Antawn Jamison, Wizards
101-97 win vs. Raptors
28 pts, 11-18 FG, 5-6 FT

Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
109-80 win vs. Timberwolves
21 pts, 9-14 FG, 3-7 3-pt FG

Beno Udrih, Kings
107-99 win vs. Rockets
15 pts, 6-7 FG, 3-4 FT

Chris Paul had beaten every NBA team except for the Dallas Mavericks and he wanted to change that. Paul always puts up big numbers, but his 33 points, 12 assists and nine boards in Saturday’s win put him one rebound away from his first triple-double of the year. To prove that his flashiness can extend beyond the offensive end of the floor, Paul also added three steals to put ink in all corners of the statsheet.

Andrea Bargnani, Raptors
101-97 loss at Wizards
4 pts, 2-13 FG, 0-2 3-pt FG

David West, Hornets
112-108 win vs. Mavericks
11 pts, 4-14 FG, 0-1 3-pt FG

Darko Milicic, Grizzlies
109-80 win vs. Timberwolves
0 pts, 0-5 FG

The Dallas Mavericks had never been defeated by the New Orleans Hornets heading into Saturday’s action. The last time the Hornets beat their division rival the game wasn’t played in New Orleans or Dallas. They weren’t playing in Oklahoma City either. It was back in Charlotte, N.C., where Chris Paul was still playing in the schoolyard as a freshman at West Forsyth High School. Having lost 21 straight games dating back to 1999, the longest active streak in the four major sports, Paul helped the Hornets reverse that trend with 33 points to beat Dallas 112-108. With seconds left in the fourth quarter, it looked like the streak would be painfully extended to 22, until Peja Stojakovic hit a last-second game-tying 3-pointer to force an extra session. From there the Hornets had confidence to win, having won 11 straight in overtime.

Rick Adelman is the winningest coach in the history of the Sacramento Kings, but he was trolling the other sideline in Sacramento on Saturday. After leading the Kings to eight straight playoff appearances on his way to 395 wins, Adelman was shown the door at the end of his contract in 2006 and now finds himself on the bench for the Houston Rockets. His two superstars did their best to make sure Adelman’s homecoming was sweet – Tracy McGrady scoring 40 points and Yao Ming adding a double-double with 29 points and 11 rebounds before being tossed in the fourth – but it wasn’t enough. While the Rockets have the better record, they have been up and down all year. The teams still square off three more times, so we have yet to see whether Adelman or the Maloofs get the last laugh on this one.

With the superstars on the sideline in Washington, it provided opportunities for others to shine. Chris Bosh sat out a second straight game with a strained groin against the Wizards and Jason Kapono was waiting to step up and replace Bosh’s scoring, leading the team with 23 points off the bench. He’s only averaging nine points a game, but the five-year veteran shines when called upon. If Bosh misses more time, look for Kapono and rookie Jamario Moon to continue to fill the void.

It is hard to point to positives when a team loses by 29 points, but Corey Brewer managed to shine. For the young Timberwolves, who fell to 2-13 with Saturday's loss, the losses are piling up. It’s a routine Brewer isn’t used to after winning back-to-back championships with Florida. The former Gator hasn't had a lot of playing time over the last few weeks, but was called on to start for just the second time on the season, turning in 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes.

Roberto Bergerson was the go-to shooter for the Idaho Stampede on Saturday night, hitting 4-of-9 from 3-point range on his way to 30 points in the Stampede's 92-84 win over the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. Alando Tucker, recently assigned to the Thunderbirds by the Phoenix Suns, did his best in his debut to steal Bergerson's thunder with 25 points and 12 rebounds, but Bergerson also added seven rebounds and three assists on the defensive end to lead Idaho to the the win.