to the Kings’ broadcast crew. Needless to say he will not return, and his season would likely be over if he suffered a fractured jaw.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Phoenix: Robin Lopez took advantage of the Jazz’s small lineup on Friday, scoring 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting with 10 rebounds, no assists, one steal, and four blocks in 34 minutes. Mehmet Okur (stomach virus) and his backup, Kyrylo Fesenko (fouls), both exited the game early which left Utah Jazz with just Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap to defend the paint. It’s good to see him get back on track, but we’d like to see him do it against a team with their frontcourt in tact.

Phoenix: Leandro Barbosa played just 11 minutes in Friday’s win over the Jazz, scoring four points on 1-of-2 shooting with two rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer. His return-game on Tuesday yielded a decent stat line because the benches were emptied during a blowout, but this game is more in line with what to expect, at least for the time being. He’s not worth adding unless he shows that he’s ready to produce.

Utah: Sundiata Gaines may have passed up Ronnie Price for backup point guard duties, as he played over Price during the second half of Friday’s game and finished with eight points on 2-of-4 shooting with four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in just 12 minutes. Price had just two points and a turnover in nine minutes of run. Gaines’ line is stat-packed for just 12 minutes of run, but the only reason it’s generating a blurb is the fact that Deron Williams is banged up, and if he gets a day off in the future it could be Gaines, and not Price, that reaps the benefits.

Washington: Andray Blatche played through his ankle sprain and had 12 points, five rebounds and a steal in 36 minutes on Friday night. It’s Blatche’s worst game since he entered the starting lineup in early February, and the ankle is likely to blame. The good news is that he played a full complement of minutes and didn’t suffer a setback.

Portland: Marcus Camby had 19 rebounds, four blocks and two steals in Friday’s win over the Wizards. It was Camby’s best game in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform and his minutes are on the rise. After playing 36 on Sunday, the veteran logged 36 again tonight.

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.”

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.

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.

Jamal Crawford led the Hawks to a 100-91 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday, scoring 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting (3-of-7 from downtown, 7-of-7 from the foul line) with three rebounds, six assists and two steals in 39 minutes off the bench. Crawford will continue to score if given the opportunity.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Philadelphia: Allen Iverson turned back the clock Friday night, dueling with Kobe Bryant on his way to a season-high 23 points. AI also added two three’s, four assists, one steal and one block. He went shot-for-shot with Kobe during a memorable third quarter that brought back memories of the 2001 NBA Finals. All that said, we’d sell high on Iverson right now. He’s had 20+ points in two of his last three games and someone should be ready to bite on the name recognition.

Los Angeles: Kobe Bryant shook off a minor leg injury and scored 22 points in the second half of Friday’s win in Philadelphia. Kobe finished with 24 points, four rebounds, three steals, two blocks and three assists.

Portland: Coach Nate McMillan said that Brandon Roy (hamstring) is not expected to make his return on Monday. Roy will be re-evaluated on Monday and the Portland Trail Blazers are now hopeful that he gets back on the court by Feb. 3 or 4.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony (ankle) will not play Friday against the Thunder. Coach George Karl said that the ankle has worsened since playing in Houston on Wednesday, adding that the ankle had swollen up on the flight to Oklahoma City Thunder and that they’ll be taking a “wait and see process.”

Minnesota: Kevin Love will continue to come off the bench against the Clippers on Friday, with Ryan Hollins starting at center and Ryan Gomes at small forward.

New Jersey: Devin Harris (wrist) will not play against the Wizards on Friday. Harris is improving, but tonight will mark the third straight game he’s missed with this injury. We don’t have a timetable on his return but the New Jersey Nets will play it safe considering Harris is their best trade bait and their record is 4-40. Keyon Dooling gets another start.

Martell Webster

Martell Webster poured in a career-high 28 points and six 3-pointers for the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, adding seven rebounds, two assists and one steal in 48 minutes.

Webster is having a huge month of January, despite a two-point dud last Wednesday. He’s averaging 17.1 points, 3.0 three-pointers, 5.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks, with just 0.6 turnovers in 37 minutes. This isn’t likely to continue when Brandon Roy, Nicolas Batum and Travis Outlaw filter back into the lineup, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Phoenix: Suns guard Goran Dragic scored a career-high 20 points off the bench on Saturday, making 5-of-9 FGs, 3-of-6 threes, and 7-of-8 FTs. He added three rebounds, four steals and one block in 26 minutes.
Standard disclaimer — this career night came against the Golden State Warriors. On the other hand, it’s probably no coincidence that he broke out while Leandro Barbosa (wrist) was unavailable.

Oakland: Warriors forward Anthony Tolliver was impressive again on Saturday, racking up 19 points (9-of-15 FGs), one 3-pointer, 11 rebounds and one assist in 38 minutes.
Tolliver was called up from the D-League to help fill out the Warriors’ decimated rotation, but he may be carving out minutes even when healthy bodies start returning.

Milwaukee: Carlos Delfino hit 9-of-11 shots and four 3-pointers on his way to 24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals in Saturday’s win over the Wolves.

Utah: The Jazz frontcourt of Mehmet Okur (20 points, 11 rebounds) and Carlos Boozer (22 points, nine rebounds) was simply too much for the Nets on Saturday. They combined to shoot 18-of-26 from the field, and Okur even blocked three shots despite playing just over 21 minutes in the lopsided victory. This was the second-highest scoring game of the season for Okur, and with any luck it’ll jumpstart his middling offense.

Chicago: Bulls’ rookie Taj Gibson stepped up in 43 minutes on Saturday, recording 16 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in a road win against the Rockets. Gibson got extra playing time with Joakim Noah (foot) sidelined with an injury.

Cleveland: LeBron James had 37 points, six 3-pointers, nine rebounds and 12 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers edged the visiting Thunder in dramatic fashion on Saturday, 100-99. LBJ continues to flirt with nightly triple-doubles, though so far he only has two this season. He made 9-of-19 FGs and 13-of-19 FTs, and his season-high six 3s

Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard reiterated the thoughts offered by Greg Oden leaving open the possibility that he could return before season’s end. “It’s possible, but you know, we’ll play this by ear, and we’ll be very cautious,” Pritchard says. His return will depend entirely upon how his body responds and how quickly he recovers. Oden has had a very poor history dealing with injuries.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Utah: Deron Williams (wrist) will be a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against the Bucks. It sounds like a simple aggravation of the sprain/bruise he dealt with last week and he’s considered day-to-day. Ronnie Price would start if Williams can’t go Saturday.

Boston: Doc Rivers says there’s a chance Kevin Garnett could return to action a week from today on Friday, Jan. 22, although it doesn’t exactly sound like a done deal. “There is an outside chance that that would be the return date,” Rivers said. “I am just glad that he’s running.” There’s also an outside chance the Nets will win 40 games this year. Garnett’s been out since Dec. 28 and for those of you scoring at home, was projected to miss a couple games. Then he was out for 10 days, which quickly became another 10 days, so the 22nd at home against Portland could be wishful thinking for Rivers and the Boston Celtics. But at least it sounds like he’s getting closer to playing again.

Washington: The Wizards released a statement Friday that distanced themselves from Gilbert Arenas.
“We are deeply saddened and disappointed in his actions that have led to the events of this afternoon. Gilbert used extremely poor judgment and is ultimately responsible for his own actions,” read the statement. Again, it appears as if Arenas will not suit up for the Wizards again.

Denver: Ty Lawson (ankle) is expected to make his return from an ankle injury against the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
Lawson has been out the last four games and will be out tonight as well, but it hasn’t hurt the Nuggets too badly with Chauncey Billups (groin) back and healthy.

Sacramento: ESPN’s Chad Ford says there have been “rumblings” of a Jose Calderon for Kevin Martin swap. Don’t expect this trade to happen any time soon. Martin is far more talented than Calderon and the Sacramento Kings need a big man.

New Jersey: Keyon Dooling will play through the recurring pain in his hip Friday night. Dooling is gutting it out all season as he tries to hang on in the NBA. The 10th overall pick in the 2000 draft is in a contract year and is a candidate to be traded.

Kings SG Kevin Martin (wrist) has been cleared to play by the doctor that performed his Nov. 9 surgery. Martin will practice the next couple days to see if he’s ready to go by Friday’s game at Philadelphia.

Martin has been working out for the last three weeks, so getting back into shape shouldn’t be too much of an issue. It will be interesting to see how the chemistry of the young Kings team changes with Martin entering the starting lineup. The new leader and future superstar, Evans, has come accustom to leading the team and taking the majority of the shots.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Orlando: Orlando  Magic SG Vince Carter (shoulder) will not play against the Kings on Tuesday night. J.J. Redick draws another start while Carter’s status for Wednesday and Friday remains up in the air. “I would hope by the end of the trip,” coach Stan Van Gundy said after Tuesday’s shootaround. “There has been some improvement. He said he can raise his (left) arm up but not across his body.” Look for Carter to start against the Lakers on Monday.

Portland: Rudy Fernandez (back) has been upgraded to “questionable” for Wednesday’s game against the Bucks. This is certainly good news for the injury plagued Portland Trail blazers, who where originally expecting Fernandez back on Friday.

Chicago: Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro revealed that Taj Gibson has been playing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot and he is scheduled for a doctor’s visit Tuesday. Gibson aggravated the problem in Saturday’s win over the Wolves but still played 21 minutes on Monday.

Utah: Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said after Monday’s game that he may “settle down” the team’s rotation of wing players. Sloan is eager to give more minutes to Andrei Kirilenko because, ” he’s a guy that can make plays.”

Indiana: Pacers coach Jim O’Brien says that Dahntay Jones has fallen out of the rotation because “I’m trying to put guys on the court that can space the court. We need to make threes.”
O’Brien, a coach that always has been infatuated with the 3-pointer, thinks that Jones inability to shoot clogs up the middle too much.

Milwaukee: The Bucks confirmed that Michael Redd has torn both the ACL and MCL in his left knee.
Redd’s career is in serious jeopardy. He says he fully expects to come back from this devastating injury, but we have to have our doubts. He’ll be 31 next season and this is the same knee he tore up last season.

The NBA acknowledged that they are investigating Gilbert Arenas’ violation of league rules that prohibit players from bringing firearms onto league property. The NBA released the following statement, “We’re aware of the situation and are working to gain a full understanding of the facts and relevant legal issues.” Now that the league has acknowledged the situation, we’re just waiting for that investigation to be completed and to see if Arenas gets a suspension or not.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Free Agency: Estimates are starting to come in regarding ticket revenues and the news is worse than expected. The question for teams now becomes how much the salary cap is expected to drop. This means that several notable teams (Knicks, Nets, Heat) who have been setting themselves up for this summer’s blockbuster free agency class (LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson) will have less money to lure key players.

Los Angeles: Lakers G Kobe Bryant made it through practice Thursday without any pain in the knee he tweaked during Tuesday’s game against the Thunder. Kobe said of his knee, “It’s good. No problems. I feel fine.” All of the Los Angeles Laker fans should consider this the vote of confidence as Bryant seems to be fine.

Portland: An MRI on Brandon Roy’s shoulder revealed no tears, but he will be a game-time decision for Friday’s game against the Nuggets. The Portland Trail Blazers are calling the injury a shoulder muscle strain. The good news is the injury is not serious, but the bad news is it could possibly force him to miss another game or two. Check back before Friday’s game for a final update.

Boston: Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said Thursday Paul Pierce (infected knee) could miss at least two weeks, and is doubtful to travel on the team’s upcoming road trip. Boston Celtics returns home to play on Jan. 2, but if he skips that game he’ll get four days of rest to play on Jan. 6. It was reported that he called team trainers at 3 a.m. Wednesday due to intense pain, and was taken to the hospital to have his knee drained. Owners should have him sidelined until further notice.

Miami: Miami  Heat C Jermaine O’Neal lasted just three minutes into Wednesday’s game before being shutdown for the night with a groin injury. Information is scarce right now, but we’re going to guess he’s day-to-day.

Indiana: Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said Thursday that they are no hurry to bring back Jeff Foster, who injured his back last week playing against Dwight Howard and the Magic. “We don’t want to have him go seven minutes and have (the back) go out again. He’ll be back when we think we can play him for an extended period of time without risking further problems,” said O’Brien