PLAY OF THE DAY

SHOOTING STUDS

Ray Allen, Sonics
104-99 loss at Hornets
36 pts, 13-25 FG
6-9 3-pt FG, 4-5 FT

Allen Iverson, Sixers
116-96 win at Nets
40 pts, 13-26 FG, 14-15 FT

Peja Stojakovic, Pacers
117-112 win vs. Celtics
25 pts, 9-13 FG, 3-4 3-pt FG, 4-5 FT

SHOOTING DUDS

Jumaine Jones, Bobcats
96-88 loss vs. Grizzlies
2-12 FG, 1-5 3-pt FG, 5 pts

Joe Johnson, Hawks
96-90 loss vs. Bulls
5-19 FG, 1-6 3-pt FG, 14 pts
Flip Murray, Cavaliers
96-73 loss at Pistons
1-8 FG, 0-4 3-pt FG, 2 pts

STAT SHEET STUFFER

The Pacers hadn't won back-to-back games in well over a month and were in danger of dropping further down the Eastern Conference standings. A complete performance from Jermaine O'Neal put both of those negative trends to rest. O'Neal tallied 21 points, 15 boards, a career high-tying seven assists and two blocks in Indiana's 117-112 win over Boston. It was the first double-double for O'Neal since Jan. 9 and the most points scored by the Pacers this season.

RICK KAMLA'S FANTASY TAKE

"It's been a nice run for Jeff Foster in fantasy leagues. Dude played three minutes on Wednesday, as Austin Croshere came up with 20 points in 32 minutes. Croshere now has averages of 18.5 points and seven rebounds in his last two games."

SIXTH MAN OF THE NIGHT

In just his second NBA game in more than two months, Bracey Wright played a key role as Minnesota ended a 14-game road losing streak with a come-from-behind 82-79 victory over Houston. Wright, who spent most of this season with Florida of the D-League, scored eight of his season-high 13 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed six rebounds. "Bracey did a heck of a job down the stretch," Wolves coach Dwane Casey said. "He was more comfortable and I think he relaxed."

ROOKIE WATCH

Fans of the Celtics won't get to see their team in the playoffs this season, but they are seeing the maturation of rookie Gerald Green. The 20-year-old has begun to show flashes of the potential the team saw when it made him the 18th pick in last year's draft. Green scored a season-high 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting with two blocks in Boston's 117-112 loss at Indiana, giving him 53 points in his last three games. The 6-8 swingman also made a desperation shot from halfcourt as the shot clock wound down in the fourth quarter and had two spectacular dunks in the first half.

GAME OF THE NIGHT

Some games at this point have no teams involved in the playoff race, while others have just one. It's usually the contests that have both squads still fighting for a seat at the postseason table that turn out to be the best. That was the case in Milwaukee on Wednesday as the Bucks pulled out an important 100-97 victory over the Wizards. Michael Redd scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, including a jumper with 19.9 seconds left that put Milwaukee ahead for good at 98-97. T.J. Ford stole the ball from Gilbert Arenas and sank both free throws for a three-point lead with 1.4 ticks to go. The win moved the Bucks within one game of the slumping Wizards for fifth in the East with the teams scheduled to meet again in Washington on Tuesday. "We can't look at it like we are however many games ahead, we've been down that path before," Arenas said. "We hold our own destiny from here on out."

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT

"I'm calling (Nets coach) Lawrence Frank. (Losing to) Chicago and Philadelphia back-to-back. ... they could've helped us. We helped them with the Miami game and they're not doing a darn thing. But that's the way it is. We're either going to get some help or not. The main thing is how we play and finish.

-- Magic coach Brian Hill when asked about his team's slim playoff hopes despite winning 10 off 11 overall and 11 in a row at home.

STORYLINES OF THE NIGHT

1. Down the Stretch they Come
The final week of the regular season promises to be very exciting with five Eastern Conference teams battling for the final four playoff spots. The Bulls and Sixers both came up winners on Wednesday and remained tied for the last postseason berth. Each has four games left, but Chicago has two home games, Philly only has one and the Bulls hold the tiebreaker by virtue of a better in-conference record. Fifth-place Washington continued to struggle, losing its fourth straight as the Wizards' lead over Milwaukee and Indiana was sliced to one game. Washington has a difficult remaining schedule with games against Chicago, the Bucks, Cleveland and Detroit. Of the five teams, the Pacers would seem to have the easiest final four contests. They face Minnesota, Charlotte, Toronto and Orlando - all non-playoff clubs.

2. Rest for the King?
The last thing the Cavaliers need now is a lingering injury to LeBron James with their first playoff appearance since 1998 a little more than a week away. Even before James was forced to leave Wednesday's 96-73 loss to Detroit late in the third quarter with a mild left ankle sprain, the Cavs had to be seriously considering resting the 21-year-old phenom for at least parts of their final four games. If Cleveland was battling for playoff position, resting James, the NBA leader in minutes played entering Wednesday, wouldn't be an issue, but because it is locked into the fourth seed in the East, there isn't much to gain by playing James his usual 40-plus minutes a night. James also has a history of ankle trouble. He missed three games with a right ankle sprain as a rookie and two games with a left ankle sprain last season. "It's not too serious," James said. "I don't know who I stepped on but I did sprain it. I'll see how I feel in the morning and see if I can go tomorrow (against New York). But if I'm not 100 percent, I won't go."

3. Still Breathin', Still Believin'
After beating Denver for their fourth straight win, the Jazz have little choice but to now become very big fans of the Nuggets. Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur combined for 49 points and 23 rebounds in Utah's 104-83 victory over Denver, which will enter the playoffs as the West's third seed. Wednesday's win moved Utah within 1 1/2 games of idle Sacramento for the final playoff spot in the West with four games left. Because the Jazz don't have the luxury of facing the Kings again, they will be rooting for the Nuggets to beat the Kings on Saturday. Utah also hopes to get some help from Sacramento's final two opponents - the Hornets and the Sonics. Even if they get some help, the Jazz will be hard pressed to win their final four games against New Orleans/Oklahoma City, Dallas, San Antonio and Golden State. "We've just got to get some wins. We're still alive in this thing, the season's not over," rookie guard Deron Williams said. "We've still got a chance, whether it's a slim chance or not. If we keep winning and some teams lose, we're right there."

COOL/CLUTCH PERFORMANCE

Proving he's not just limited to the Rookie section of this page, Chris Paul came through late and led the Hornets to a 104-99 home win over Seattle. Paul scored four of his 21 points in the final minute as New Orleans/Oklahoma City pulled within 2 1/2 games of Sacramento for the final playoff berth in the West. CP3's jumper just before the shot clock expired extended the Hornets' lead to 102-97 with 35.6 seconds left. He closed the scoring with a pair of free throws with 3.1 ticks remaining. "I love taking that shot," Paul said of his jumper. "With the shot clock winding down, everyone likes having the ball in their hands in that situation, but as a point guard, I love it."

UPSET OF THE NIGHT

A 30-win team beating a team with 59 victories is the perfect definition of an upset. Still, seeing the Warriors take down the mighty Mavericks shouldn't have been that big of a surprise. While Wednesday's 114-102 triumph ended Golden State's nine-game losing streak, it was also the Warriors' third win in four games this season against Dallas. The Warriors are the only team this season to win twice in Big D. Jason Richardson led Golden State with 25 points and rookie reserves Ike Diogu and Monta Ellis combined for 34 points. Dirk Nowitzki poured in 29 for Dallas, which was outscored 35-21 from the foul line. The loss could prove very costly for the Mavs, who fell 1 1/2 games behind the Spurs for the top seed in the West.