Kobe Bryant, Lakers
108-104 win vs. Mavericks
52 pts, 15-27 FG, 20-27 FT

LeBron James, Cavaliers
95-86 win vs. Bulls
37 pts, 15-29 FG, 7-8 FT

Ron Artest, Kings
120-109 win vs. Heat
32 pts, 12-22 FG, 4-6 3-pt FG, 4-4 FT

Tony Parker sure didn’t let a familiar nemesis slow him down on Sunday. Competing against the recognizable Devin Harris for the first time since the Nets-Mavericks blockbuster trade, the Frenchman recorded 25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a steal to help the Spurs roll past the Nets for their ninth straight victory. After missing some time with a bone spur in his left heel, Parker has again revitalized Western Conference-leading San Antonio.

Jannero Pargo, Hornets
101-84 loss at Wizards
4 pts, 2-11 FG, 0-3 3-pt FG

Andrea Bargnani, Raptors
110-98 loss at Bobcats
6 pts, 2-8 FG, 0-3 3-pt FG

Jerry Stackhouse, Mavericks
108-104 loss at Lakers
4 pts, 2-12 FG, 0-3 3-pt FG

Any brave fan want to challenge me and say LeBron James is not 10 times better this season than last? I dare you. I double dare you. His repeated late-game heroics, his unmatched creativity distributing the ball, his explosiveness to the basket, his size, his durability, and his power and prestige are all 10 times improved. After a disappointing defeat to San Antonio last year in the NBA Finals, LeBron said he needed to be 10 times better this season for Cleveland to win a championship. So far, so good. Any other courageous NBA devotees want to defy me and say Kobe Bryant is not more ‘team-oriented’ this season than last. His elusiveness, his confidence in his teammates, his defensive tenacity is now integrated with his all-around offensive game. The two scintillating sensations were at their best on Sunday as Kobe racked up a season-best 52 points in L.A.’s thrilling overtime win over Dallas, while LeBron posted 37 points in Cleveland’s triumph over Chicago. Ironically, on this day 36 years ago, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. Perhaps we can declare that March 2 is the day ‘When Legends Happen’.

When it was announced that Yao Ming would miss the remainder of the season with a stress reaction in his left foot last week, you could pretty much hear the sound of anguish and heartbreak in Houston. The questions arose; how can you overcome the loss of Yao? How can you rely on the oldest player in the NBA, Dikembe Mutombo, to play significant minutes at center? How can you intimidate opponents without Yao’s monstrous presence? Well, the Rockets will tell you it’s all about teamwork, defense, ball movement and of course Tracy McGrady. Behind a 22-point, six-assist performance from T-Mac, Houston cruised past Denver to match a franchise record with its 15th straight win. The last time the Rockets won 15 in a row was at the beginning of the 1993-94 championship season. Luis Scola, who finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Mutombo secured the interior and helped limit the Nuggets’ offensive attack. Yao, meanwhile, is set to have surgery on Monday to repair the injury. He is hopeful he will be ready for the Beijing Olympics this summer to play for the host Chinese National Team.

What is lost when Chris Bosh is not on the floor? First, you lose his reliable 15-foot jumper. Second, you miss his imposing low-post presence. Third, you subtract his daunting defense and relentlessness on the glass. We can list a fourth, fifth and 20th, but we are running out of room. With the three-time All-Star out with a sore right knee, the Raptors had no answer for the Bobcats on Sunday. Charlotte, however, knows what it’s like to be without one of its featured players as Gerald Wallace continues to recover from a severe concussion.

It appears the Wizards want the Hornets to return to the East so they can play them more often. After DeShawn Stevenson buried a game-winning buzzer-beating 3-pointer last week in New Orleans, Washington managed to complete the season sweep on Sunday with a convincing 101-84 triumph over the Hornets. Nick Young grabbed a career-high six rebounds for the Wizards, who have now won four of their last five. It was the first time Washington swept the Hornets since the Bullets shut out the Charlotte Hornets during the 1989-90 season.

There is no ‘I’ in ‘T-E-A-M’. Although extraordinary scoring performances are admired and highly respected, the most important tool for any basketball team ultimately is balance and teamwork. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants sure don’t need this speech as seven players, including Earl Calloway and Corey Minnifield, who each pitched in 18 points, scored in double figures in Sunday’s triumph over Sioux Falls. Eric Smith contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds. Carl Elliot registered 27 points for the Skyforce, while David Bailey scored 19.