Earl Boykins, Bucks
98-89 win vs. Celtics
32 pts, 13-19 FG, 4-6 3-pt FG

Bostjan Nachbar, Nets
101-86 win vs. Hawks
26 pts, 9-14 FG, 7-10 3-pt FG

Kirk Hinrich, Bulls
106-88 win at Pistons
29 pts, 10-17 FG, 4-6 3-pt FG, 5-5 FT

Luther Head, Rockets
110-99 loss vs. Warriors
30 pts, 10-13 FG, 7-9 3-pt FG, 3-3 FT

Only one thing could prevent Chris Paul from coming up with his thrid triple-double of his career on Wednesday; an unfortuante injury. Paul tallied 11 points, 11 boards and nine assists, but was forced to sit out overtime after coming down awkwardly on his left foot in the Hornets' 101-92 home victory over the Sonics. Tyson Chandler left with a bruised right toe in the first quarter and Desmond Mason departed after being elbowed in the face by Chris Wilcox in the second. All three players were conisdered to be day-to-day, although the results of a CT scan on Mason's right eye are still unknown.

Sebastian Telfair, Celtics
98-89 loss at Bucks
0-9 FG, 0-2 3-pt FG, 1 pt

Tyronn Lue, Hawks
101-86 loss at Nets
3-11 FG, 1-4 3-pt FG, 7 pts

Mardy Collins, Knicks
92-90 loss vs. Sixers
4-13 FG, 1-5 3-pt FG, 9 pts

Mehmet Okur, Jazz
94-89 loss at Blazers
5-14 FG, 0-5 3-pt FG, 11 pts

There was a lot on the line for four teams in the middle of the playoff hunt on Wednesday. Trailing 2 1/2 games behind the Lakers for the sixth seed in the West, the eighth-seeded Clippers closed the gap behind a 22-point night from Corey Maggette, with a 90-82 victory in the battle of Los Angeles. The Clippers won for the seventh time in eight games, while the Lakers dropped their fourth in five. Chris Kaman accumulated 17 points and 14 rebounds as the Clippers reached the .500 mark for the first time since Feb. 9. On the East side, Chicago and Detroit jockeyed for playoff positioning, but the end result turned out to be more of the Bulls shoving the Pistons around. Kirk Hinrich posted 29 points and Luol Deng added 22 as Chicago cruised past Detroit, 106-88. "It is significant because we are trying to move up," coach Scott Skiles said. The Bulls pulled within 3 1/2 games of the Pistons for the division lead.

Wednesday was a rough night for NBA stars with teams in the middle of the playoff standings. Wizards' fans gasped for air as Gerald Wallace inadvertently crashed into Gilbert Arenas's left leg following a layup. Arenas will have an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the damage to his left knee, but it is possible that Agent Zero could be absent for the early rounds of the playoffs, should Washington qualify. In his absence, Antonio Daniels picked up the slack by scoring 18 and dishing out a career-best 17 assists, but the Wizards dropped a 108-100 decision to the Bobcats. In Houston, the Rockets were dealt a tough blow after Tracy McGrady left the game with a stiff back in the first half. Luther Head did his best to keep Houston alive for a shot at home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs by drilling seven threes for 30 points, both career highs. However, Jason Richardson's seven treys and 27 points proved to be too much in the Warriors' 110-99 road win.

If the Nets hope to make it deep in the playoffs, they will need Bostjan Nachbar to continue to provide a scoring threat off the bench. Nachbar nailed a career-high seven 3-pointers on his way to 26 points to lift the Nets to a 101-86 home victory over the injury-plauged Hawks on Wednesday, strengthening their hold on the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. New Jersey has now won four of its last five games, with the fifth-year foward out of Slovenia averaging 13.6 points over that span. Vince Carter registered 24 points and eight assists and Jason Kidd added nine points and 10 dimes for the Nets.

When the Knicks selected Renaldo Balkman with the 20th overall pick in last year's draft, some analysts accused Isiah Thomas of reaching for the foward out of South Carolina. However, if Balkman continues to put up numbers like the ones he recorded on Wednesday, Thomas will have the last laugh. Balkman tallied 17 points and 16 rebounds, while going 7-of-11 from the field, in New York's heartbreaking, 92-90, home loss to the Sixers, as the Knicks were unable to capitalize on the Magic's loss and gain ground for the eighth and final spot in the East. Andre Iguodala scored 18 in the win.

The Celtics picked up the phone Wednesday morning and made a call to Kevinn Pinkney to let him know he became the 19th Gatorade Call-Up this season and would make the move from Bakersfield to Boston. Although Pinkney was signed to only a 10-day contact, he may stick around a little longer after the Celtics realized how well he can fill in for their short-handed squad on such little prior notice. Pinkney poured in 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting in Boston's 98-89 road loss to the Bucks. "It got the jitters out of me," Pinkney said about an early dunk. "After that, I was ready to go."