We know who the best player is: LeBron James is well on his way to his second straight MVP award. Beyond that, several of the individual awards are still up for grabs.

Team-wise, Cleveland has is in the midst of a three-game losing streak. Cl that pecking order could change, too, during the final quarter of the season.

LeBron James’ dominance can be measured with the eyes or a stat sheet. (Getty Images) So with about 20 games to go, here’s where I think the major awards races stand:

MVP

1. LeBron James, Cleveland: Not only will LeBron be the King of free agency in a few months, but once again he’s the undisputed titan of the regular season. His performance as it relates to who he’s playing with and against is far and away th box-score metrics, adjusted plus/minus or the old-fashioned way of just using your eyes. He does it all, and given that he’s counted on to do more than any other superstar in the league, he’ll have to continue on that path if the Cavs are going to finally win their first title. (Note: The second-best potential 2010 free agent, Dwyane Wade, has been bumped out of my top five. Sorry, D-Wade, it’s hard to get into the MVP discussion on a .500 team.)

2. Kobe Bryant, Lakers: Age and injuries have finally shown signs of creeping up on No. 24, but Bryant still stands as the most feared virtuoso at the end of games. H partially because he doesn’t have to be, partially because of wear and tear. To his credit, Kobe has adapted his game to compensate for the explosiveness he has lost, with his percentage of baskets in isolation declining from 33 percent in 2008-09 to 27 percent this season, according to Synergy Sports Technology. He has also added a new wrinkle to his arsenal, with his percentage of baskets on post-ups increasing from 14 percent last season to 24 percent.

3. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas: With the Lakers’ slump, it’s no longer a foregone conclusion that L.A. will finish with the best record in the West. Dallas is only three games back, and the addition of Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler has made the Mavs a legitimate threat. But the Mavs’ success begins and ends with Nowitzki, who in some ways is having a better year than when he won MVP honors in 2006-07. According to Synergy, Nowitzki’s per-game averages have improved this season over ‘06-’07 in all of the following categories: minutes, free throws, 2-point field goals, steals, turnovers and blocks. Rebounding is the only category in which he has slipped, and Dirk isn’t in Dallas to rebound.

4. Carmelo Anthony, Denver: With all due respect to LeBron, Kobe and Wade, there is no more lethal or efficient scorer in the league than ‘Melo. And like Nowitzki, Anthony is poised to capitalize on any systemic weakness the Lakers might be exhibiting as we head into the final quarter of the season. According to Synergy, Anthony still gets the majority of his baskets in isolation (33 percent) and post-ups (20 percent). His shooting percentage has risen in both areas over last season –- from 38 percent to 40 percent in isolation and from 40 percent to 48 percent spot-up shooter this season. He’s taking fewer spot-ups, but is making more of them. Being in the hunt for the scoring title (third behind James and Kevin Durant at 28.7 ppg) doesn’t hurt his case, either.

5. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City: Durant is clearly playing at an MVP level, and his offensive dominance and dramatic improvement on the defensive end have lifted the surprising Thunder into playoff contention. Durant has improved in every major statistical category this season except turnovers, and he’s particularly ha shooting 47 percent in those situations, according to Synergy.

Rookie of the Year

1. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento: Brandon Jennings said last week that Evans already has wrapped up the ROY, and I agree. Although the Kings have slumped since their respectable start, Evans remains the rookie who has had the biggest impact on his team. Jennings has been a revelation, and yes, he’s steering a team that could wind up in the playoffs. But that argument doesn’t hold much water to me; if Evans were on the Bucks, he would be in the playoff hunt, too.

2. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee: and that’s a good thing. His cockiness and lack of college pedigree haven’t hurt his game at all. Yes, his numbers have leveled off since a sizzling start that included a memorable 55-point game, but nobody could’ve reasonably expected him to maintain that pace. Of the rookies logging at least 25 minutes a game, nobody has a higher assist percentage than Jennings, who records an assist on 24 percent of his possessions.

3. Stephen Curry, Golden State: Former NBA player Dell Curry’s progeny has been a rare bright spot for the Warriors, and he has really come on lately. I 36 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. The only rookies ever to put up numbers that good were, um, pretty good: Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor and Jason Kidd. Despite his rail-thin frame and his team’s persistent dysfunction, Curry hasn’t hit the rookie wall, either. After shooting .443 from the field from October-December, Curry is shooting .465 since Jan. 1.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Dwight Howard, Orlando: Despite what Shaq says, there is no more intimidating force in the paint than Howard, who becomes a better and smarter defender every year.

2. Ron Artest, Lakers: Early on, Ron-Ron looked a step slow and a little out of sorts on the defensive end. He changed his diet, dropped 14 pounds, shook off a nasty bout of plantar fasciitis and is just now getting into lockdown mode. If he puts what Bryant calls his “straight jacket” on a few more elite scorers before it’s over, Artest could overtake Howard and grab his first Defensive Player of the Year honor since the 2003-04 season.

3. James, Cleveland: MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season? Nobody’s done that since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1993-94. LeBron will barely crack the top 10 in steals, and he only averages one block per game. But those steals and that block are typically memorable and often game-changing. LeBron has elevated the chase-down block to a new art form. If he ever gets a teammate who can score like he does, LeBron could then focus on bec something I don’t put past him.

Sixth Man Award

1. Jamal Crawford, Atlanta a dependable, often explosive scorer off the bench. After nine years starting for miserable teams, Crawford embraced a reserve role on a team that will carry him to the playoffs for the first time in his career. His nu but his presence will make the Hawks a tough out in the playoffs.

2. Jason Terry, Dallas: Privately, Hawks brass urged Crawford to model himself after Terry, the 2008-09 Sixth Man of the Year. Crawford out-jetted the Jet, who has lost a step but not his influence on the Mavs’ success. Dallas hopes he’ll pick up where he left off when he returns from surgery to repair facial injuries after a collision with Minnesota’s Corey Brewer.

The Grizzlies’ Marc could become the best player in the Gasol family. (Getty Images) 3. Lamar Odom, Lakers: Odom’s shooting and scoring have declined for three straight years, but a credible argument can be made that no one other than Bryant is as important to the Lakers’ title hopes. L.A. has lost only once all season when Odom scored 20 points.

Most Improved Player

1. Marc Gasol, Memphis: Two years later, one of the most lopsided trades in recent NBA history doesn’t seem so one-sided anymore. Some NBA execs believe Marc could wind up being better than Pau. Already, he’s good enough to have his team in the playoff chase.

2. Aaron Brooks, Houston: With Yao Ming injured, Tracy McGrady exiled and Artest painting his hair purple and gold, the Rockets needed someone to step up, lead the team, and make up for all that lost offensive production. Brooks has more than carried the load, increasing his scoring average from 11.2 to 19.9.

3. Josh Smith, Atlanta: “J-Smoove,” as they call him, still makes a bonehead play now and then. But the head-turning now far outweighs the head-scratching. Smith has dropped 3-point shooting cold turkey, going from 87 attempts last season to six in 2009-’10. Aside from taking his offensive exploits to the basket area where they belong, Smith has been a force on the boards and on the defensive end; he’s third in the league with 2.1 blocks per game.

Coach of the Year

1. Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City: A healthy debate could be had over the order of my top three, but as of now I give the nod to Brooks because his team has done more than simply improve or overcome injuries. The Thunder (38-24) are solidly positioned for a postseason berth and will be one of those teams in the West that the top seeds want to avoid at all costs.

2. Lionel Hollins, Memphis: The season began inauspiciously for Hollins, who seemed destined to become just another coach thrown overboard by Allen Iverson. But Hollins won his battle of wills with the Answer and gained the respect of the locker room in the process. Now the Grizzlies are one of the most improved teams in the league.

3. Nate McMillan, Portland: No coach of a contending team in recent memory has dealt with as many injuries as McMillan, who was down to such a bare-bones roster that he ruptured his own Achilles’ tendon filling in during practice. But McMillan’s emphasis on defense and his strong-willed, no-panic demeanor have kept a postseason berth within reach.

That’s been the story of this remarkable run for the Mavericks.

Marion had a season-high 29 points and 14 rebounds and the Mavericks stretched the league’s longest active winning streak to 12 straight games with a 125-112 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.

“I’ve done that before,” Marion said with a chuckle about his monster line. “That’s easy.”

What isn’t so easy is the unselfishness he’s shown this season. Marion has averaged at least 17 points a game seven times in his career, but he has taken a reduced role on offense this season in order to focus more on the defensive end. Marion entered the game averaging a modest 11.5 points a game and had a season high of 18 before Monday night’s outburst.

“Every week I tell him how important he is to us and how much as a coach I appreciate what he’s done this year in terms of changing his game around,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s the guy that’s made the biggest adjustment of any of the new guys that we’ve got and it’s showing up in wins and losses.”

Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points and Caron Butler had 23 for Dallas, which has flourished since acquiring Butler and Brendan Haywood from the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline.

The Mavericks (44-21) haven’t lost since Feb. 16 at Oklahoma City and have climbed into second place in the Western Conference, not far behind the Los Angeles Lakers (46-18).

Al Jefferson had 36 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota in his return from a two-game suspension because of a DWI arrest.

But the Timberwolves committed 26 turnovers and lost their sixth straight and 12th in the last 13 games. Wolves rookie point guard Jonny Flynn had eight of those turnovers and the Mavs turned all those mistakes into 32 points.

“A lot of it was just careless mistakes,” Jefferson said. “We just didn’t take care of the ball. We’ve just been kind of struggling with that all year.”

Things got testy in the fourth quarter when Wolves forward Ryan Hollins was ejected after hitting Nowitzki in the head with a forearm shot.

Nowitzki was not hurt on the play, but it was the second confrontation of the game for Hollins, who tangled with DeShawn Stevenson in the first quarter.

“Hollins is a little out of control, but hey, it happens out there,” Nowitzki said with a shrug.

Hollins was not available for comment after the game, but coach Kurt Rambis said he didn’t think the act was malicious.

“I don’t like some of his decision-making, but I like his aggressiveness,” Rambis said. “When guys play hard, there’s a lot of physical contact, tempers are going to flare.”

Despite owning the Western Conference’s worst record for most of the season, the Timberwolves have been surprisingly competitive against the powerful Mavericks. They won in Dallas on Feb. 5, then pushed the Mavs to the limit in a 112-109 loss at Dallas last week without Jefferson.

The Wolves’ big man started strong in his first game back from the suspension, hitting his first five shots and scoring 11 points in the first six minutes of the game to help the Timberwolves take a 19-9 lead.

“I was just real anxious to get back,” Jefferson said. “I felt like I let my teammates down, let my fans down, and I was real anxious to get back to try to get a win. My confidence went up.”

Nowitzki went to the bench with his second foul just over 90 seconds into the game, and the Wolves looked to be in good shape when Marion picked up his second foul later in the first quarter. But when Jefferson went to the bench for a breather, the Mavs ripped off a 15-0 run to take a 32-23 lead and were barely threatened the rest of the way.

Eduardo Najera filled in nicely for Nowitzki in the first quarter and Marion’s quirky jumper was falling all night.

It’s been that way for the Mavericks throughout this superb surge, with several role players coming up big. When Jason Terry had facial surgery last week, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois responded by averaging 21.0 points in the next three games to keep the team rolling.

On Monday, it was Marion’s turn.

“I want to win,” Marion said. “At the end of the day, you have to make sacrifices to win. … Ultimately, I’ve done a lot of things in this league and I want to win a championship. I want to leave that as my legacy.”

Haywood did not play for the second straight game because of a tight lower back and Erick Dampier has been out 12 games with a finger injury, so the Mavericks have played more zone defense to make up for the lack of a big man in the middle.

“It’s been a true team,” Carlisle said. “Somebody’s down a little, somebody else picks him up. Guys are competitive. Guys have stuck together, cheering for each other in the games. When you get on a roll like this, those kinds of things have got to happen.”

Notes

Mavs PG J.J. Barea left late in the game with a left ankle injury. Wolves SG Corey Brewer extended his team record with a 3-pointer in his 28th straight game. Jefferson on the bringing home six Oscars on Sunday night: “I’m not hating on that movie, but it was just a long, boring movie.”

If they had lost, the Cleveland Cavaliers had plenty of excuses.

They didn’t have to use one.

Mo Williams made two free throws with nine seconds left and Delonte West made the kind of plays down the stretch reserved for James as the Cavs won for the first time in three seasons without their superstar, beating the San Antonio Spurs 97-95 on Monday night.

Cleveland had been 0-9 since 2007-08 without James.

“We had a great opportunity. Not many teams can come here and win,” said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who scored a season-high 38. “LeBron wasn’t playing, Jamison didn’t play the second half and Shaq wasn’t there. We blew a big one.”

Williams finished with 17 points for the Cavs, who were playing their second straight game without the injured James. The NBA’s reigning MVP is nursing a tender right ankle as well as other bumps and bruises and Cleveland coach Mike Brown is taking advantage of a lull in Cleveland’s schedule to get him rest.

West had 16 points and made a key steal in the final minute as Cleveland became the first team to reach 50 wins this season.

“Without LeBron, Shaq and Antawn, that’s the three main guys,” Williams said. “We so often get the ball to LeBron and play through him. We did a good job of finding a way.”

The Spurs were also short-handed, playing for the first time this season without guard Tony Parker. He’s out six weeks with a broken hand suffered on Saturday in Memphis.

The Cavs may suddenly have more to worry about than just James or O’Neal, out until the playoffs after having thumb surgery.

Jamison left late in the third quarter with an apparent left knee injury and did not return. He will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.

“Everything was fine in the first half. In the second half, it stiffened up,” Jamison said. “I couldn’t get the range of motion I needed. I had a slight case of this the first month of the season. It’s not anything to really be worried about.”

A back-and-forth game came down to the final minute. With Cleveland up one, West stole a pass intended for Ginobili with 55 seconds left and was fouled by San Antonio’s guard. He made both free throws to put Cleveland ahead 93-90 with 52.8 seconds left.

After San Antonio missed two potential game-tying 3s, Ginobili hit a tough step-back jumper that was ruled a 2-pointer. The officials checked the TV monitors to make sure it wasn’t a 3, and as they reviewed the play, Ginobili watched it on the giant overhead scoreboard. When he saw it wasn’t a 3, Ginobili clenched his fists in disgust and spun on his heels.

“The replay was pretty clear,” Ginobili said. “One inch. I knew I was on the line, that’s why I stepped back. I was pretty sure it was a 3, but then I saw [referee] Joey Crawford asking for a review and he looked pretty sure. It’s sad. It was a tough shot and the whole game changed.”

Williams’ two free throws made it 95-92 and the Spurs called time to set up a play. They ran it to perfection with Ginobili passing the ball out top to Roger Mason Jr., but he missed his eighth consecutive 3-pointer and Anderson Varejao was fouled.

Cleveland’s big man made both free throws and Ginobili made a 3 - the one he needed moments earlier - just before the horn.

Jamison scored 17, Jawad Williams 13 and J.J. Hickson 12, including two big free throws with 1:05 left that put the Cavs ahead 91-90. West added six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

George Hill started for Parker and scored 23. Tim Duncan had 13 points for the Spurs, who had their winning streak stopped at four.

The Spurs were excited to learn Parker will not need surgery, increasing the odds the speedy guard will be back at some point in the playoffs.

“I guess it makes me feel better,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

Unhappy with his club’s defense, an irate Popovich tore into his players during a timeout late in the first.

His arms flailing and his face reddening with every word, Popovich yelled and screamed from his seat. Before play resumed, he benched DeJuan Blair and Richard Jefferson and replaced them with reserves Malik Hairston and Ian Mahinmi, who entered the game having played a combined 158 minutes all season.

Jefferson drew Popovich’s wrath in the second after he allowed Jamison to drive baseline and score.

“We gave away 8-12 points just because they ran it right down our throat and our transition was godawful,” Popovich said. “That was the worst part of the whole game.”

Notes

Ginobili made 7 3s. James didn’t join his teammates on the bench until two minutes had expired in the first quarter. The crowd barely stirred when James, wearing a stylish, blue pinstriped suit and two-toned saddle shoes, strolled in fashionably late. He was dressed like a coach and it wasn’t long before he joined Brown and his assistants in the huddle during a timeout. Cavs F Anthony Parker dislocated his left ring finger in the first but returned. He finished with eight points in 21 minutes. The Cavs are 13-1 at home against Western teams.

“We’re just interested in seeing our team getting better and playing stronger on the road, being successful on the road,” Gasol said. “So far we’ve been pretty inconsistent on the road.”

Well, so much for that plan. The Lakers’ maddening habit of flipping their intensity on and off at will carried over to a 98-83 embarrassment in Charlotte on Friday night. Now, they’re a 2½-hour exercise in Orlando away from an 0-3 road trip, which for the suddenly stumbling defending champs would qualify as a tailspin of significant proportions.

Despite their recent struggles, Ron Artest isn’t all that worried about the Lakers. (US Presswire) The month of March presents 11 road games and only four at Staples Center, where the Lakers spent the majority of the first quarter of the season. Payback, as they say, is a nuisance. They arrive in Orlando as a team unusually healthy from a physical standpoint, getting Kobe Bryant back from a five-game absence that straddled the All-Star break and enjoying contributions from Andrew Bynum this late in the season for the first time in three years.

As for mental health, though, the Lakers are a few threads short of a headband. They’re only 4-3 since Bryant returned, after going 4-1 without him. Gasol’s midseason slump has become worrisome enough to coach Phil Jackson that the Zen Master pulled Gasol aside in the locker room Friday night and said, “Pau, I want you to meet a friend of mine.”

That friend was Charles Oakley, who embodied the fer especially on the defensive end. L.A. has allowed 100 points only twice in eight games since the All-Star break, but that statistic doesn’t do justice to the sporadic disinterest they’ve exhibited on that end of the floor. They allowed Miami to score 30 in the third quarter Thursday night, then gave up back-to-back 26-point quarters to the Bobcats, one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA.

“We have no rhythm, no confidence in what we’re doing out there,” Gasol was quoted as saying Friday night in the , which pointed out that the Lakers made the offensively challenged Bobcats look like the Globetrotters, “scoring at will and having fun doing it.”

So after the nonchalant disposition they exhibited in the visiting locker room in Miami, it was time once again for Bryant to exert his motivational powers with a strategic speech similar to the one he gave during a mid-January stumble.

“I’ll probably say something,” Kobe said Friday night.

Talk will be futile, however, against the defending Eastern Conference champion Magic, who have won four straight and six out of seven. The second and final regular-season meeting between last year’s Finals combatants is significant from the litmus-test standpoint. How will Bynum, who was a shell of himself in the Finals, change the dynamic of the Dwight Howard problem? How will Ron Artest, who watched the Finals from a courtside seat at Staples while longing to sign with the Lakers, alter the balance of power in his matchup against Hedo Turkoglu’s replacement, Vince Carter? With three-quarters of the regular season behind us, Sunday’s nationally televised game presents an interesting measuring stick with subplots galore.

“In Orlando’s situation with Carter, Ron is going to be very influential because he’s going to have to guard Carter in that ballgame,” Jackson said. “He’s a guy that he can guard and is a big part of their offense right now.”

In January, when the Lakers still had the best record in the NBA, Artest told me he had no idea how that was the case because, “We haven’t played good basketball this whole year. We haven’t played a 48-minute game this whole season. It’s too easy for us.”

In the weeks since, that trend has reemerged, resulting in Cleveland (49-14) passing the Lakers (46-17) for the league’s best record. The Cavs have a comfortable three-game lead in the race that would determine home-court advantage in a potential Fina will catch them, too.

But nothing ever seems as cataclysmic within the confines of the Lakers’ locker room as it does on the outside. Artest, providing an update Thursday night on his January proclamation, pondered for a few seconds and said, “I think we’re OK.”

“Kobe’s back playing to his regular self, guys are playing hard, Lamar [Odom] is shooting the ball great, and I’m moving my feet better on defense,” Artest said. “I’m really active, really active.”

Sitting at his locker in Miami, Artest evidence of a diet primarily consisting of fish and vegetables that has melted 14 pounds since the season started. The added quickness helped him during a recent stretch when he contained Shawn Marion, Carmelo Anthony and Danny Granger. He played Dwyane Wade essentially to a draw Thursday night, and gets Carter on Sunday. A bout with plantar fasciitis has calmed down.

“I’m feeling really good,” Artest said. “I feel really, really positive. I’m just happy that my feet are moving. I know when it gets down to it, I’m going to get stops. Not everybody is D-Wade.”

The months change, and the years, but the story with the Lakers remains the same. Clearly, they’re the most talented team in the league. They play hard and smart when they feel like it, and I would suggest that now would be a good time to start feeling that way. Don’t hold your breath, though.

“I want to see that sense of urgency consistently,” Bryant said. “I know it’s been there in spurts, but we need to be able to pick it up and turn it on.”

Turning it on is never the problem for the Lakers. Leaving it on is another matter entirely.

“I knew it was a scrum,” teammate Tim Duncan said. “… He said he reached for the ball, and hit the ball or hit a body or a hand or something.”

Parker did not comment before leaving the locker room after the Spurs’ 102-92 win over Memphis. He had eight points and four assists before the injury.

The Spurs confirmed the broken bone, but could not say how long Parker, the team’s second-leading scorer at 16.6 points a game, would miss. The team will evaluate the injury later.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was more direct about the nature of his point guard’s loss.

“He’s got a broken hand. He’ll be out six weeks,” the Spurs coach said. “He did it in the first half when he dove on the floor.”

Parker broke a bone in his right hand at the end of the first half, putting a damper on the Spurs’ 102-92 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

“He’s got a broken hand. He’ll be out six weeks,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He did it in the first half when he dove on the floor.”

Richard Jefferson scored 18 points, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili added 17 each in leading the Spurs to their fourth straight victory.

“We’re playing well,” Duncan said. “That is the one positive about the whole thing. We’re going to have to get these guys to step up and step in and continue to play well.

“It hurts losing Tony, obviously. Hopefully, we’ll find a way to get it d during a scramble for the ball near the end of the first half and did not return.

Meanwhile, the loss extended the Grizzlies’ skid at home to eight straight.

“We’ve played a different caliber of teams away than we have at home,” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. “We just haven’t been able to raise our caliber of play. We execute better on the road. We make a better effort and better decisions on the road.

“At home, we haven’t been able to do that.”

Six Spurs finished in double figures, including Matt Bonner, who had 13 points, including shooting 4 of 7 from 3-point range. George Hill added 11 and DeJuan Blair 10.

O.J. Mayo led Memphis with 23 points, while Marc Gasol finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Zach Randolph had 15 points, and Rudy Gay 13, but the two were a combined 9 of 27, part of Memphis shooting 43 percent from the floor.

Memphis was within 91-85 with 5:36 left, but the Spurs scored the next seven points to get the advantage back to double digits.

From there, it was a matter of exchanging baskets the rest of the way for San Antonio to leave with a victory.

“They played real physical,” Randolph said. “We didn’t give the physical part back. They out-toughed us.”

The Spurs shot 55 percent in the first half, and overcame an early deficit with a 20-4 run to open the second period. San Antonio would continue to extend the advantage as Bonner connected on a trio of 3-pointers, part of San Antonio hitting six of its first nine shots outside the arc.

Bonner also had the duty of guarding Randolph part of the night, trying to keep the Grizzlies’ leading scorer from the block.

“My whole body hurts,” Bonner said of banging against Randolph. “He plays hard. He plays physical. I felt every second of it.”

San Antonio’s defense caused 12 of Memphis’ 15 turnovers in the first half as the Spurs led 58-48 at the break. Jefferson had 12 in the half, while Duncan and Bonner had 10 each.

Memphis chipped into the lead in the third period, but San Antonio was still ahead 78-72 entering the fourth.

While Memphis has dropped eight straight at home, they have won six straight on the road. The Grizzlies are the only team in NBA history to simultaneously have streaks of six-plus home losses and six-plus road wins, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen,” Popovich said. “I have never seen anything like that. I really haven’t.

“As far as home and away games, I thought it was really surprising. There’s no way to explain that.”

Notes The game was the nightcap of a doubleheader at the FedExForum. The Memphis Tigers closed out their regular season with a 75-53 win over Tulsa in the Saturday matinee. Travel problems for San Antonio on Friday night delayed the Spurs leaving until Saturday morning, arriving in Memphis after noon, less than seven hours before game time. The problem apparently was a light on a wing of their chartered flight. Popovich didn’t take long to decide the Spurs would stay home and leave Saturday morning. “I wasn’t going to wait two hours for them to tell me: ‘I’m not sure this plane’s going to go,’ so we walked off.” Two years ago, the Spurs were left on the tarmac overnight with plane problems in New Orleans after winning Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. Popovich has talked at times about giving Duncan some time off on the second night of back-to-backs. Despite that, Duncan was in the starting lineup against the Grizzlies. “As the month progresses,” Popovich said, “I’m sure his time will get limited here and there.” San Antonio’s reserves outscored Memphis’ 66-15, including 23-4 in the second quarter when the Spurs built their lead.

J.J. Hickson added 20 points and 13 rebounds in his second straight start for the injured Shaquille ONeal and Antawn Jamison had 19 points as the Cavaliers won their fifth straight game. Mo Williams added 16.

The win completed a two-game sweep of the Knicks and Nets over the past three days, the two teams that have a ton of money to throw at James should he decide to test the free-agent market this summer. James put on a show for both.

Brook Lopez had 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead New Jersey (6-54), which has now lost eight straight to the King, including all four this year.

Magic 117, Warriors 90

ORLANDO, Fla. - Dwight Howard had 28 points and 12 rebounds, and Orlando cruised to a victory over undermanned Golden State.

Rashard Lewis added 17 points, and Vince Carter finished with 15 points to help the Magic win for the fifth time in six games and keep a tight grip on the Eastern Conferences No. 2 playoff seed. They lead Atlanta by two games.

C.J. Watson had 18 points, and Anthony Morrow had 16 points for an injured Warriors team that dressed the NBA minimum eight players. And that came after they signed Development League player Reggie Williams a day earlier, the fourth former player from the NBAs version of the minors on Golden States active roster.

Celtics 104, Bobcats 80

BOSTON - Paul Pierce scored 27 points to lead Boston to a victory over the Charlotte.

Nate Robinson had 16 points, including three 3-pointers in a 90-second span bridging the first and second quarters to key a 16-0 run, for the Celtics. Kevin Garnett added 12 points as Boston won its second straight and beat up on Charlotte for the third time this season.

Tyrus Thomas had 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bobcats, losers of five of six, and D.J. Augustin scored 12 points. Charlottes leading scorers coming in, Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace, were held to a combined 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

Mavericks 112, Timberwolves 109

DALLAS - Dirk Nowitzki overcame a slow shooting start to finish with 22 points, including the go-ahead basket, and Dallas stretched its winning streak to nine games.

With veteran point guard Jason Kidd getting a night off for the Mavericks, who played their 10th game in 16 days since the All-Star break, Jason Terry had 26 points and rookie Rodrigue Beaubois tied his season high with 17.

Nowitzki missed his first five field goals before finally sinking a 17-footer with eight minutes left in third quarter. When he penetrated for a 12-footer with 6:08 left in the game, that gave Dallas the lead for good.

Corey Brewer had 24 points for Minnesota, which has lost 10 of its last 11 games.

Grizzlies 104, Hornets 100

NEW ORLEANS - Mike Conley scored a season-high 26 points and the Memphis Grizzlies won their franchise-record fifth-straight road game.

Conley scored nine in the final quarter as the Grizzlies overcame a nine-point deficit. Conley missed two free throws with 10.7 seconds left that gave the Hornets a chance to tie it, but James Posey turned the ball over and Rudy Gay dunked as time expired.

Zach Randolph had 23 points and 11 rebounds, hitting a 29-foot 3-point bank shot as the shot clock expired to give the Grizzlies a 96-95 lead with 1:20 left. Conley added a running floater with 26.4 seconds left and Randolph four key free throws.

Marcus Thornton scored 24 for New Orleans.

Rockets 84, Kings 81

HOUSTON - Carl Landry had 22 points and 10 rebounds against his former team to lead Sacramento.

The Rockets traded the popular power forward to the Kings in a three-team swap just before the deadline in a deal that sent Tracy McGrady to New York. Houston picked up Kevin Martin in the trade, and Sacramentos leading scorer over the last three seasons struggled against his former team, scoring 14 on 3-for-13 shooting.

Beno Udrih scored 13 points and Spencer Hawes also grabbed 10 rebounds for the Kings, who snapped a four-game road losing streak.

Luis Scola scored 19 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for the Rockets.

Bucks 100, Wizards 87

MILWAUKEE - John Salmons scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half and the Milwaukee continued its post-All-Star break surge.

Salmons is averaging 20.4 points and has scored in double figures in all eight games hes played in since a trade deadline deal with Chicago.

The Bucks are 7-1 in that span after having a six-game winning streak snapped on Sunday in Atlanta, but jumped all over the undermanned Wizards back home at the Bradley Center.

Andrew Bogut added 15 points and five blocks as Milwaukee (31-29) won its 13th in the last 17 to move into a tie for sixth place with the Eastern Conference with Chicago.

Andray Blatche and Randy Foye scored 18 points each for the Wizards.

Hawks 112, 76ers 93

ATLANTA - Marvin Williams scored 21 points and Jamal Crawford added 20 to power the Atlanta past struggling Philadelphia.

Joe Johnson added 18 points, Al Horford had 12 and Mike Bibby 11 for the Hawks, who have won three straight and five of six.

The 76ers, who have lost four in a row and seven of nine, were led by Lou Williams, who had 30 points. He hit his first 10 shots and finished 11 for 15 from the field and 7 of 10 on free throws.

Atlanta, which improved to 24-7 at home, led 87-68 after three quarters on a 3-point basket by Crawford just before the buzzer.

Knicks 128, Pistons 104

NEW YORK - Bill Walker was one of four Knicks with 20-plus points, scoring a career-high 22 in his first career start, and New York handed Detroit its fifth straight loss.

Al Harrington scored 26 for the Knicks, who won for just the second time in 12 games and clinched the season series for the first time since the 2000-01 season. Humiliated while trailing by as much as 49 points in a loss at Cleveland on Monday, New York was the team having fun this time.

David Lee had 21 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists, and Tracy McGrady finished with 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey each scored 16 points for the Pistons.

Nuggets 119, Thunder 90

DENVER - Carmelo Anthony outplayed Kevin Durant, scoring 30 points, and Denver took control with a big third quarter.

Nene added 20 points and J.R. Smith had 18 for the Nuggets, who averted a third consecutive loss.

Durant, the NBAs second-leading scorer, was held to 19 points after averaging 31 points in two previous games against the Nuggets this season, including a 101-84 win over the Nuggets in Oklahoma City on Jan. 29 in the teams most recent meeting.

James Harden also had 19 points and Serge Ibaka 15 for the Thunder, who lost for just the third time in their last 15 games.

Trail Blazers 102, Pacers 79

PORTLAND, Ore. - Brandon Roy scored 22 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Portland cruised past Indiana.

Rudy Fernandez had 16 points, including five 3-pointers for Portland. Andre Miller added 12 and Jerryd Bayless had 10. The Blazers, coming off a 4-1 road trip, have scored more than 100 points in six straight games for the first time since Feb. 4-17, 1998.

Danny Granger led the Pacers with 30 points. He got very little help on the offensive end. T.J. Ford added nine and Dahntay Jones had eight. Indiana second-leading scorer Troy Murphy was just 2 of 7 from the field and Brandon Rush made 2 of 9.

Suns 127, Clippers 101

LOS ANGELES - Amare Stoudemire had 30 points and 14 rebounds and Phoenix breezed to its second rout in six days against the Clippers, sweeping the four-game season series for the second straight year.

Channing Frye scored 23 points, making four 3-pointers during a 2:37 span of the fourth quarter to help Phoenix build its margin to 29 points with 6:45 remaining. Jason Richardson added 22 points for the Suns, who shot 56 percent en route to their 13th victory in 16 games.

Chris Kaman had 24 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers, who havent beaten Phoenix since Jan. 15, 2008, and are 3-13 against them since losing Game 7 of the 2006 Western Conference semifinals at Phoenix.

Carmelo Anthony outplayed Kevin Durant, scoring 30 points, and the Nuggets took control with a big third quarter to rout the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-90 on Wednesday night.

Durant, the NBAs second-leading scorer, was held to 19 points after averaging 31 in two previous games against the Nuggets this season, including a 101-84 win in Oklahoma City on Jan. 29 in the teams last meeting.

Denver coach George Karl said the Nuggets focused their defensive efforts on Durant, using double teams and rotating their big men to give him different looks.

“Hes been playing incredible and we just wanted to throw some things at him that disrupted him, make him do things hes not used to doing, Karl said. “We felt like we had to give him different looks. Next time, he might beat them, but tonight, he seemed to be frozen a little bit by some of the switching that we did.

Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin said the more aggressive defensive stance took Durant out of his comfort zone.

“We were putting two bodies on him, not letting him do the things hes great at doing, which is just catching and shooting the ball,: Martin said.

Durant finished 5 of 14 from the field, part of an abysmal shooting night by the Thunder, who converted only 33 percent of their field goals.

“It came down to their defensive pressure, Durant said. “They didnt allow us to come down and get the shots we wanted. We have to be better than that against a great team like that.

“This is a wake-up game. You are going to have games like this. You have think about what we did, move on and make the adjustments we need to make for our next game. Its just a bump in the road. A minor setback.

Nene added 20 points and J.R. Smith had 18 for the Nuggets, who averted a third consecutive loss.

Along with Denvers defense, the Nuggets got a strong game from Anthony, who was treated for dehydration with intravenous fluids earlier in the day. Anthony said he has been feeling run down for the last week and a half.

“I had some some IVs because Ive been under the weather, Anthony said. “I just wasnt feeling right. My body wasnt right. My energy wasnt right and it took me a week and a half to figure out that i was almost down to nothing. I was dehydrated. I was literally drained.

The treatment did the trick though.

“The juices kicked in. Obviously it worked, he said.

James Harden also had 19 points and Serge Ibaka 15 for the Thunder, who lost for just the third time in their last 15 games.

It was Oklahoma Citys sixth consecutive loss to the Nuggets in Denver, however.

Up by nine at halftime, the Nuggets outscored the Thunder 31-12 to take a 92-64 lead into the final period.

Oklahoma City hit only four of 23 shots from the field in the period (17 percent), and when Anthony nailed a 17-foot jumper to start the fourth, the Nuggets were up by 30 points.

Anthony, who ranks third in the league in scoring behind LeBron James and Durant, scored 23 in the first half, helping the Nuggets take a 61-52 lead.

Denver used an 11-3 burst, capped by successive dunks by Chris Andersen and Nene, to open up a 15-point advantage with 6:21 left in the second quarter but Durant responded with a 3-pointer to touch off a surge that reduced Denvers lead to single digits in time for the break.

Nuggets G Ty Lawson missed a second consecutive game with a left shoulder contusion. … Oklahoma City allowed an opponent to reach 100 or more points for only the seventh time in the last 22 games. … The Thunder fell to 15-22 against teams that are .500 or better. … Denver improved to 26-5 at the Pepsi Center this season. … The Thunder has not won in Denver since March 28, 2007. Kenyon Martin and Ibaka each finished with 13 rebounds.

ONeal will undergo surgery Monday to repair his injured right thumb. He was examined Sunday by Dr. Thomas Graham at the National Hand Center in Baltimore. Graham will perform the surgery.

The Cavaliers said they will update a timeline for his return following the procedure, but a typical recovery period is 6 to 8 weeks. There are seven weeks left in the regular season.

I think well be all right, point guard Mo Williams said before learning ONeal needed surgery. Well weather the storm while the big fella gets some rest.

The Cavaliers acquired ONeal last summer with an eye toward the postseason, and more specifically Dwight Howard and Orlando after the Magic eliminated Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals. ONeal has played well for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 12 points and 6.7 rebounds in 53 games.

More importantly, he has played a big role in the Cavaliers going 4-1 against the Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers, two teams Cleveland struggled against last season and two teams likely to block Clevelands path to a championship.

ONeal injured the thumb Thursday at Boston when his shot was blocked by Glen Big Baby Davis with just over 7 minutes left in the first half.

Anderson Varejao will continue to start at center for the Cavs. Former backup Zydrunas Ilgauskas, traded to Washington for Antawn Jamison, is now a free agent following a buyout from the Wizards. Ilgauskas is free to sign with any team, but will have to wait until March 21 under NBA rules should he elect to re-sign with the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers are a more up-tempo team with ONeal out of the lineup.

With Shaq, you have to take advantage of his size and you have to go in the paint. He gets teams in foul trouble real easy, Williams said. Without Shaq, itll be more pick and rolls, more drive and kicks and more 3-point attempts. Well spread the floor out and attack the rim in different ways.

ONeal suffered a similar injury while playing with the Magic in 1995, when he missed the first 22 games of the season when he fractured the same thumb. Counting Mondays game against New York, the Cavaliers have 22 games left in the regular season.

Cleveland also recalled rookie Danny Green from Erie of the NBA Development League on Sunday. He was assigned to Erie on Feb. 24 and played in two games for the BayHawks.

Bosh is listed as day-to-day for the Raptors, who played at Oklahoma City on Sunday night and are scheduled to play at Houston on Monday night.

Bosh ranks eighth in the NBA with a 24.5-point average and hes also fifth in the league with 11.4 rebounds per game.

Toronto has gone 2-2 without Bosh, including an overtime loss against Cleveland on Friday night.