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

Blazers G Rudy Fernandez will miss 4-to-6 weeks after undergoing a microdiscectomy Tuesday to relieve leg pain caused by a nerve root in lower back. “He can get going right away on conditioning… He can swim, it’s more the impact of running and jumping [that might take longer],” Dr. Rich Edelson of Sports Medicine Oregon said Tuesday. Martell Webster, Andre Miller and Jarryd Bayless should pick up extra minutes in Fernandez’s absence, although Miller isn’t willing to play small forward.

Denver: Kenyon Martin will not play Tuesday against the Charlotte Bobcats because of a dislocated pinkie finger.

Toronto: Jose Calderon (hip) will not play Tuesday against the Timberwolves. Calderon went through shootaround and sounded like he might play, but a hip flexor injury flared up after practice and the Toronto Raptors decided to have him sit. Coach Jay Triano said Jarrett Jack will start in Calderon’s place.

Oakland: Warriors F Anthony Randolph flew to Arkansas to deal with a family emergency instead of New York for Wednesday’s game against the Nets. The team said that it hopes Randolph will be back with the team in the “next couple of days,” leaving his availability for Wednesday in doubt.

Indiana: Danny Granger will miss four-to-six weeks with torn plantar fascia in his right foot.

New Jersey: In addition to drawing the ire of the New Jersey Nets‘ braintrust with his recent posts on Twitter, Terrence Williams appears to be at odds with some of his teammates. Dave D’Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that at Tuesday’s shootaround, Williams “seemed more isolated than ever before.” And teammate Rafer Alston added, “Every day he comes in, he just looks like he’s in a funk and he looks like he’s just not there. I asked him yesterday on the bus how he’s doing, and he just had nothing to say. He had this blank look on his face, like he’s just confused.”

Chicago: K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune Tyrus Thomas’ broken forearm is not yet ready to absorb contact. This Friday will mark five weeks that Thomas has been sidelined, and though no return date has been set, it looks like fantasy owners will need to be patient for at least another week or two. Taj Gibson will continue to get the majority of minutes at PF in Thomas’ absence.

Dallas: Mavs GM Donnie Nelson says that Tim Thomas’ alleged involvement in a brawl at Denny’s early Wednesday morning is being “overblown.”
“What I can tell you is that Tim was not involved,” he said. “He’s 30 years old with a wife and kids. When the situation started to escalate, he left the property immediately. Certainly we’re working with authorities and our security folks to get to the bottom of it. But this is something that’s way, way, way overblown.” It is possible that media reports have overstated Thomas’ involvement in the incident, and we’ll continue to track this story as more developments surface.

The Nets announced Sunday that Yi Jianlian suffered an upper lip laceration on Saturday that required 50 stitches to close. This puts the breaks on the Yi Jianlian show for at least one more week. He will be re-evaluated next Monday, so it appears we’ll be getting geared up for his return prior to Week Nine. Can it get any worse for the 1-19 Nets?

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Indiana: Pacers F Danny Granger left the arena in a walking boot on Saturday night and will have an MRI to determine the severity of his heel injury. “We won’t know more until he gets an MRI when we get back to Indianapolis,” coach Jim O’Brien said. The Pacers are off until Wednesday and play three games in Week 7. Granger might be healthy enough to play in all three, but is probably too risky to start unless we get the MRI results on Monday afternoon.

New York: Despite missing Saturday’s practice, Danilo Gallinari is expected to play through a sore forearm on Sunday, according to the New York Times. We’re not convinced Gallo’s a great play today, but you might as well throw him out there if he’s going to play. Our guess is that he’s a game-time decision, dependent on how he’s feeling in pre-game warmups.

Philadelphia: Coach Eddie Jordan said that he “anticipates” putting Allen Iverson in the starting lineup against the Denver Nuggets on Monday. This isn’t a huge surprise, but it’s nice to get some confirmation heading into the Sixers’ three-game week.

Philadelphia: Andre Iguodala (ankle) missed practice Sunday, and is a game-time decision for Monday’s game against the Nuggets.

Portland: Greg Oden underwent successful surgery on his fractured left patella and, as expected, will miss the rest of the year according to a statement released by the Portland Trail Blazers. Joel Przybilla should step in and become the starting center, and now there is a greater urgency for the Blazers to move Andre Miller in order to shore up their frontcourt. Oden’s absence may actually help the offense, allowing Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge more space to operate with.

Detroit: Pistons G Ben Gordon played just 11 minutes on his sprained ankle, managing just five points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal on Sunday. Gordon has said he wouldn’t be playing unless the team needed him, but hobbling through 11 minutes can’t be helping the team that much, and it’s certainly not helping his fantasy owners. He should be benched until he gets a clean bill of health, or turns in a game with significant minutes

Blazers center Greg Oden has a fractured left kneecap that will require surgery and he is expected to miss the rest of the season. This was not only a huge blow to the Blazers organization, but Oden himself, who was certainly breaking out this season averaging 11.7 points on 61% shooting, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in just 25 minutes per game. Oden’s statistics do not represent that fact that he is on of the top defensive players in the NBA. Joel Przybilla will likely become the Portland Trail Blazers starting center, but we’ll keep a close eye on the Blazers’ rotations over the next few games.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Oakland: Oakland Warriors F Anthony Randolph (ankle) made a surprise return on Saturday, lighting up Orlando for a career-high 28 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block off the bench.

Oakland: Warriors G Monta Ellis scored 33 points vs. the Magic on Saturday, adding two rebounds and seven assists, but he also turned the ball over seven times. The dark side of Ellis’ hot start this season is his 4.1 turnovers per game — he almost has as many TOs (74) as rebounds (79).

Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash scored 32 points in Saturday’s win over the Kings, making 11-of-23 FGs, 3-of-6 three-pointers and 7-of-7 FTs. Just two assists and six assists on the night, but nobody can complain on a night when the 35-year-old point guard scores 32 points.

Indiana: Danny Granger left Saturday’s game with a bruised right heel and will not return. Uh oh. It seems like the clock has been ticking for Granger (he has been dealing with this heel injury for weeks) but hopefully it’s nothing that will require an extended absence. We’re just not sure how his heel will ever get better if he’s constantly running, jumping and cutting on it.

Atlanta: Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds on Saturday, adding three steals and one block in 36 minutes. Marvin scored just three points on 1-of-7 shooting, but he’s normally a solid shooter and it’s nice to see him contributing in other categories. J

Toronto: Jose Calderon played only 19 minutes on Saturday due to a combination of a lopsided score and a sore groin. While it doesn’t sound like this is too serious, groin injuries tend to linger and Calderon hasn’t exactly been a picture of health since joining the NBA.

Minnesota: In his second game back from a broken hand, Kevin Love had 18 points and 10 rebounds and the Wolves defeated the Jazz in Minnesota. Love was 6-of-9 from the field, 2-of-3 from downtown and 4-of-4 from the FT line, with two steals and one block. And he only played 26 minutes.

Monta Ellis set a season-high in scoring for the second straight night on Wednesday, scoring 42-points on 16-of-25 shooting with four rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block. The 42 points also tied a career-high for Ellis. Just a day after playing all 48 minutes, Ellis went for 44 minutes tonight and there’s no reason to think he won’t keep it up with the Warriors so short-handed. Is Ellis still on the trading block?

Elsewhere around the NBA:

New Jersey: Brook Lopez had 32 points, 14 rebounds, a steal and two blocks on 13-of-25 shooting as the New Jersey Nets lost by 10 to the Blazers to run their record to 0-15. They’re two losses from starting out 0-17 to match the 1988-89 Heat for the worst start in NBA history.

New Jersey: Devin Harris hit just 2-of-6 shots for six points, three assists and two steals as the Nets lost again on Wednesday. He’s clearly not at 100 percent but is at least playing through his groin injury.

Indiana: Pacers beat reporter Mike Wells reports that Danny Granger will not play on Wednesday due to a sprained left MCL.

Portland: Blazers C Greg Oden had 18 points, eight boards, a steal and four more blocks in Wednesday’s win over the Nets. Oden is having a good year and is starting to pay dividends as the No. 1 overall pick. If the Portland Trail Blazers are going to advance in the playoffs, he will need to play well and stay healthy.

Houston: Rockets F/C Carl Landry hit 9-of-11 shots and had a team-high 24 points to go along with six boards in Wednesday’s loss. Landry is quietly having a good year.

Dallas Mavericks: Jason Terry hit 10-of-11 shots and all four of his 3-point attempts on his way to 27 points and a season-high 10 assists on Wednesday. Look for Terry to win the fifth man of the year award.

Dallas: Jason Kidd had nine points and seven assists to pass Mark Jackson for No. 2 on the all-time assists list with 10,337. He still has a long way to go to catch John Stockton at 15,806, but this is quite a milestone for Kidd

Dallas: Shawn Marion had 12 points, three boards and one assist in 31 minutes after missing a few games with an ankle injury. He’ll be better on most nights, but the time off with the injury obviously negatively impacted him tonight.

In what seems to be a continuing theme young players playing well, Kings center Spencer Hawes tied his career-high with 24 points on Saturday, adding nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks in a loss to the Rockets. Hawes was 10-of-16 from the field and even made his first 3-pointers of the season, going 2-of-3 from downtown. The Kings have reportedly been shopping around for another center (rumors linked them to Samuel Dalembert) but hopefully a few more games like this will curb that impulse.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Portland: Trail Blazers guard/forward Martell Webster started Saturday’s game over Andre Miller, finishing with a season-high 21 points 13 rebounds in only 31 minutes of work. Webster made 7-of-13 FGs and 4-of-7 three-pointers, with two assists, one turnover and seems to have landed a starting role in Portland Trail Blazers.

Chicago: Bulls PG Derrick Rose broke out for a season-high 28 points against the Nuggets on Saturday, making 11-of-20 FGs and 6-of-7 FTs with six rebounds, three assists and one steal. Rose continues to struggle with turnovers, committing five more on Saturday, and defense but no argument came be made against his offensive talent.

Denver: Nuggets SF Carmelo Anthony continued his stellar play while scoring 30 points on Saturday as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Bulls for their 15th consecutive home victory. Melo has scored 30+ points in nine of his first 13 games this season and appears to be a threat to win the scoring title.

San Antonio: San Antonio Spurs PG Tony Parker returned from a sprained ankle on Saturday, scoring 17 points, grabbing six rebounds and handing out eight assists in 32 minutes of play. Parker appeared to be playing well and not showing any ill effects from the injury.

Milwaukee: Bucks rookie guard Brandon Jennings scored 26 points on Saturday (24 of them coming in the second half) as the Bucks defeated the Grizzlies and improved their record to 8-3.

Detroit: Pistons G Ben Gordon scored 25 points in an overtime loss to the Jazz on Saturday, going 10-of-20 from the field, 2-of-4 from downtown, and 3-of-4 from the FT line. He added five rebounds, three assists and two steals, which is icing on the cake for Detroit’s explosive scoring guard. And after sitting out nearly all of the fourth quarter on Thursday, he logged 47 minutes in this game.

Utah: Jazz F Paul Millsap needed five stitches to close a gash above his right eye sustained during Saturday’s game, though he returned and played 34 minutes. Millsap, who had just four points (2-of-6 FGs), four rebounds and two steals, shouldn’t be in danger of missing any games.

Houston: Rockets forward Carl Landry scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 25 minutes against the Kings on Saturday. Landry made 6-of-8 FGs and 8-of-8 FTs, building on his recent string of excellent performances. He even blocked a shot, ending his block-less streak at three games.

1. Celtics (8-3): Nobody has stepped up to knock them off the top yet.
2. Lakers (8-3): Came back down to earth a bit.
3. Suns (10-2): Playing better than expected.
4. Nuggets (8-3): Really dangerous team, both regular and post season.
5. Hawks (9-2): Young and playing good basketball.
6. Magic (8-3): The Magic are a very solid team.
7. Cavaliers (8-3): I though they would be top three in the beginning.
8. Mavericks (8-3): Can they hold up without injuries?
9. Portland Trail Blazers (8-4): They go as Odem goes.
10. Heat (7-3): Wade is carrying this team.
11. Bulls (6-4): Looking to take the next step.
12. Spurs (4-4): They will be there in the end, like usual.
13. Kings (5-5): Surprise of the young NBA season?
14. Bucks (5-3): Middle of the pack, as expected.
15. Pacers (5-3): A few good young players.
16. Thunder (6-5): Exciting to watch.
17. Rockets (6-5): They stay competitive with what they have.
18. Raptors (5-6): Nothing exciting here.
19. Pistons (5-6): Offseason moves not paying off yet.
20. Jazz (4-6): Surprisingly struggling.
21. 76ers (4-6): See Jazz statement above.
22. Clippers (4-8): Clippers will be the Clippers.
23. Hornets (4-8):
24. Bobcats (3-7): Time to start over (for the fifth time)?
25. Wizard (2-7): Finally healthy, look for them to climb a bit.
26. Warriors (3-7): Horrible.
27. Grizzlies (2-8): Can’t believe they were good recently.
28. Knicks (1-9): They don’t even have a first round pick on 2010.
29. Timberwolves (1-10): Terrible.
30. Nets (0-11): I’m taking bets on when the first win will come, 17 sounds good.

The Sacramento Kings are discussing a trade that would send Kenny Thomas to New Orleans Hornets in exchange for center Emeka Okafor. Thomas, who is due $8.7, will be an unrestricted free agentin 2010 and this is why he is a coveted player. However, Okafor is due about $62 million over the next five seasons. No deal is imminent, but if the Hornets want on of the Kings young pieces this deal could be dead before it even heated up.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Portland: Blazers F Travis Outlaw is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks with a stress fracture in his left foot, meaning he won’t return until mid-January. This is a tough loss for the Portland Trail Blazers, who have won six straight games and seemed to have finally settled into a set rotation. Rudy Fernandez got the bulk of his minutes on Saturday, but will likely compete with Martell Webster to fill the sixth-man void.

Detroit: Pistons G Ben Gordon scored 29 points (5-of-8 three-pointers) to lead the Pistons to their third consecutive victory on Saturday, defeating the struggling Wizards. Gordon, who was signed in the offseason to a huge contract, scored eight of Detroit’s final 10 points and is excelling as the teams new leader.

Oakland: The severity of Kelenna Azubuike’s “left patella tendon injury” isn’t yet known — we should know more once test results are announced. The Contra Costa Times reports that Azubuike’s kneecap appeared “off to the side,” suggesting a dislocated kneecap (which could require about 3-5 months of rehab). If he ruptured the tendon he would likely need surgery. Check back soon for another update.

Washington: Washington Wizards G Gilbert Arenas said on Saturday that he’s still trying to find his comfort zone under coach Flip Saunders. “I have to try to find a way to keep myself in the game the whole time,” said Arenas. He said he has been too worried about involving teammates and racking up assists, and vowed to bring back the fun-loving Arenas (of “Agent Zero” and “Hibachi” fame).

Utah: Continuing with good rookie play,Utah Jazz G Eric Maynor scored 24 points in a losing effort on Saturday, going 9-of-16 from the field and 6-of-7 from the line, with three rebounds and four assists. Maynor has looked great in the past two games, sans Deron Williams, but the All-Star’s impending return makes him an unlikely fantasy option going forward. Just file this away in case Williams ever sits for an extended period of time.

As the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, the Detroit Pistons were a member team of the old National Basketball League (NBL) and the Basketball Association of America (BAA) before joining the NBA in 1949 and becoming the Detroit Pistons in 1957.

Today, the three-time champion Detroit Pistons play their home games at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Their head coach is the newly-hired Michael Curry, and their general manager is Joe Dumars, who played on the back-to-back title winning Pistons of 1989 and 1990.

Early Years in Detroit

When the Pistons first moved to Detroit in 1957, they immediately established themselves as a tough team to beat. They made the playoffs in each of their firsts six seasons in Detroit, though they didn’t get past the division finals.

The 1960s and 1970s were far from kind to the Pistons, who boasted some big names of the era but could not translate that into winning seasons. Between 1963 and 1973, the team only appeared in the playoffs once, despite having high-profile players like Bob Lanier, Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, and Jimmy Walker.

Despite a few playoff berths in the mid-1970s, the Detroit Pistons did not begin to establish themselves as an NBA contender until they drafted an Indiana point guard named Isiah Thomas in 1981.

Isiah and the Bad Boys

The Pistons continued to build after drafting Thomas. They acquired guard Vinnie Johnson and center Bill Laimbeer in 1982. This paid quick dividends for the team, as they returned to the playoffs in the 1983-84 season. They lost in the first round to the New York Knicks, but things were beginning to look up for Detroit.

The Pistons picked little-known shooting guard Joe Dumars in 1985, and they picked up forward Rick Mahorn in a trade that same year. Thomas, Dumars, Mahorn, Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman would form the core of the team that would earn the nickname “Bad Boys.”

The Detroit teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s had a rough, physical style of play that earned them the nickname. Rodman, Mahorn, and Laimbeer were well-known for their ability to get under the skin of opposing players. The team, under the leadership of head coach Chuck Daly, had a defense-first mentality that cast them as the polar opposite of flashier teams like the L.A. Lakers.

Championships

In the 1987-88 season, after amassing 54 regular season wins, the Pistons established themselves as the class of the Eastern Conference, beating the Washington Bullets, the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics on their way to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1956 (when they were the Fort Wayne Pistons). They battled hard with the Western champion Lakers, but they eventually fell in seven games.

The following season, the Pistons won 63 games and returned to the NBA Finals bent on revenge against the Lakers. They got their revenge, sweeping the Lakers in four games.

The following year, the defending champion Pistons won 59 games and returned to the NBA Finals, this time against the Portland Trail Blazers. The opponent was different, but the result was the same. Detroit beat the Blazers in five games, making the “Bad Boys” back-to-back champions.

By the 1993-94 season, most of the core players had either retired or been traded, and the Bad Boy era came to an end.

Joe Dumars, the last holdover from the championship era, retired in 1999 and was named Detroit’s general manager in 2000. From the bottom up, he built a team that would eventually consist of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace, among others. With these players, and the guiding hand of head coach Larry Brown (hired in 2003), Dumars constructed a team that would give him a third championship ring, and the team defeated the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant-led Lakers in the 2004 Finals. That Finals victory had at least an indirect impact on the fate of the Lakers, who, until then, were considered the first NBA dynasty of the new millennium.

2007-08 Season

With much of the championship core still in place (Ben Wallace left for the Chicago Bulls in 2006), the 2007-08 Pistons racked up 59 regular season wins and looked to be a favorite to win the East. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers in six games and the Orlando Magic in five games before falling to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in six games.

At the end of the 2008 season, head coach Flip Saunders left the team and was replaced by assistant coach Michael Curry.

2008-09 Outlook

Rasheed Wallace, Billups, Prince and Hamilton return, though they are a year older. Young players like Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey will be expected to take on additional minutes and relieve some of the pressure off the older players. If they can do that, the Pistons will be a contender to win the East.

Greatest Players

Dave Bing, Chauncey Billups, Joe Dumars, Richard “Rip” Hamilton, Grant Hill, Dennis Rodman, Isiah Thomas

The Portland Trail Blazers joined the National Basketball Association in 1970.  They play their home games at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, and are the state’s only major professional sports franchise. Their head coach is former NBA player Nate McMillan, and their owner is Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Early Years

The early years of the Portland basketball franchise were painful, even for an expansion team. Although their two best players, Sidney Wicks and Geoff Petrie, were decent NBA professionals, the team posted dismal records during their first six years of existence. Of those seasons, their worst was 1971-72, when they went 18-64 (the lowest win total in team history). The best of those early seasons was 1974-75, when the Blazers went 38-44. During that time, they went through three head coaches.

Although the team (and its fans) suffered during those early seasons, better times were ahead.

That Championship Season

In 1976, the Trail Blazers hired Jack Ramsay as their head coach and acquired Maurice Lucas. Lucas and young center Bill Walton led Portland to a 49-33 regular season record (the team’s first winning record) and a playoff berth.

The Trail Blazers beat the Chicago Bulls in the first round, the Denver Nuggets in the second round, and swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. In the NBA Finals, they played the Philadelphia 76ers and won, four games to two. It remains the only NBA championship in team history.

The following season, the team’s fortunes took a downturn when Walton suffered a season-ending foot injury. They would not appear in the NBA Finals again until 1990.

The Curse of Sam Bowie

In the 1984 Draft, the Trail Blazers had the #2 pick. This was a deep draft, and the Blazers had the opportunity to use it to fortify their team and possibly return to championship glory. Instead, they made what is widely considered the worst draft mistake in NBA history.

The Houston Rockets selected University of Houston center Akeem Olajuwon (who later added an “H” to his first name), giving the Blazers the chance to draft North Carolina shooting guard Michael Jordan. Because they had drafted a shooting guard the year before (Olajuwon’s college teammate Clyde Drexler), the Trail Blazers addressed their need for front-line size and picked center Sam Bowie. Jordan turned out to be an NBA great (perhaps the premier NBA great), while the injury-prone Bowie never fulfilled his promise.

1990s Finals appearances

The Trail Blazers, led by Drexler and point guard Terry Porter, were a playoff regular in the late 1980s. In the 1989-90 season, they made it to the NBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Pistons in five games.

Two season later, the Blazers found themselves in the Finals again, but ironically, they faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls won, four games to two.

2007-08 Season

After suffering a playoff drought (no playoff appearances since 2003), the Blazers were looking to return to the postseason. Their 2006 draft pick, Brandon Roy, was Rookie of the Year, and their 2007 pick, center Greg Oden (#1 overall), evoked memories of defensive stalwarts like Patrick Ewing and Bill Russell. However, Oden underwent microfracture surgery and did not play in the 2007-08 season.

Even without their center, the Blazers went 41-41.

2008-09 Season Outlook

With some smart personnel moves, the Blazers have been able to shed the “Jail Blazers” moniker they earned in the early part of this decade. The Trail Blazers now look forward to the return of center Greg Oden, who appears to be recovered. If Oden can provide tough defense and some inside scoring, and Roy continues to excel, the Trail Blazers have a chance to make some noise in the Western Conference.

Greatest Players

Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Maurice Lucas, Rasheed Wallace