Tyreke Evans (concussion) will miss the Kings’ next two games after he felt dizzy during Thursday’s practice. With the current climate around professional sports surrounding concussions, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Sacramento Kings are out of the playoff chase and will not rush him back just so he can win the Rookie of the Year award. He’s in danger of missing more than just two games. Meanwhile, Beno Udrih’s piping hot streak stands to continue while Francisco Garcia will stick in the starting five.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Memphis: Marc Gasol (strained neck) says he is targeting Sunday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks for his return. Gasol worked out on Monday, practiced on Tuesday and the Grizz have three days off before taking on the Bucks. If he’s going to come back, this is a perfect spot.

Houston: Trevor Ariza was productive in the Rockets’ 99-93 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, scoring 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting (including three 3-pointers) with eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and one block.

Houston: Luis Scola scored 16 points on 7-of-21 shooting with 14 rebounds, three assists, and two steals on Thursday. It marks the 30th double-double he has secured this year, and during the month of march, Scola is averaging a robust 21.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

Los Angelas: Craig Smith scored a season-high 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in 25 minutes off the bench against the Rockets on Thursday.

Miami: Udonis Haslem (ankle) returned to action against the Bulls on Thursday, and scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting with six rebounds, no assists, and a steal in 23 minutes.

Chicago: Joakim Noah played just 10 minutes in the Bulls’ blowout loss to the Heat on Thursday, and chipped in four points on 1-of-5 shooting with two rebounds and no assists. He was scheduled to play 15 minutes, and if there is any positive takeaway from their embarrassing night it’s that Bulls got to rest him a little bit more than was planned.

Miami: Jermaine O’Neal scored 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting with four rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 24 minutes of the Heat’s dominating win over the Bulls on Thursday.

Hornets coach Jeff Bower said after Saturday’s game that he expects Chris Paul (knee) to return at some point in the following week. “We will be seeing him soon,” Bower said. “Probably next week at some point; hopefully earlier in the week. We don’t have a firm date, but we’re very close.” The report goes on to tell readers to check back in after Monday’s shootaround, with games Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday as potential return dates.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Sacramento: Tyreke Evans (slight concussion, bruised jaw) could still play in Monday’s home game vs. the Grizzlies, according to Sacramento Kings beat writer Jason Jones. Jones’ report is far more optimistic than an early text message from Evans’ brother, which indicated he would miss at least one week. Evans will be re-evaluated on Monday, so check back for updates.

Sacramento: Beno Udrih scored 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting (including a three) with four rebounds, a career-high 17 assists, and two steals in the Kings’ win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Atlanta: Al Horford went off for 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting with 18 rebounds, one assist, and two steals, and hit a jumper with the shot clock expiring and 35 seconds left in overtime to put away the Spurs on Sunday.

San Antonio: Manu Ginobili tied a season-high with 38 points on 12-of-26 shooting (including five 3-pointers) with one rebound, six assists, and a steal in the Spurs’ overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
He is carrying the load with Tony Parker out, and has been a borderline elite play throughout the month of March.

Los Angeles: Phil Jackson said Sunday that he hopes Andrew Bynum (Achilles) can return before the end of the month, and that he will be traveling with the team on their upcoming 5-game road trip.
“Maybe this will be just a short duration,” Jackson said, adding that Bynum felt much better from Saturday to Sunday, helping to spark some optimism.

Okalahoma City: Russell Westbrook was held scoreless in the Okalahoma City Thunder’s blowout loss to the Pacers on Sunday, going 0-for-4 from the field to go with one rebound and five assists in just 17 minutes of action.

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.

Mike Conley had a season-high 26 points, seven assists, five steals and three rebounds as the Grizzlies knocked off the New Orleans Hornets. Conley has found his stroke and is suddenly playing with extreme confidence on the offensive end. Over his last four games, he’s averaging 17.5 points on 60 percent shooting. Consider this a simple hot streak as we don’t think Conley’s offensive game has turned the corner yet.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Sacramento: Tyreke Evans went 4-for-22 from the field on Wednesday night, but the Sacramento Kings won in Houston anyway. Evans field goal percentage coming into this game stood at a surprising 46.6 percent as he defies critics of his jumper. Consider tonight a mere blip on the road during his ROY campaign.

Sacramento: Beno Udrih started on Wednesday and had 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and a trey in 37 minutes of action Wednesday night. This was Udrih’s fourth straight start as coach Paul Westphal has been true to his word about sticking with Beno. Considering the Kings shockingly won this game in Houston, Beno’s leash just got a lot longer.

Minnesota: Corey Brewer had 24 points, seven boards, four assists, two steals and two 3-pointers in Wednesday’s close loss to the Mavericks. He’d scored 10 or less points in his previous four games, and like most of his teammates on the Wolves, is simply unreliable playing under Kurt Rambis.

Minnesota: Darko Milicic started at center for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, but only played 14 minutes. He had six points, two boards and zero blocks, and this is why we stopped trusting Darko long ago. No matter how good things are looking for him, he rarely answers the call.

Charlotte: Emeka Okafor struggled with foul trouble and ineffectiveness on Wednesday night en route to just 10 points, one rebound and one block.

Boston: Nate Robinson hit 5-of-8 shots and four more 3-pointers for 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in an easy win over the Charlotte Bobcats. Robinson posted an eerily similar line in Tuesday’s win over the Pistons, but the only problem is the minutes. He played 20 or less in both games and things are not going to be so pretty on nights when his long ball isn’t falling.

Darren Collison blistered the Pacers for 18 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, a block and a 3-pointer while hitting 7-of-13 shots in Friday’s easy win. Not much to say here, other than the Hornets have two stellar point guards on their hands. Trading Chris Paul would bring back a fleet of studs, but we doubt the New Orleans Hornets are ready to put that kind of deal together.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Miami: Mario Chalmers returned from a thumb injury for 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and four 3-pointers in Friday’s win. He came off the bench and this explosion was a surprise. Carlos Arroyo also played well, while Daequan Cook, who started for Dwyane Wade, hit just 1-of-7 shots for three points.

Miami: Michael Beasley hit 13-of-25 shots for a career-high 30 points to go along with eight rebounds, three steals and a block in a double-OT win over the Memphis Grizzlies. With Dwyane Wade out, Beasley is going to be the focal point of the offense.

Sacramento: The Kings’ new starting lineup Friday night is Tyreke Evans, Francisco Garcia, Omri Casspi, Carl Landry and Jason Thompson. Garcia is the biggest benefactor of the Kevin Martin trade, as we expected.

Toronto: Raptors beat writer Eric Smith expects Chris Bosh (ankle) to sit out Saturday in addition to Friday. It makes sense. After Saturday’s game against the depleted Wizards, the Toronto Raptors don’t play again until Wednesday against the Blazers.

Washington: Coach Flip Saunders said he thinks he’ll start Josh Howard against the Nuggets Friday night. Well that was quick. We assume that Howard will take over at the small forward spot, shift Mike Miller to shooting guard and send Nick Young to the bench.

Atlanta: Josh Smith had a nice all-around game in the Hawks’ 88-80 loss to the Suns on Friday, scoring 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting with five rebounds, one assist, three steals, and four blocks.

The Wizards and Mavericks sound very close to pulling off a trade, with the principle figures being Caron Butler and Josh Howard. Other players possibly included in the deal are Washington’s Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson, and Dallas’ Drew Gooden and Tim Thomas. Additionally, Antawn Jamison could possibly be going to the Boston Celtics. Any deal won’t likely be finalized until Monday, but it does sound like Butler and Howard are very likely to change teams.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Sacramento: Tyreke Evans was named MVP after leading the rookies to a 140-128 win over the sophomores on Friday night. Evans finished with 26 points, six boards, five assists and five steals on 11-of-15 shooting in the win, while DeJuan Blair went off for 22 points and 23 rebounds. Evans said after the game he wanted to share the award with Blair, which is another example of how good a leader the young Evans really is. Russell Westbrook led the sophs with 40 points.

Denver: Carmelo Anthony is still feeling pain in his elbow after injuring it against the Spurs on Thursday night. Melo better watch out before he gets a “soft” label, although it might be too late. Coach George Karl admitted that Anthony won’t be at 100 percent for Sunday’s All-Star game and he may limit his franchise players’ minutes. We’d expect Anthony to be fine when the Denver Nuggets come out of the break, but he may actually have to play at less than 100 percent.

Miami: Dwyane Wade said Friday that he wants to remain in Miami Heat next season. Wade is an unrestricted free agent after this season and will be one of the most sought-after players on the market. “I want to make sure,” he added, “that we do everything we can to make sure we build a winning program. We do that … I’m satisfied.” We’ll see if that statement provokes the Heat to make a move at the deadline.

Cleveland: The Cavaliers have reportedly put acquiring Antawn Jamison and Troy Murphy on hold as the team targets Amare Stoudemire. The Cleveland Cavaliers could send a package including Wally Szczerbiak, the expiring contract of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and possibly J.J. Hickson. Nothing is set in stone at this point, and Amare’s name is still linked with several possible teams. But it does appear the Cavaliers are very serious in their interest.

Charlotte: In an interview with reporters, Chris Paul shared that he could be walking with less supports soon. “I’m on two crutches right now,” Paul said. “I’m hoping by All-Star Sunday I’ll be down to one crutch or no crutches. It depends on how the rehab goes.” He shares that he’s not reentering the lineup until he’s “100 percent”, so he’s still got a long way to go before returning.

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

Elsewhere around the NBA:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Sacramento Kings trailed the Bulls by as many as 35 points on Monday, but Tyreke Evans led a stunning late-game charge as Sacramento stole a road victory in Chicago. Evans started slow but finished with 23 points (8-of-19 FGs, 6-of-9 FTs), eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. He even knocked down his only 3-point attempt. The 35 point comeback was the second largest in NBA history.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Milwaukee: Milwaukee Bucks C Andrew Bogut dominated the Pacers’ frontcourt in Monday’s road victory, scoring a career-high 31 points and grabbing a season-high 18 rebounds. He shot 14-of-19 from the field, adding three assists, one steal and three blocks.

Dallas: Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki (elbow) is on the active list and will play on Tuesday against the Trail Blazers, according to beat writer Eddie Sefko.

Sacramento: Kevin Martin (wrist) is scheduled to have a CT scan on December 30th. If all goes well he could return in early January. “I’ll know more after that,” Martin said. “It could be (early January).” He began shooting again nearly two weeks ago, and recently began doing dribbling drills with both hands.

Detroit: Detroit Pistons F Charlie Villanueva said he will play Tuesday despite plantar fasciitis, which causes “a sharp pain every step I make.” “I can’t really move out there. I’m very limited,” said Villanueva. It seems like only a matter of time before CV needs to take time off and rest his heel, but for the immediate future he sounds like he’ll keep suiting up. On a side note, he is no longer wearing a mask to protect his recently broken nose.

Detroit: Ben Gordon missed his ninth straight game on Tuesday as he recovers from a sprained ankle.
He said he “wasn’t quite ready,” which seems to have been the case for weeks now. Keep him benched until we get a concrete report that he’s ready to suck it up and play.

San Antonio: Spurs rookie DeJuan Blair moved into the starting lineup on Monday, posting eight points and six rebounds in 16 minutes.

Indiana: Pacers center Jeff Foster is out indefinitely with back pain. Foster joined the team in Boston on Tuesday but for the immediate future Roy Hibbert and Solomon Jones will hold down the C spot for Indiana Pacers.

Oklahoma City: Injured veteran Matt Harpring (knee) has been traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of Tuesday’s trade for Eric Maynor. Harpring’s career is almost certainly over, and he’s currently working as a commentator for NBATV. OKC gains an expiring contract, and Utah gets to slash his salary from their luxury tax.

Sacramento G Tyreke Evans wasn’t slowed by his recent finger and ankle injuries on Monday, as he posted 28 points (10-of-18 FGs, 7-of-7 FTs), four rebounds, four assists in yet another very good game in a loss to Memphis. Evans has now scored 20+ points in seven consecutive games. Without Kevin Martin he’s firmly established as the Sacramento Kings No. 1 option offensively, which is great news for the young Kings.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Milwaukee: Bucks SG Michael Redd will come off the Bucks’ bench on Monday, his first action after missing nine games with a strained left patella tendon. “[Redd will] probably not play a lot of minutes or anything,” said coach Scott Skiles. “Just get his feet back under him in a game and see how it goes.” This should hurt the production of Luke Ridnour and Carlos Delfino, but the Bucks went 7-2 without Redd and it sounds like he’ll be worked back slowly.

Utah: Utah Jazz C Mehmet Okur returned to practice Monday after missing three games with flu-like symptoms.
Okur tested negative for the H1N1 virus. He should be ready to go against the Thunder on Tuesday and Kyrylo Fesenko will take his rightful place on the bench.

Washington: An MRI revealed no structural damage in Caron Butler’s right foot/ankle and he is considered a game-time decision on Tuesday.

Washington: Wizards guard Mike Miller will miss three-to-six weeks with a strained calf. Nick Young will start at SG on Tuesday, but but DeShawn Stevenson and Randy Foye will also get increased minutes in Miller’s absence.

Houston: Rockets G Tracy McGrady (knee) practiced Monday, but his status for Wednesday’s game against the Mavericks remains in doubt. The Rockets aren’t eager to insert McGrady into a lineup, but if he does suit up he will eat into the minutes of Trevor Ariza, Shane Battier and Chase Budinger.

Memphis: Memphis Grizzlies F/C Marc Gasol had another solid game in the teams victory on Monday, posting 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and four blocks. For the season, Gasol is averaging 15.2 points on 61% shooting, 11.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks.

Dallas: Mavericks SF Shawn Marion (ankle) went through some of Monday’s practice and is questionable to play on Tuesday. “It’s still tender,” Marion said. “I can’t push off the way I want to. We want to get it back as close to 100 percent as we can.” Expect Marion to be a game-time decision.

Who ever said that being raise out of a broken home or not in a traditional fashion can detour a child’s life? Tyreke Evans was born on September 19, 1989, in Chester , Pennsylvania and was mainly raised by his three older brothers. His story is one of one of gleam, a child who used a tough upbringing to his advantage and now approaches his career and life with the same positive attitude that got him there in the first place.

Evans burst onto the scene at American Christian Academy in Aston, Pennsylvania and as a sophomore in high school he was already drawling comparisons to NBA superstars, such as Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. As a senior, Evans averaged an amazing 32.1 points per game and was also named Most Valuable Player of the McDonalds All-American game, where he posted 21 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists to help lead the East team to a 107-102 victory over the West. In 2007, Evans was offered and accepted an opportunity to keep a school diary for the 2008 season by SLAM Magazine.

In April of 2008, Evans announced that he had chosen to attend the University of Memphis over other NCAA powerhouses, such as the University of Texas and the University of Villanova. After the tenth game of the season, Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach John Calipari decided to change the starting lineup and Evans found himself starting at point guard. After inserting Evans into the starting lineup, the team subsequently went undefeated for the rest of the regular season. In his first game, Evans displayed his versatility by netting a near a triple-double, with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Evans great play lead him to being the only freshman finalist for the 2009 U.S. Basketball Writers of America National Player of the year award, named in honor of Oscar Robertson.

On March 31, 2009, Evans decided to forgo the final three years of his college eligibility and declare for the 2009 NBA draft. On June 25, 2009, the Sacramento Kings selected Evans with the fourth overall pick in the draft. Even as a rookie, Evans has continued to dominate his competition. In the early part of the 2009 season, Evans has helped the Kings rebound from being the worst team in the NBA to a 5-5 record. Perhaps what is more impressive than his four consecutive game streak with 20 or more points is his established NBA reputation as being a top defender. Evans has truly poured his heart into Sacramento and used his unconventional upbringing to become mentally and defensively tough on the basketball court.