NBAFullCourt - Basketball Daily

The Dallas Mavericks haven't beaten any teams with winning records since trading for Jason Kidd. They're also having difficulty putting away teams with losing records while reigning MVP Dick Nowitzki is out with an injury. Josh Howard came through in the clutch on Monday night, scoring 12 of his 25 in the fourth quarter, and the Mavericks held off the banged-up but stubborn Los Angeles Clippers...

As Amare Stoudemire stood at the foul line with 1:42 remaining, chants of "M-V-P, M-V-P" reverberated from the sellout crowd at US Airways Center. Stoudemire made the foul shot, completing an MVP-caliber performance with 41 points and 14 rebounds in the Phoenix Suns' 132-117 comeback victory over the Denver Nuggets Monday night, "Only 41 ...

C.J. Miles was the only Utah starter still playing at the end of a blowout against the Washington Wizards. With the game Miles was having, coach Jerry Sloan would have had a hard time getting him out of there, anyway. Miles scored a career high 29 points, making four 3-pointers as the Jazz set a record from beyond-the-arc in a 129-87 win over the weary Wizards on Monday night.

The Atlanta Hawks couldn't coast home against the Memphis Grizzlies despite holding a 38-point lead in the third quarter. The Hawks had to refire their offense in the fourth quarter Monday night to turn back a late Memphis rally and defeat the Grizzlies 116-99. Josh Smith had 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead the Hawks, who had six players in double figures.

Quiet Chris Bosh is suddenly talking all over the court, and the Toronto Raptors hope the newfound motormouth will lead them on a playoff run. Bosh put up offensive numbers consistent with his All-Star season on Monday night: 32 points, eight rebounds and 13 of 16 free-throw shooting. But the striking scene in the Raptors' 104-100 win over the Charlotte Bobcats was the sight of Bosh yelling out...

Jermaine O'Neal got off to a rough start in his return after sitting out for more than two months with a knee injury. He got a loud cheer from Indiana Pacers fans when he stepped on the court late in the first quarter against the Miami Heat, but the buzz dissipated when he traveled the first time he touched the ball, then quickly committed a foul on defense.

Andrei Kirilenko and Ronnie Brewer both missed the Utah Jazz's game against Washington on Monday because of injuries, while the Wizards' Caron Butler sat out with a strained hamstring. Kirilenko (calf) missed his second straight game with muscle spasms in his right calf. While the Jazz were also without Brewer (groin), they did get center Mehmet Okur back from a stomach virus.

Orlando Magic forward Brian Cook could miss up to two weeks because he broke his right middle finger in practice. The Magic said Monday that Cook would rest 10 to 14 days, then be re-evaluated. The Magic's season ends with three games from April 13-16. They have eight games remaining. Cook joined Orlando in a November trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Orlando Magic forward Brian Cook could miss up to two weeks because he broke his right middle finger in practice. The Magic said Monday that Cook would rest 10 to 14 days, then be re-evaluated. The Magic's season ends with three games from April 13-16. They have eight games remaining. Cook joined Orlando in a November trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal says he will return to the court Monday night after sitting out more than two months with a bone bruise on his left knee. O'Neal is among the league's best interior defenders, and the Pacers could use him for the stretch run. They enter Monday's game against the Miami Heat three games behind Atlanta for the eighth and final playoff slot in the Eastern...

Kobe Bryant abandoned his one-man show, got his teammates involved and the Los Angeles Lakers prevailed in a shooting contest. Bryant scored six of his 26 points in overtime and the Lakers beat the Washington Wizards 126-120 Sunday night to snap a two-game losing skid and move within a game of the Western Conference lead.

The Golden State Warriors ruined Dallas' season a year ago by knocking the Mavericks out of the playoffs in a shocking first-round upset. This year, the Warriors could keep the Mavericks out of the postseason all together. Monta Ellis scored 30 points and Kelenna Azubuike hit two clutch shots down the stretch to help the Warriors beat the Mavericks 114-104 Sunday night to create a three-way tie...

Kevin Garnett offered polite praise of the Miami Heat before Paul Pierce interrupted the postgame news conference and said, "Man, I am going to tell you the truth." Then he did. "They got D-Leaguers out there, so I think we just handled our business," the Boston forward said, listing some of the five Miami players who spent time in the developmental league this season.

The Philadelphia 76ers learned a painful lesson. On the rare occasion when LeBron James has a poor game, the Cleveland Cavaliers' next opponent is usually in trouble. James made a twisting bank shot with 19.3 seconds left to put Cleveland ahead to stay and the Cavaliers defeated the 76ers 91-88. James, who finished with 26 points, took the ball at the top of the key, drove through the lane and put...

After watching his team with its 50th game, New Orleans coach Byron Scott was willing to forgive a fourth-quarter lapse on defense. David West scored 32 points and Chris Paul had 20 points and 16 assists to lead New Orleans to a 118-111 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, giving the Hornets 50 wins in a season for the first time since 1997-98.