By Andrew Medeiros

February 9, 2008: SCOREBOARD | IN FOCUS GALLERY | AROUND THE ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE

PHOTO OF THE NIGHT
Mehmet Okur saves the ball from going out of bounds during the Jazz’s 97-87 win over the Bulls.
Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE/Getty Images
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
Jamal Crawford "It almost felt like we won the championship. We needed this win to break the cycle."

-- Knicks guard Jamal Crawford on snapping an eight-game losing streak with a win against the Bucks on Saturday.
THE DAY'S TOP VIDEO
Saturday's top play: Carlos Boozer drives the lane for the one-handed slam.
  • Haier Play of the Day
  • Dunk of the Night
  • Block of the Night
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  • Assist of the Night
  • Steal of the Night
  • NBA TV Top 10
    • NBA.COM'S FANTASY TAKE
    Stephon Marbury The Knicks have mostly been going without Stephon Marbury this season. But it appears that will now be a permanent situation. The guard missed 17 games early in the season for various reasons before going under the knife for ankle surgery. Marbury insisted he wanted to rejoin his team this year, but a published report on Saturday says that the surgery was more complicated than expected and will sideline Marbury for the rest of the season. Check out the Fantasy Index for more Fantasy news.
    SHOOTING STUDS
    Yao Ming Yao Ming, Rockets
    108-89 win vs. Hawks
    28 pts, 12-17 FG, 4-4 FT

    David West, Hornets
    112-99 win vs. Grizzlies
    33 pts, 13-20 FG, 7-8 FT

    Monta Ellis, Warriors
    105-102 win at Kings
    34 pts, 12-15 FG, 10-13 FT

    STAT SHEET STUFFER
    Chris Paul Chris Paul will do whatever it takes to win the game. That’s the message after an astonishing two-point performance against the Grizzlies. The first-time All Star put up a career-high 42 points in his last game, an overtime win against the Suns, but his shooting has cooled considerably since then. Instead Paul started passing, coming up with 16 assists as teammates David West and Peja Stojakovic went off for 33 and 26 points.
    SHOOTING DUDS
    Chris Kaman Chris Kaman, Clippers
    101-80 loss at Sixers
    4 pts, 2-10 FG

    Kevin Martin, Kings
    105-102 loss at Warriors
    9 pts, 3-16 FG, 1-5 3-pt FG

    Chris Paul, Hornets
    112-99 win vs. Grizzlies
    2 pts, 1-10 FG, 0-4 3-pt FG

    PACERS STICKING IN THE HUNT
    Jeff Foster Statistics are confounding. With Jermaine O’Neal and Jamaal Tinsley out with injuries, the Indiana Pacers won back-to-back games for the first time on Saturday since a three-game winning streak in mid-December. And yet, because of the parity in the East, Indiana is just a half game out of the playoffs. As a team, the Pacers shot 37 percent from the field, which you’d think would land them far from a win, but an advantage in free throws, rebounding, blocks and steals helped Indiana overcome the poor shooting. Quite simply, the Pacers did all the things you teach an eight-year-old to do and were rewarded for making the hustle plays. Danny Granger led the Pacers in scoring with 29, getting to the line nine times and converting them all, while Jeff Foster gets the hustle award for scoring 10 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, eight on the offensive end.
    KNICKS SNAP TO IT
    David Lee If the Knicks playoff hopes are dead as most people not named Isiah Thomas say, somebody forgot to tell the Knicks. A night after taking a big lead on the defending-champion Spurs before losing in overtime, New York found itself on the wrong side of the score, trailing the Bucks by 17 on the road. Jamal Crawford wasn’t going to allow that to happen and the Knicks began to hack away at the lead. In the end, they almost suffered another heartbreaker in the final moments, but came out of the last-second scramble for the ball with a 99-98 win to snap an eight-game skid. Crawford led all scorers with 30 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, while David Lee came off the bench for 17 points and nine rebounds. Michael Redd, meanwhile, returned to the lineup for Milwaukee after missing six straight games with a left knee strain and posted 21 points.
    ROOKIE WATCH
    Luis Scola With the All-Star break approaching many young rookies, who would otherwise be going into the final stretch of a college season, are realizing how much of a grind an NBA season can be. Luis Scola had been playing a lot of basketball in Europe and doesn’t seem to be affected by the grind down the stretch. The 27-year-old Argentinean helped the Rockets get by the Hawks on Saturday with 14 points and nine rebounds, one shy of his fifth double-double.
    SIXTH MAN OF THE NIGHT
    Louis Williams The Sixers are also in that scrap for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. If they’re going to make the push, they’re going to rely on contributions from youngsters. Rodney Carney and Thaddeus Young led the way on Tuesday and Saturday was Louis Williams’ chance. The third-year guard came off the bench to lead Philadelphia with 18 points, including 11 points in the second quarter, as the Sixers pulled away.
    D-LEAGUE STAR OF THE NIGHT
    Sean Banks They say all good things must come to an end. For a few weeks now the Stampede have played with us, trailing in the second half only to win and extend their winning streak to a D-League record 18 games. On Saturday, however, they ran into Sean Banks and the D-Fenders. Banks appeared unphased by the record, scoring a career-high 42 points to go with eight rebounds as Los Angeles also haulted the Stampede’s 15-0 start at home this season.