By Michael Levine

Nov. 16, 2006: SCOREBOARD | PHOTO GALLERY

PHOTO OF THE NIGHT
B-Diddy had arguably his best game ever in the Warriors' Thursday victory. Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty
RICK KAMLA'S FANTASY TAKE
Tracy McGrady isn't filling it up like he used to, but he's figured out how to contribute in other ways. The two-time NBA scoring champ had a pedestrian 21 points Thursday, but helped your squad with 11 rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block. So the T-Mac owners out there don't have to hang their heads.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
"They put us on our heels in that first quarter, and it was kind of hard to get back. ... I probably should have guarded Baron from the beginning, but it's a team effort."

-- Sacramento stopper Ron Artest, whose Kings could not prevent 40 first-quarter points from Baron Davis and the Warriors.
THE DAY'S TOP VIDEO
Thursday's top play: Baron Davis finds Mickael Pietrus for an alley-oop jam.
  • Haier Play of the Day
  • Dunk of the Night
  • Assist of the Night
    		•
  • Block of the Night
  • Steal of the Night
  • NBA TV Top 10
    • SHOOTING STUDS
    Mickael Pietrus, Warriors
    117-105 win vs. Kings
    26 pts, 12-16 FG

    Ben Gordon, Bulls
    101-100 loss at Rockets
    37 pts, 11-22 FG, 14-16 FT
    STAT SHEET STUFFER
    Baron Davis was balling from the opening tip Thursday. He dished out 11 assists in the first 12 minutes and finished with a career-high 18 helpers to go along with 36 points, eight rebounds and three steals in the Warriors' home win.
    SHOOTING DUDS
    Mike Bibby, Kings
    117-105 loss at Warriors
    4-15 FG, 0-5 3-pt FG, 13 pts

    Andres Nocioni, Bulls
    101-100 loss at Rockets
    5-15 FG, 13 pts
    DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN
    It's not just the name of the new Denzel flick, it's also the story of Houston's inability to hold a lead. When the Rockets built a 21-point third-quarter bulge against Chicago on Thursday, nobody could believe they would repeat Tuesday's collapse. Back in the Toyota Center two days after being outscored 37-10 over the last 17 minutes by the Spurs, Houston again coughed up a seemingly insurmountable lead. But this time, the Rockets managed to do just enough to escape with a too-close-for-comfort 101-100 victory. Yao Ming tallied 20 points and 12 rebounds, dominating new Bulls center Ben Wallace (one and five).
    NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SHOWDOWN
    The Kings closed out a perfect four-game stretch at ARCO Arena on Wednesday, but were unable to translate that success to the road, albeit at a nearby locale. A little more than an hour's drive toward the Pacific from the California capital, Oakland proved to be less than hospitable. Baron Davis and the Warriors jumped all over the Kings in the first quarter and improved to 4-0 on their season-long seven-game homestand with a 117-105 win. Homecourt advantage has been big for both teams. The two squads have combined for a 2-5 mark on the road compared to 9-1 in their respective buildings.
    SIXTH MAN OF THE NIGHT
    It doesn't matter who starts, it only matters who finishes, and Ben Gordon is one of the league's preeminent finishers despite starting occasional games in warmups. He made his second reserve performance of the season a memorable one, scoring 30 of his 37 points after halftime as Chicago nearly pulled off a miracle comeback.
    D-LEAGUE STAR OF THE NIGHT
    The D-League preseason tipped off on Thursday with a matchup between the Thunderbirds and the Chinese National Team in Beilun, China. Jamaal Thomas scored a game-high 21 for Albuquerque, but former NBA player Wang Zhizhi (right) scored 16 points to lead China to an 82-55 win. The teams will meet again Saturday.