Brandon Bass, Mavericks
118-93 win vs Bobcats
16 pts, 7-8 FG, 2-2 FT

Ray Allen, Celtics
111-82 win vs SuperSonics
18 pts, 8-10 FG, 2-3 3-pt FG

Monta Ellis, Warriors
117-106 win vs Raptors
33 pts, 14-19 FG, 5-6 FT

There has been just one player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring and assists in the same season, although others have come extremely close. However, you get the sense that superstar LeBron James might do it before he's done. In a loss at New Jersey, James had 42 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, just missing his eighth triple-double of the season. James leads the NBA at 30.8 points per game and is eighth in assists at 7.4 per contest.

Daequan Cook, Heat
91-88 loss vs Knicks
6 pts, 2-9 FG, 0-2 FT

Rafer Alston, Rockets
83-75 win at Hawks
8 pts, 3-18 FG, 2-8 3-pt FG

Mike Conley/Mike Miller, Grizzlies
108-86 loss at Nuggets
combined 16 pts, 5-25 FG, 1-8 3-pt FG

The Houston Rockets appeared ripe for an upset Wednesday. They were on the road vs. the playoff-desperate Atlanta Hawks and perhaps looking ahead a bit to games with more meaning against tougher competition. They were held to 32 points in the first half, their lowest total of the season. They shot just 33 percent (30-of-90), including a frightening 6-of-29 from the arc. But Tracy McGrady kept firing away and eventually found the range, and the Rockets relied on their underrated defense, holding their second straight foe to 75 points or less in an 83-75 victory. The Rockets have caught the Spurs atop the Southwest by winning 20 consecutive games, matching the second-longest winning streak in NBA history established by the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks. Houston has a long way to go in order to match the all-time record of 33 straight wins by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. But they can take comfort in knowing that both the '71 Bucks and '72 Lakers went on to win the NBA championship.

The postseason picture in the Western Conference is getting extremely tight. San Antonio's loss at New Orleans and accompanying wins by Houston, Utah, Dallas and Golden State left just 4 1/2 games separating the top seed and the eighth seed - which raises this interesting potential scenario. Let's assume all eight teams remain in their current spots, with the Jazz winning the Northwest Division with a 52-30 mark, the Hornets placing second in the Southwest at 55-27 and the Warriors finishing third in the Pacific with a 53-29 record. Let's also assume that for the second straight year, Golden State engineers another upset of the top seed - not that far-fetched, given last year's stunner - and Utah also wins its opening-round series. That would mean that the Warriors, despite being seeded eighth, would have home-court advantage in the conference semifinals, which previously had been impossible since the 16-team playoff format began in 1984. Just something to think about.

Inconsistent 76ers swingman Rodney Carney has been supplanted as a starter twice this season, first by Kyle Korver and then by rookie Thaddeus Young. But in Detroit on Wednesday, he picked up the minutes that normally would go to the ailing Willie Green and scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, adding five boards in an 83-82 win. Carney, who was two points shy of his season high, helped preserve the victory with strong help defense on a potential game-winning buzzer-beater by Chauncey Billups.

The Memphis Grizzlies are having a rough season, which is why there's not a lot of rookie love for Juan Carlos Navarro. The Spanish shooting guard collected 16 points and seven rebounds in Wednesday's loss at Denver, draining four 3-pointers. Navarro is averaging 10.6 points, or more than Al Horford; 2.2 assists, a tick less than Kevin Durant; and shooting .364 from the arc, tied for second behind Nick Young. Imagine if he was playing on a better team with a star to occupy opposing defenses.

Although the Idaho Stampede won a D-League record 18 straight games earlier this season, they hold just a one-game lead in the West Division over the Los Angeles D-Fenders, who have won five in a row following Wednesday's 98-85 home win over Bakersfield. Sean Banks scored 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting - including 4-of-6 from the arc - and has been instrumental during the streak. In his last four contests, Banks is averaging 26.0 points on 48 percent shooting.