Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
114-103 win at Sonics
32 pts, 11-20 FG, 10-11 FT

Luol Deng, Bulls
105-97 win at Hawks
30 pts, 12-22 FG, 6-6 FT

Al Jefferson, Celtics
98-96 win vs. Cavaliers
24 pts, 9-16 FG, 6-7 FT

This is how it's supposed to work for the Timberwolves. Ricky Davis took care of the scoring, pouring in 36 points, including Minnesota's final 13 and a go-ahead 3-pointer late in overtime. Kevin Garnett took care of everything else, tallying 22 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. The Big Ticket also blocked one shot: Jameer Nelson's attempt on Orlando's last possession in the Wolves' 105-104 road win.

Mike Bibby, Kings
126-103 loss at Lakers
3-15 FG, 0-4 3-pt FG, 8 pts

Rafer Alston, Rockets
86-83 loss vs. Jazz
2-10 FG, 1-7 3-pt FG, 5 pts

Raymond Felton & Matt Carroll, Bobcats
107-94 loss at Raptors
5-24 FG, 1-8 3-pt FG, 1-3 FT, 12 pts

While the Mavs' improved defensive play has been a big part of the best regular season in franchise history, they'll have to continue to shore up the 'D' if they want to get past the Suns again in the postseason. In a rematch of the 2006 Western Conference Finals, Phoenix shot 46-for-71 from the floor, good enough for an NBA season-high 64.8 percent, in a 126-104 home triumph. Included in that was an impressive 12-for-21 (.571) performance from 3-point land, and not included was a 22-for-23 (.957) effort from the free throw line. Leandro Barbosa, starting rather than Boris Diaw, scored 29 points, and All-Stars Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash and Shawn Marion each scored at least 20 points and shot 60-plus percent. The decisive victory raises some interesting questions. Will Nash overtake Dirk Nowitzki (21 points, 6-of-18 shooting) in the Race to the 2007 MVP? Will the Suns leapfrog the Mavericks in the NBA.com Power Rankings? Will Dallas make it to 70 wins?

The Heat and Pistons renewed their rivalry on Sunday, but Miami has bigger things on its collective mind. The 94-88 loss in Detroit pales in comparison to the exciting news that superstar Dwyane Wade could be back in uniform sooner than expected. Six weeks since being wheeled from the court after suffering what was originally thought to be a season-ending shoulder dislocation, Wade will practice with the team on Monday. Meanwhile, the Wizards were experiencing a completely opposite set of emotions. The joy of a 121-107 win in Milwaukee that reclaimed the Southeast Division lead from the Heat was washed away by the fractured right hand of All-Star forward Caron Butler. "Second round, third round, a possibility. But right now, I probably won't have a jersey on until next year," said a cast-wearing Butler. "Caron is going to be out for a long time,'' added Washington coach Eddie Jordan.

Normally, the Pacers would probably turn to Jermaine O'Neal if they needed a basket late in a tight game. But with O'Neal out for the fifth time in the last 13 games due to a knee injury, Indiana gave Jamaal Tinsley the ball, and Tinsley delivered a driving layup over Tim Duncan's outstretched hand with 1.1 seconds left to notch his 19th and 20th points and steal a 100-99 home win. The loss ended the Spurs' six-game winning streak and eliminated them from Southwest Division contention.

If LeBron James thought he could take a night off and let his teammates carry the load against the team with the East's worst record, he thought wrong. One night after playing nearly 48 minutes, and scoring 39 points, in an overtime win in Chicago, James sat out a visit to Boston with, among other things, right knee tendinitis. The Celtics got 25 points from Gerald Green and two go-ahead free throws from Delonte West with 1.9 seconds left in their surprising 98-96 win.

Tyrus Thomas is easily the best rookie shot blocker. In fact, he's No. 3 among all eligible players in blocks per 48 minutes this season. Thomas had three stuffs in Chicago's 105-97 victory in Atlanta, including Sunday's Block of the Night, but he wasn't even the top first-year rejection artist on the court. Hawks second-round pick Solomon Jones needed only 18 minutes of playing time to swat five shots for the third time this season. The 6-foot-10 South Florida product also scored eight points.

Injuries to Andrea Bargnani and Jorge Garbajosa haven't slowed down the Raptors season, and, aside from Chris Bosh, their depth is the main reason why. Reserves Juan Dixon (15 points, 7-for-12 shooting), Jose Calderon (14 points, five assists) and Kris Humphries (13 points, eight rebounds) came up big as Toronto wrapped up its first playoff appearance in five years with a 107-94 home win over Charlotte. "You feel gratification for the guys, the organization, the fans and what we have been through," head coach Sam Mitchell said.

Every D-League player hopes to make it to "the show," but Lakers rookie Jordan Farmar didn't have to travel far or wait long. After being assigned to the D-Fenders on Saturday, Farmar posted 18 points in a D-League Sunday matinee defeat, changed uniforms, and suited up for the Lakers against the Kings. The rookie later became the first player in history to play, and to score, in both the D-League and NBA on the same day. L.A. rolled, 126-103, behind 13 assists from Kobe Bryant and Farmar got a split of his rare hoops doubleheader.