By Mike Slane

Mar. 2, 2007: SCOREBOARD | PHOTO GALLERY | AROUND THE ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE

PHOTO OF THE NIGHT
The Kings' Ron Artest had 19 points and six assists in a 116-108 win over the Lakers. Jeffrey Bottari/NBAE/Getty
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
"We have a long way to go. To win three games in a row in the NBA, that's great when you haven't done it in a while. But, it's really not a big deal.''
-- Philadelphia's Kyle Korver said after scoring 27 on 8-of-13 shooting from the field to lead the Sixers to their third straight victory with a 117-112 win over the Grizzlies on Friday.
NBA.COM FANTASY TAKE
Following a season-high 25-point performance in Utah's 104-88 win over Memphis on Wednesday, Matt Harpring lit up the scoreboard again on Friday, scoring 19 on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor in a 119-83 victory over the Timberwolves. Harpring's good field goal percentage and big scoring numbers are nice but they are likely a result of two blowout wins.
SHOOTING STUDS
Mike Bibby, Kings
116-108 win at Lakers
33 pts, 8-15 FG, 5-9 3-pt FG

Kyle Korver, Sixers
117-110 win vs. Grizzlies
27 pts, 8-13 FG, 3-5 3-pt FG, 8-8 FT

Stephon Marbury, Knicks
106-97 win vs. Warriors
34 pts, 11-16 FG, 4-7 3-pt FG, 8-11 FT
STAT SHEET STUFFER
Playing without Jamal Crawford (knee), David Lee (ankle) and Nate Robinson (stomach virus) on Friday, Stephon Marbury and Quentin Richardson picked up the slack by combining for 64 points to pace the New York Knicks to a 106-90 win over the visiting Golden State Warriors. Marbury posted a game-high 34 points and five assists, while Richardson finished with 30 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
SHOOTING DUDS
Caron Butler, Wizards
93-92 win vs. Hawks
1-10 FG, 4 pts

Chauncey Billups, Pistons
85-82 loss at Heat
2-14 FG, 0-6 3-pt FG, 9 pts

Jamaal Tinsley, Pacers
115-90 loss at Suns
5-16 FG, 0-3 3-pt FG, 11 pts
VINTAGE CENTERS
Miami's Shaquille O'Neal and Houston's Dikembe Mutombo have stepped up when needed this season. With Dwyane Wade out indefinitely with a dislocated shoulder, Shaq has averaged 22 points and 9.4 rebounds while leading the Heat to a 3-2 record. In Friday's rematch of last season's Eastern Conference Finals, Shaq recorded his first 30-plus point game since February 25, 2006, scoring 31 points and adding 15 rebounds and a season-high six assists to lead Miami to an 85-82 home win over the Detroit Pistons. "I was the baddest at 20 and I'm the baddest at 35," O'Neal said. At 40 years old, Mutombo became the oldest player in NBA history to grab 20-plus rebounds. In a 108-97 victory in Denver, Mutombo, who continues to play extended minutes while starting center Yao Ming rehabs a fractured right tibia, pulled in a season-high 22 rebounds.
THE BIG THREE REUNITE
After shooting just 21.5 percent from the field and 4-for-31 from behind the arc over the past three games, Gilbert Arenas received some much-needed help Friday. Forwards Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler returned from injuries to help Arenas end his shooting slump and guide the Wizards to a 93-92 home triumph over the Hawks, snapping a four-game skid. Jamison, who missed 12 games with a sprained knee, scored 22 on 10-of-20 shooting from the field and added six rebounds, while Butler added eight points and five assists in his return from a three-game absence with back spasms. "I thought I was going to be a little bit more winded, but the last week or so, I've been doing a lot of things to keep my wind up,'' Jamison said after playing 39 minutes. Arenas shot 7-for-15 to finish with 19 points. Josh Smith led Atlanta with 24 points, 14 rebounds and a season-high-tying seven blocks.
SIXTH MAN OF THE NIGHT
Three weeks after Dwight Howard dunked in an inbounds pass with less than a second remaining to lift the Orlando Magic over the San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili did everything he could to prevent a close score in the fourth quarter. Ginobili poured in 16 of his game-high 31 points in the third quarter to lead the Spurs to a 98-74 home win over the Magic on Friday. The 6-foot-6 guard also tied a career high with six 3-pointers and dished out a game-high five assists as San Antonio extended its season-high winning streak to seven.
ROOKIE WATCH
While former Bulls starting big man Tyson Chandler made his first return to Chicago since being traded to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets last summer, rookie forward Tyrus Thomas started for the fourth time this season. Despite sitting out the final 6:30 of the first half with a bruised right hand, Thomas contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in a 104-93 victory over the Hornets on Friday. Chandler, who was booed throughout the game, finished with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
UPSET OF THE NIGHT
After a number of injuries ruined their season, Michael Redd and the Milwaukee Bucks are determined to get back on track. On Friday, Milwaukee won its third straight and improved to 3-3 since Redd's return from a knee injury with a 94-81 road victory over the Toronto Raptors. The Bucks shut down Toronto's Chris Bosh, holding the All-Star forward to 14 points on just eight shots and held the Raptors to just 7-of-19 shooting in the final period. "They made a concerted effort to take Bosh out of the game,'' Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said.