Mehmet Okur, Jazz
106-91 win vs. Timberwolves
28 pts, 10-16 FG, 4-6 3-pt FG

Ricky Davis, Timberwolves
106-91 loss at Jazz
32 pts, 10-16 FG, 4-8 3-pt FG

Ben Gordon, Bulls
101-83 win vs. Knicks
31 pts, 11-18 FG, 3-5 3-pt FG

The last time the Celtics beat the Spurs, both were headed for losing seasons, hoping to win the 1997 draft lottery and grab a certain Wake Forest senior with the top pick. Fate, for so long so kind to the Boston faithful, swung San Antonio's way and dropped Tim Duncan in Texas. The rest is history. T.D. moved his record against the C's to 17-0 Monday, tallying 21 points, nine boards, five dimes and four swats in a 93-89 victory.

Mike Miller, Grizzlies
115-98 loss at Nuggets
2-11 FG, 1-6 FT, 5 pt

Kevin Martin, Kings
88-87 win vs. Nets
3-12 FG, 1-5 3-pt FG, 10 pts

Quentin Richardson, Knicks
101-83 loss at Heat
2-9 FG, 2-8 3-pt FG, 6 pts

Chemistry wasn't a problem. There were plenty of passes to go around, too. None of the more cynical prognostications for the long-awaited pairing of the NBA's leading scorer and a first-ballot Hall of Famer came to fruition Monday. No, Carmelo Anthony -- back in action after a lengthy 15-game suspension -- and Allen Iverson looked pretty good occupying the same 94-by-50 foot space, evidenced by the Nuggets' 115-98 win over the Grizzlies. Anthony picked up where he left off 37 days ago, leading his team with 28 points, while Iverson looked awfully comfortable deferring to the budding superstar; A.I. finished with 23 points and seven assists. "We just wanted to show the whole world we could play together," Anthony said. "We know there is a lot of doubt about that." J.R. Smith had 19 points, and Marcus Camby added 17 and 17 rebounds.

It wasn't 81, but Kobe Bryant will probably take it. On the one-year anniversary of his historic night against the Raptors, Bryant took the Staples Center court, the same one he nearly burnt down with his sizzling, second-only-to-Wilt performance, and dropped his seventh 40-point game of the season. Bryant pumped in 42 on 11-of-22 from the floor Monday, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, as the Lakers controlled the fourth quarter and downed the Warriors, 108-103. KB24 scored 14 in the final period, and Luke Walton scored six straight down the stretch, the last two coming on a go-ahead layup with 1:11 remaining. "The ball would not drop for me," said Walton, who hit just two of his 10 shots. "I told myself to keep doing what you do, you'll make some shots." Golden State got 30 points from new-addition Al Harrington.

No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani outdid No. 3 selection Adam Morrison in Monday's duel between the Raptors and Bobcats. Bargnani scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting compared to just three on 1-of-6 for Morrison. As Bargnani was winning the first-year battle, Toronto was winning the war, dominating the second half en route to an easy 105-84 win. Another first-year Raptor put in a solid night, as well. Jorge Garbajosa supplied eight points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Purists out there may feel that Darrell Armstrong, in lieu of the fact that he appeared in the Pacers' starting lineup Monday, isn't worthy of Sixth Man of the Night honors. But the 12-year vet only starts in a pinch, and even the league's most prodigious pine jockey is called to the fore once in a while. Against the Bulls, Armstrong made his second start of the season in place of the injured Jamaal Tinsley and contributed season highs of 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. He helped Indiana defeat Chicago, 98-91, for the 16th time in 17 tries at Conseco Fieldhouse.

With the Kings trailing the shorthanded Nets by 20 points in the third quarter, things didn't look sunny in Sacramento, especially when Mike Bibby had yet to make a field goal. Things turned in a hurry, though, as Bibby got hot and sparked a huge comeback. He scored 15 of his 16 points in the fourth and buried a game-winner from the top of the key, lifting his team to an 88-87 win. The point guard's efforts overshadowed another brilliant night from Jason Kidd, who collected his eighth triple-double of the season. Kidd now has 83 for his career.