Larry Hughes, Cavs
120-97 win vs. Raptors
27 pts, 11-17 FG, 2-4 3-pt FG

Tim Duncan, Spurs
97-74 win at Rockets
26 pts, 10-14 FG, 6-8 FT

Jason Terry, Mavericks
103-98 win vs. Magic
29 pts, 11-17 FG, 6-11 3-pt FG

The Clippers established a franchise record for the fewest points allowed in a game with Saturday's 87-64 win over the Pacers and Elton Brand was a big part of the defensive effort. Brand turned in a solid all-around effort with 17 points, 12 rebounds, a steal and three blocks in just over 31 minutes of action. Daniel Ewing also chipped in on the defensive end as he posted a career-high five steals.

LaMarcus Aldridge, Blazers
104-96 loss vs. Kings
1-12 FG, 1-2 FT 3 pts

Keyon Dooling, Magic
103-98 loss at Mavs
0-7 FG, 0 pts

Joey Graham, Raptors
120-97 loss at Cavs
1-8 FG, 0-2 3-pt FG, 1-2 FT 3 pts

This is what Isiah Thomas had in mind when he pulled trigger on the trade that brought Steve Francis to the Knicks last season. He imagined Francis and Stephon Marbury forming a speedy and high-scoring backcourt. Those dreams had yet to materialize since Orlando traded the three-time All-Star last Feb. 22, and just last week there were rumors that knee injuries could shelve Francis for the rest of his season and perhaps end his career. Thomas' dreams were realized Saturday as the duo combined for 64 points, 12 assists and eight steals to lead New York back from a 16 down in a 104-100 overtime victory at Atlanta. Francis and Marbury scored 10 apiece in the fourth quarter to help force the extra period. Francis, flashing the moves that earned him the moniker "Stevie Franchise", grabbed the OT tip and turned it into a three-point play. He finished with a season-high 26 points off the bench, while Marbury continued his torrid spurt with 38. New York is now within just a game of New Jersey in the race for the final playoff spot in the East.

It's getting to the point where it's hard to figure out which number is the most impressive when talking about the special season the Mavericks are putting together. Is it six? The number of points Dallas trailed by in the fourth quarter before rallying for a 103-98 win over the Magic. How about 15? The Mavs have now won a franchise-record 15 straight. What about 22? That is now the number of consecutive home games they have won. How about three? They became the first team with three winning streaks of at least 12 in the same season. 0.947? Their winning percentage over their past 38 games (36-2). Or, if you like round numbers, take 50. Dirk Nowitzki and company became the first team this season and the sixth fastest in NBA history to reach 50 victories. With three players going over 20 points, including Jason Terry tallying 29 points and 15 assists, Dallas is now 10-0 when three players score over 20 in the same game. "Having a record is always great,'' Nowitzki said. "It means you've done something that's never been done before."

Paul Pierce would probably like to forget the first 44 minutes of Saturday's game at New Jersey. Nets fans will probably have a hard time forgetting what Pierce and the Celtics did the rest of the way. The Celtics rallied from an 11-point deficit with under four minutes to play, forcing overtime on a pair of 3-pointers from Pierce and Delonte West in the final seconds. Pierce was just getting started as he added two more jumpers in the extra session to finish with 17 points in a 96-88 win. Boston's Al Jefferson was solid throughout, posting a career-high 32 points and 18 rebounds.

To say Shannon Brown had a strange three days would be an understatement. It started Thursday in Dallas when the guard had five points for the Cavaliers in a loss. It continued on Friday when he was assigned to the D-League's Thunderbirds and promptly posted 14 points, six assists and four rebounds. He was summoned back to Cleveland on Saturday after it was discovered fellow rookie Daniel Gibson could miss up to two weeks. Brown didn't appear to suffer from jet lag, recording a season-high 14 points on 3-of-3 shooting from behind the arc in a 120-97 win over Toronto.

Clay Tucker almost didn't take the court on Saturday. Prior to the game, Tucker was listed as a game-time decision with flu-like symptoms. He appeared anything but ill once the game started as he exploded for a D-League record 51 points for Arkansas in a 110-104 victory over Austin. His total broke the previous mark of 49 scored by Greenville's Billy Thomas in 2003 vs. Asheville. The 6-foot-3 guard out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee entered the night averaging 16.9 points a game. He finished 18-of-30 from the floor, including 4-of-6 on 3-pointers and was 11-of-12 from the line.