Written by Ron Hitley, Hornets 24/7
DALLAS MAVERICKS
Recap Rewind: The All-Star break couldn't slow down the Mavs, who cruised to home victories against the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets last week... Dwyane Wade was absent from the Miami game last Thursday on account of his dislocated shoulder, so we have yet to see a true rematch of the 2006 Finals. Dirk Nowitzki punished the Heat for 31 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, while Jason Terry scored 21 of his own in the 112-100 win... The Denver game on Sunday saw Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony combine for 60 points, but Nowitzki and Josh Howard delivered 58 for the Mavs. The result was a 115-95 blowout win for Dallas.
Notable News: As of Monday morning, the Mavs were still untouchable at the top of the standings; their 46-9 record 3.5 games ahead of closest rival the Phoenix Suns... Dallas have now won 19 straight on their home floor, their last loss at the American Airlines Center coming in early December against the Detroit Pistons... Head coach Avery Johnson is now bringing Devin Harris off the bench, with the bigger bodies of Greg Buckner and Devean George taking turns as the starting two-guard... Speaking of the Mavs' bench, Jerry Stackhouse has his ... Dallas were one of the few teams dealing at the deadline last Thursday, sending Anthony Johnson to Atlanta for a second round draft pick.
Fast Forward: On Tuesday the Mavs travel to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves, after which it's back to Dallas for games against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday and the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Recap Rewind: The Rockets began their post-All-Star schedule by hosting the Miami Heat last Wednesday. Tracy McGrady's 32 points set the pace in Houston's 112-102 win... Friday saw the Rocks in Atlanta to play the lowly Hawks. McGrady scored 37 despite a poor shooting night, but it wasn't enough to overcome a balanced Atlanta attack, as the Hawks took the win, 105-99... Sunday in Orlando saw the Rockets get back to their winning ways with a 97-93 triumph over the hosting Magic. McGrady scored 34 while Rafer Alston contributed 20 points, his third consecutive game scoring at least that many.
Notable News: As of Monday morning, the Rockets were 35-20 on the season, two games behind the Utah Jazz for homecourt advantage in the first round of the Playoffs. Being fifteen games above .500 is remarkable considering the injuries this team has had... As has been widely reported, Scottie Pippen is looking to make a comeback this season, and Rockets' head coach Jeff Van Gundy appears interested... Judging by this article in Monday's Houston Chronicle, Yao Ming's recovery from injury is not going as smoothly as hoped. Still no timetable for his return... Jonathan Feigen discusses Van Gundy's recent rotation juggling.
Fast Forward: The Rockets are back in Houston today (Monday) to host the Boston Celtics. They stay home on Wednesday to play the Toronto Raptors at the Toyota Center, followed by a Friday date in Denver to play the Nuggets. Saturday sees them back in Houston to face the San Antonio Spurs.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Recap Rewind: The Grizzlies began last week in Seattle in Tuesday, and left town with their 24th road loss of the season. Mike Miller scored 20 points in the 121-105 result, while Pau Gasol scored 17 and grabbed 12... Miller went nuts the next night in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors, knocking down 16-of-27 shots for a franchise-record 45 points. He was 9-of-17 from three, but the Gizz lost again, 118-115 in overtime... Friday saw the Grizzlies wrap up their four-game road trip with a 103-102 win against the Portland Trailblazers. Pau Gasol scored 23 points in that one, but had to wait an extra minute to celebrate the win.
Notable News: Ahead of Monday's game against the Nuggets, the Grizzlies were sporting a 15-42 record, a mark of futility rivaled only by the 13-42 Boston Celtics... The trade deadline came and went, and Pau Gasol is still in Memphis. Apparently closer to being dealt was Stromile Swift, who was reportedly on his way to Miami before Dwyane Wade's shoulder injury... At least one Grizzlies fan is not happy with the lack of change. I'm sure there's many more who feel the same... One bright spot in Memphis recently has been the development of Rudy Gay. The rookie is averaging 15.6 points per game this month, a huge jump from the 8.8 points he was averaging in the three months prior... The Grizzlies are constantly getting hammered on the boards, and are currently tied with Philadelphia as the worst rebounding team in the League, averaging just 38.9 per game.
Fast Forward: On Wednesday the Grizzlies host the Utah Jazz, before a quick trip to Philadelphia for a Friday meet with the 76ers. Saturday sees them back home to host the Detroit Pistons.
