Kobe Bryant, Lakers
111-105 win at Hornets
50 pts, 16-29 FG, 16-16 FT

Salim Stoudamire, Hawks
102-100 OT loss vs. Blazers
37 pts, 14-20 FG, 6-9 3-pt FG, 3-3 FT

Morris Peterson, Raptors
121-94 win vs. Nuggets
23 pts, 8-13 FG, 6-10 3-pt FG

In a showdown with his Golden State point guard predecessor, Baron Davis got the upper hand. B-Diddy tallied 34 points, nine rebounds, 15 assists and four steals to get the better of Gilbert Arenas, who scored 29 points and added season highs of 13 assists and seven steals. The point guard advantage, combined with 24 points apiece from Andris Biedrins and Monta Ellis, led to the Warriors' 135-128 home win over the Wizards.

Al Jefferson, Celtics
109-95 loss vs. Mavericks
1-11 FG, 4 pts

Jason Kidd, Nets
90-82 loss at Magic
3-10 FG, 1-4 3-pt FG, 8 pts

Carmelo Anthony & Allen Iverson, Nuggets
121-94 loss at Raptors
6-27 FG, 1-5 3-pt FG, 24 pts

Another day, another 50-point game for Kobe Bryant. Less than 24 hours after pouring in 60 points in Memphis, Kobe and the Lakers took the court for the Hornets' final visit to New Orleans this season. Bryant scored 13 points in the first quarter, 14 in the second, 17 in the third and six in the fourth to give him exactly 50, making him the just the second player in NBA history to record four consecutive 50-plus-point efforts. Legend Wilt Chamberlain had a seven-game streak, a six-game streak, a pair of five-game streaks and a four-game streak; the last of those streaks included his record 100-point game on March 2, 1962. Los Angeles improved to 4-0 during Bryant's historic tear with a 111-105 victory despite 22 points and 22 rebounds from Tyson Chandler.

Kobe's Scoring March | Kobe Photos | 50-point Video

The Spurs and Pistons have three of the past four championships between them, and their matchup in the 2005 Finals was one of only four to go the distance in the past quarter-century. On Friday, the two powerhouses added a chapter to their inter-conference rivalry. San Antonio's nine-point lead with 2:21 left had shriveled to only three when a questionable foul on Bruce Bowen put the normally solid but recently shaky Rip Hamilton on the line. The career 85-percent shooter missed a pair, dooming Detroit to a 90-89 road defeat that, coupled with the Cavs' 90-68 win over the Knicks, has the Pistons just 1½ games ahead in the Central Division. "I want a division championship banner for this team and for the city of Cleveland," said LeBron James, who scored 21 points.

Indiana got 15 points and 12 rebounds from Jermaine O'Neal and used its defense to pick up its first victory over a winning team in nearly two months by keeping the Heat cold from the floor in a 95-70 home win on Friday. Shaquille O'Neal (13 points) was the only Miami player in double figures, the team shot just 26-for-80 (.325), and its 70 points were the fewest the Pacers had allowed this season. Factor in Orlando's 90-82 home win over the Nets, and the Pacers and Magic are now tied for the East's seventh and eighth spots with New Jersey a ½-game behind.

Portland has played surprisingly well without Zach Randolph this season. The Blazers secured their first three-game winning streak since December and improved to 4-0 without their star by riding 27 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, three blocks and zero turnovers from LaMarcus Aldridge to a 102-100 overtime win in Atlanta. Fellow rookie Brandon Roy added 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. Roy forced overtime by sinking a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left in regulation, and Aldridge scored six points in the bonus period.

Even when Andrea Bargnani was healthy, there were many games in which Spanish-born Jorge Garbajosa was Toronto's best rookie. With 2006's top pick out after an appendectomy, the NBA's oldest newbie at 29 gets a chance to shine. "Garbo" hit five 3-pointers before halftime on his way to a season-high 22 points as the Raptors rolled over the Nuggets, 121-94, at home on Friday.

The 76ers have gotten used to being without their best players. First A.I., then C-Web, and now, Andre Iguodala. A lower back strain made Iggy miss the first game in his three-year career, but Philadelphia responded by having seven players score at least 10 points. All five starters reached double figures, plus Kyle Korver (13) and Joe Smith (11), in a 106-97 home win over Charlotte.

Frank Williams' 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists included two 3-pointers that made him the D-League's leader in single-season threes with 114. The previous record of 113 was set last year by Desmon Farmer, who scored 20 points as a visitor on Friday. Williams' Skyforce edged Farmer's 66ers, 115-105 in Sioux Falls.