Jarvis Hayes, Pistons
105-84 win vs. Hornets
29 pts, 10-13 FG, 7-8 3-pt FG

Jason Richardson, Bobcats
98-91 loss at Cavaliers
33 pts, 13-24 FG, 6-11 3-pt FG

Rafer Alston, Rockets
104-92 win vs. Lakers
31 pts, 10-22 FG, 8-11 3-pt FG

When learning he would be teamed up with Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki expressed his elation. The seven-time All-Star recognized how awesome it would be to play with one of the most brilliant point guards in NBA history. It surely was noted during Dallas’ rout over Miami on Sunday as the German forward registered 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 25 minutes of action. The Mavericks have now won five straight games.

Jamal Crawford, Knicks
109-98 loss vs. Hawks
4 pts, 1-7 FG, 0-4 3-pt FG

Damien Wilkins, Sonics
168-116 loss at Nuggets
4 pts, 2-11 FG, 0-1 3-pt FG

Tracy McGrady, Rockets
104-92 win vs. Lakers
11 pts, 4-16 FG, 0-4 3-pt FG

There are at least 22 reasons why the Rockets are one of the best storylines of the decade. Rather than elucidate each one, here are some of the main rationales. They possess the freshest MVP candidate (Tracy McGrady). They encompass one of the most tenacious defenders (Shane Battier). They have a contender for Most Improved Player honors (Rafer Alston), the Rookie of the Year award (Luis Scola) and Coach of the Year nobility (Rick Adelman). They are on the hottest winning streak since 1972 – nearly half the stretch played without their All-Star center (Yao Ming). There are countless ways to describe the rolling Rockets, who after Sunday’s triumph over the Lakers have won 22 straight and are now in sole possession of first place in the West. The outstanding performance against Kobe Bryant’s squad was like the 21 others – a combination of stifling defense, monster rebounding and clutch shooting. The stellar star of the night, nonetheless, was Alston who fired in eight treys on 11 attempts and finished with a career-best 31 points.

You wouldn’t have known that the Nuggets were about to visit the city that crafted Allen Iverson into who he is today. They appeared more than composed – eloquent and vivacious, perhaps. Just a few days prior to Denver’s trip to Philadelphia for the first time since A.I. was traded in December of last season, the Nuggets set a franchise record for most points scored in a regulation game with a 168-116 rout over Seattle. The NBA all-time best was set by the Pistons against the Nuggets in 1983 when they racked up 186 in a three-overtime affair. Denver's total on Sunday, however, was the fourth most in NBA history for points registered in a non-OT contest. During the madness, Carmelo Anthony posted 26 points, Iverson had 24 and Marcus Camby tallied a triple-double with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Ironically, earlier this season, Denver notched 138 points in Seattle – the previous league season high -- and in its last game against Toronto totaled 137.

Where would the Hawks be without their rookie sensation, Al Horford? His recent basketball history shows that he plays his best in March – the month he led the Florida Gators to back-to-back NCAA championships the last two years. With Atlanta trying to crawl into the playoffs for the first time since 1999, ‘Big Al’ will be relied upon to govern the glass and secure the paint. He answered the bell on Sunday with 10 rebounds in the Hawks’ victory over the Knicks. Atlanta is now tied with New Jersey for the eighth playoff spot in the East.

The Pistons commonly outlast opponents with roasting defense and balanced offense. Usually, they won’t dictate the rhythm with scorching shooting from 3-point range, however. This is true if Jarvis Hayes is not the featured star of the night. The Georgia product, whose Bulldogs won the SEC tournament and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament, nailed a career-best seven 3-pointers and concluded with 29 points as Detroit beat New Orleans on Sunday. The Pistons fell one 3-pointer shy of the franchise record with a season-best 14 treys.

Whether it was watching his alma mater win the Big Ten tournament earlier in the day or whether it was years of practice and dedication, Alando Tucker displayed a superhero performance on Sunday. The former University of Wisconsin prodigy, who is the all-time leading scorer in school history, racked up 42 points on 15-of-26 shooting from the floor and drained all 10 of his free throw attempts to lead the Thunderbirds to a triumph over the D-Fenders. Jelani McCoy tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles in the defeat.