Phoenix Suns' Markieff Morris (11) by ngerik

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) scored a career-high 22 points in 26 minutes on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Keef seemingly hit everything en route to a 108-83 win and went 9-for-12 from the field and 2-for-3 from long-range. He scored nine in a row for the Suns during the second quarter, pushing a three-point Phoenix lead to 11. He finished the game with five rebounds and a block (full stats here). A rookie, Markieff is still as inconsistent as they come, though, and he went scoreless in two other games over the last week — a 113-111 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday and a 107-100 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. He played six and seven minutes respectively in those games. He also sat out on Wednesday with flu-like symptoms, and the Suns lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, 103-86 (game stats here).

After starting off his NBA career scorching hot — 9.2 points per game on 49.3-percent shooting, 58.3-percent threes in his first 10 games — Keef hit the proverbial “rookie wall” and cooled off to less impressive 38.9-percent overall and 38.1-percent three-point averages for the season. Part of that is due to a freezing cold 10-game stretch during February and March, in which he shot just 22.2 percent from the field during a 10-game stretch. In 15 March games, Markieff has averaged just 5.0 points, 37-percent shooting and 30 percent three-point shooting.

The good news is that the Suns are close to breaking into the tight Western Conference playoff race. After Wednesday’s games, they were 25-26, sitting in 10th place, yet only 4.5 games back of the fourth place team in the conference (top eight advance to the playoffs).

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) by ngerik

• After going on a tear in much of February and March, Milwaukee Bucks center Drew Gooden has started to drop a few duds in between his double-doubles and triple-doubles. Gooden was his usual self in a 112-92 blowout win over the NBA’s punching bag, the Charlotte Bobcats, on Friday. But his 14 points, 12 rebounds (including six offensive boards) and four assists in 25 minutes (full stats here) were the exception, rather than the rule, for the recent Eastern Conference Player of the Week. A day later, on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, Gooden made just three of his 11 shot attempts with six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 21 minutes as the Bucks were on the opposite end of a big beating, losing 125-104 (full stats here). Things got worse on Monday, when Gooden played some questionable defense, made just two of nine shots and airballed two others for six points, five rebounds and one assist in 22 minutes as the New York Knicks won, 89-80 (full stats here). Gooden’s offensive game reappeared on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks, when he scored 16 points with five rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes in a 108-101 win (full stats here). Unfortunately, it was quantity, not quality, that produced those numbers, as Gooden made just five of 16 shots and got six more points with a perfect outing at the free throw line. Over the last five games, Gooden’s shooting has dropped to 30.6 percent, or an average of 3.8 makes on 12.4 attempts. His average for the season sits at 43.2 percent.

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich (6) by ngerik

• Before a three-point outing on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich had been thriving in his starting role, scoring in double figures for five straight games. That five-game span, which was the longest of this season in which he’s started 16 games, began with a 10-point performance against Cleveland on March 21. Friday, Hinrich drilled four three-pointers en route to 14 points, four rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes as the Hawks beat the New Jersey Nets, 93-84 (full stats here). On Saturday, Hinrich put up 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes against his former teammates on the Washington Wizards, and the Hawks won, 95-92 (full stats here). Sunday brought a bonkers four-overtime 139-133 Hawks victory over the Utah Jazz in which Hinrich had 12 points, five assists and two rebounds in 44 minutes (full stats here). And then, after a one-day break in the action, he put together a 10-point, four-assist, two-rebound performance in 37 minutes as the Hawks lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 108-101 on Tuesday (full stats here). With five games in six days — and heavy minutes to boot — it’s not surprising that Hinrich’s production faltered a bit on Wednesday against the team that drafted him out of KU in 2003, the Chicago Bulls. He played 28 minutes and added three rebounds and two assists, but the Bulls stomped the Hawks, 98-77 (full stats here).

Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) by ngerik

• Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers seems to have come down with March Madness. And not the good kind. Since returning from the All-Star break at the end of February, Chalmers has averaged just 7.1 points on 34.3-percent shooting and 30.4-percent three-point efficiency. Compare that to pre-All-Star numbers of 11.1 points per game off of 51.2-percent overall and 45.6-percent three-point shooting, and the slump is even more surprising. In fact, Chalmers has scored in double figures in just five of the 14 games this month.

One of those games came on Monday in a 105-90 loss to the Indiana Pacers, when Chalmers heated up for 13 points in 27 minutes. Chalmers coughed up the ball three times in the first quarter before settling down, and he finished with four rebounds, three steals and a single assist (full stats here). In the two games before that, Chalmers put up a pair of three-point duds. He shot 1-for-5 with two rebounds, two assists, a block and three turnovers in 25 minutes during a 103-87 whooping at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday (full stats here). And on Friday, March 23, Chalmers was 1-for-7 with one rebound, four assists, three steals and a turnover in 31 minutes as the Heat beat the Detroit Pistons, 88-73 (full stats here).

Chalmers’ struggles are a bit concerning for the Heat, especially as the postseason approaches. As the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman wrote after Monday’s game:

Chalmers simply has to be play well, because he's the Heat's only playoff-level point guard.

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) by ngerik

• Deadly, do-it-all Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce looks to be finishing the month of March with a bang. Pierce scored 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting (3-for-4 threes) with nine rebounds, five assists and just one turnover in a 99-86 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday (full stats here). On Sunday, Pierce paced the Celtics to an 88-76 win over the Washington Wizards with 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists (full stats here). Rolling from one porous defense to the next, “The Truth” absolutely demolished the Charlotte Bobcats a day later on Monday as the Celtics won, 102-95. Pierce scored a season-high 36 points on 10-for-20 shooting and a ridiculous 15-of-18 at the free-throw line. He also pulled down 10 rebounds for the double-double and chipped in four assists, three steals and three blocks to round out his dominant performance (full stats here). The shots didn’t fall as kindly on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz, but Pierce still made 6 of 16 attempts and 7 of 7 free throws for 20 points, six rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block as the Celtics took down the Jazz, 92-84 (full stats here).

Highlights of Pierce blowing up the Bobcats:

Oklahoma City Thunder's Nick Collison (4) by ngerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) played a season-high 30 minutes and scored 11 points in a crazy 149-140 double-overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Collison added three rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block while also having to contend with Timberwolves All-Star Kevin Love, who lit up the Thunder for 51 points (full stats here). In the 22 minutes that Collison and Love shared the court, Love collected three fouls, turned the ball over three times, missed both three-point attempts and made 4 of 9 shots for 12 points. In the 28 minutes while Love played in a Collison-free zone, the Timberwolves big man had a cool 39 points — on 12-of-18 overall shooting and 7-of-9 three-pointers – just one turnover and zero fouls. Collison’s one block also came on Love with 1:46 left in the second overtime. It erased a potentially game-tying layup, and Minnesota did not score again until 11 seconds left, with OKC already up by 11. Yay, defense.

Collison made an equally important play at the end of the first overtime, when he set a monster screen for teammate Kevin Durant, who drilled a game-tying three-pointer. And this play, unlike the block on Love, got the patented Nick Collison “badass screens with a Rick Ross track playing over it” treatment:

Collison followed up his highlight-reel game with a pair of quieter performances in victories on Sunday and Tuesday. On Sunday, Collison had two points and two assists in 18 minutes as the Thunder beat the Miami Heat, 103-87 (full stats here). In 19 minutes on Tuesday, Collison scored six points with one rebound in a 109-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers (full stats here).

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush (4) by ngerik

• Don’t tell Golden State Warriors swingman Brandon Rush that his team should be tanking to get a better draft pick. The fourth-year pro has been on fire lately, setting season-high numbers in multiple categories and doing everything he can to keep his team alive. Rush scored 11 points with four rebounds in 27 minutes on Saturday as the Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings, 111-108 (full stats here). A day later as the Warriors took on the Portland Trail Blazers, Rush scored in double-digits again, putting up 10 points, but this time he also pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds and blocked a season-high four shots. The Warriors lost, 90-87 (full stats here). Undiscouraged, Rush came back on Tuesday and dropped a season-high 23 points on the Los Angeles Lakers. He also grabbed three rebounds, blocked two more shots and had 11 points in the third quarter alone as the Warriors tried to mount a comeback from 16 down, but the Lakers won, 104-101 (full stats here). Rush stayed hot on Wednesday against the New Orleans Hornets, scoring 12 points with three rebounds, a steal and a block, but the Warriors lost again, this time 102-87 (full stats here).

After Tuesday’s game against the Lakers, Warriors blogger Adam Lauridsen lauded Rush for his defense on Kobe Bryant and wrote:

With Monta Ellis gone, Brandon Rush is now the most capable penetrator on the team. That may not be saying much, but it’s an important role nonetheless. When the Warriors are struggling to connect from behind the arc, they need Rush and others to look for higher percentage looks. That was exactly what Rush did during his monster second half — storming his way to 21 points in just over 21 minutes. The energy and aggressiveness Rush brought to the team was infectious. Much like McGuire, Rush’s defensive effort — blocking shots and closing out on perimeter players — helped spart a quick pace at the offensive end. The Warriors climbed back into the game starting from the inside and working out, and by letting their defense generate offense. That’s how good teams recover from cold stretches or hot opponents — not looking to win it all back in a few easy-way-out threes, but by chipping away at it through stops, work in the paint and trips to the line. The Warriors — and Rush in particular — deserve credit for fighting the right way against the Lakers despite the early, discouraging deficit.

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) did not play (coach’s decision) on Friday in the Thunder’s 149-140 double-OT victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He did see one statless minute of time on Sunday in a 103-87 beatdown of the Miami Heat, and then missed his only shot and grabbed three rebounds in three minutes as OKC took down Portland, 109-95 on Tuesday.

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) did not play (coach’s decisions) in a 101-85 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday or a 102-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Then, on Monday, Selby was assigned to the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate in Reno for the second time this season. Earlier in the year, Selby played four games with the Bighorns and averaged 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) went scoreless in 17 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Henry missed all four of his shots but collected two rebounds and an assist as the Hornets lost, 89-86 (full stats here). On Monday, Henry hit two of his five attempts and four of six free throws for eight points, two rebounds and a steal in 22 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Hornets lost again, 97-85 (full stats here). New Orleans finally won, though, on Wednesday, as they beat the Golden State Warriors, 102-87. Henry had eight points, a rebound and a steal in 22 minutes of action (full stats here).

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decisions) in any of the three games since an eight-point stint on March 22 against the Golden State Warriors. Marcus sat out Saturday as the Rockets lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 101-99; Monday, as the Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings, 113-106; and Tuesday, as the Rockets lost again to the Mavs, 90-81.

D-League update

Austin Toro's Julian Wright (21) by ngerik

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) scored 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting and 2-of-2 free throws on Friday as the Toros beat the Maine Red Claws, 112-82. Wright added five rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes (full stats here). A night later, he duplicated his line in a rematch with the Red Claws, scoring 18 again on 8-for-11 shooting. This time, he hit just two of six free throws, but he double-doubled with 11 rebounds and six assists as the Toros coasted to a 116-77 victory (full stats here).

Wright highlights, below (at :16, 1:32, 2:02)

• Brady Morningstar (NBA D-League - Tulsa 66ers) played just 11 minutes and scored five points on Friday as the 66ers lost to the Iowa Energy, 101-95 in overtime. Morningstar took just three shots (all three-pointers) and made one. He also chipped in two assists (full stats here). On Saturday, Morningstar did not play (coach’s decision) as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson joined the D-League affiliate for a one-game tune-up. The 66ers beat the Energy, 100-87 (game stats here). With Jackson back in OKC, Morningstar played his now-normal 11 minutes again on Tuesday against the Bakersfield Jam. He scored five points again and added one assist (full stats here).

• In the first game of his second developmental assignment, Josh Selby (NBA D-League - Reno Bighorns) scored 18 points on 18 shots Wednesday, and his team lost, 117-89. Selby hit just 6 of 18 attempts, 3 of 8 three-pointers and was 3-for-3 from the foul line. He also had four rebounds, a steal, a block and two turnovers while not registering a single assist in 29 minutes (full stats here).

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Thursday, March 29

• 7 p.m., TNT, Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Dallas Mavericks

• 9 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Portland Trail Blazers

• 9:30 p.m., TNT, Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Los Angeles Lakers

Friday, March 30

• 6 p.m., Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Toronto Raptors

• 6:30 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the New York Knicks

• 6:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers

• 7 p.m., Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. Josh Selby (D-League assignment) and the Memphis Grizzlies

• 7 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

• 9:30 p.m., Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the New Jersey Nets

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) by ngerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) made another impressive step in his cementing his Hall of Fame career on Thursday as he scored an efficient 25 points and passed NBA great Clyde Drexler for 26th on the league’s all-time scoring list. Pierce, who now has 22,196 points in just over 13 seasons, passed Drexler with a 10-for-15 shooting line, including a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown and 2-for-3 from the foul line. He added nine rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks in 34 minutes as the Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 100-91 (full stats here). Thirteen of Pierce’s 22,196 points came on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks. In that game, Pierce struggled, hitting just 4 of 14 shots, missing all three three-point attempts, committing five fouls and turning the ball over four times. He also had five rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes (full stats here).

Of Thursday’s game, ESPNBoston.com’s Greg Payne wrote:

The captain displayed the full brunt of his offensive game in the opening period, as his first bucket came on a cut to the basket off of a feed from Kevin Garnett on the right side, and he followed that up with a 3-pointer from the left wing, and then another jump shot off of a screen on the right side. Pierce tallied 11 points in the first quarter (helping to jump-start Boston's offense), 10 in the third, and four in the final frame, with all of them coming during Boston's 16-6 game-changing run.

Pierce’s pursuit of a spot in the NBA’s Top 25 scorers might be a bit tougher to predict. San Antonio Spurs big man Tim Duncan currently holds 25th place with 22,282 points. Pierce’s Celtics teammate Ray Allen sits at No. 24 with 22,884 points.

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich (6) by ngerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) scored nine points with two rebounds and three assists to three turnovers in 36 minutes against the Boston Celtics on Monday. Hinrich, who started at shooting guard, did his best to chase Celtics shooter Ray Allen throughout the game. Hinrich’s aggressive defense drew praise from ESPN’s John Hollinger and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Michael Cunningham, but Allen still scored 19 points on a cool 5 of 9 shots (including four three-pointers) and the Celtics won, 79-76 (full stats here). On Wednesday, Hinrich played a ragged 37 minutes in a 103-102 overtime win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting from the field (2-for-5 from three) and fouled out after picking up his fifth and sixth fouls in OT. Hinrich’s final foul came off of a steal attempt with 30 seconds left in the 101-101 game. Cleveland hit 1 of 2 at the line, but Atlanta sealed the victory with a two-point shot. Hinrich chipped in four rebounds, three assists (including two in OT) and two steals to just one turnover (full stats here).

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush (4) by ngerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) stitched together three decent offensive performances this week. Rush scored nine points (4-for-9 overall, 1-for-4 from three) with three rebounds, three assists and a block in 31 minutes as the Warriors lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday (full stats here). On Wednesday, Rush exploded for 16 points (off of 6-of-10 shooting and 4-of-7 threes) with two rebounds, a steal and two blocks in 30 minutes as the W’s beat the New Orleans Hornets, 101-92 (full stats here). Then, on Thursday, Rush had nine points — though he hit just 1 of 6 three-point attempts — three rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 24 minutes as the Houston Rockets blew out Golden State, 109-83 (full stats here).

Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) by ngerik

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) finished with just one point in 32 minutes on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns, but he helped his team win a 99-95 battle by putting up impressive numbers in the assists and steals categories. Chalmers dished out eight assists and snagged five steals, which tied season-highs for the fourth-year point guard. It was also the second time this season that Chalmers did not hit a single shot attempt — he was 0-for-3 from the field and 0-for-1 from three on the night (full stats here).

Phoenix Suns' Markieff Morris (11) by ngerik

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) didn’t back down from the Miami Heat on Tuesday, scoring 12 points in 22 minutes as the Heat edged out the Suns, 99-95. Markieff hit 4 of 7 shots, including 1 of 2 threes and 3 of 5 free throws, while collecting four rebounds, a steal and a block (full stats here). He also committed five fouls, including this take down of Heat star LeBron James. Markieff’s most impressive play of the night was when he pulled off a variation on the Darrell Arthur Memorial Block/Sprint/Slam Sequence ™

On Wednesday, against the Orlando Magic, Keef had nine points, with one three-pointer, and three rebounds to three personal fouls in 26 minutes. The Suns lost to the Magic, 103-93 (full stats here).

Oklahoma City Thunder's Nick Collison (4) by ngerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) had six point, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 19 minutes vs. the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. The Thunder lost, 97-90 (full stats here).Collison followed that up with four points, five rebounds and an assist in a 114-91 blowout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday (full stats here). He also combined with Thunder forward Serge Ibaka to limit Clippers’ star Blake Griffin to seven points on 3-for-11 shooting.

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) by ngerik

• Reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) scored 19 points on smooth 8-for-12 shooting, including a three-pointer, as the Bucks topped the Portland Trail Blazers, 116-87 on Tuesday. Gooden had 13 points in the first quarter alone and kept distributing the ball, passing out five assists to go with four rebounds in 31 minutes (full stats here). Gooden took the same number of shots on Thursday against the Boston Celtics, but finished with an ugly 2-for-12 line and just six points — his lowest total since Feb. 3. Gooden added three rebounds, three assists and two blocks, but was blocked three times himself and played just 25 minutes in the loss (full stats here).

New Orleans Hornets' Xavier Henry (4) by ngerik

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets), fresh from a one-game D-League stint, scored 13 points on 14 shots on Wednesday as the Hornets lost to the Golden State Warriors, 101-92. Henry shot 6-for-14 overall, made 1 of 2 free throws and did not attempt a three-pointer. He added three rebounds, two assists and a steal to one turnover in 25 minutes (full stats here). Henry turned around and corrected his shooting woes on Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers. He scored in double digits again, but this time he had 12 points on just four shots. His efficiency was helped out by a 3-for-4 line overall and a 5-for-6 mark from the free-throw stripe. In another 25 minutes on the court, Henry chipped in three rebounds, one assist and zero turnovers. He also nailed one big-time three-pointer with three minutes left that put the Hornets up by seven en route to a 97-90 victory (full stats here). Henry played all 12 fourth-quarter minutes in the win.

Here’s what Hornets247.com had to say about X’s performance on Thursday:

Xavier was really quiet in the first half, but in the second he did some damage all over the place. He brought his normal aggression, and fitting with his name, he gave it to the Clippers. 12 points on 4 shots? I’ll take that with a side of BBQ sauce please. He was really active on the boards also, even if he didn’t get many of them.

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decision) on Tuesday in a 107-104 Rockets win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On Thursday, Marcus played almost eight minutes toward the end of a 109-83 Rockets victory over the Golden State Warriors. Marcus hit 3 of 6 shots (no threes) and was 2-for-2 from the foul line for eight points — a new career-high. He also had two fouls and a turnover (full stats here).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) did not play (coach’s decision) as the Thunder lost to the Utah Jazz, 97-90 (game stats here). Aldrich did play, however, at the end of a 114-91 shellacking of the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. He scored two points off of his only shot attempt (an eight-foot hook shot) and blocked one shot in his four minutes at the end of the game (full stats here).

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) played just over a minute on Tuesday as the Grizzlies lost to the Sacramento Kings, 119-110. Selby missed his only shot, a three-point heave at the final buzzer (full stats here). He did not play on Thursday (coach’s decision) as the Grizzlies lost to the Portland Trail Blazers, 97-93 (game stats here).

Other notes

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) had 10 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes as the Toros won, 113-103 on Wednesday. Wright, who committed four fouls and turned the ball over twice, also registered two steals and two blocks (full stats here). In nine games with Austin, Wright has averaged 12.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals, .8 blocks and nearly 62-percent shooting.

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) will soon have more competition in practice, as the Grizzlies just signed veteran and former All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas. But that could be a good thing for Selby, a seldom-used rookie. From a Q&A with Arenas in the Commercial Appeal:

Q. What are your expectations for this situation in Memphis?

A. To get better, have fun and enjoy it. You know, I don't expect to take over. This team is well built. If I get some time, I get some time. But I also want to help Josh (Selby) and (Jeremy) Pargo learn the game a little better so when their careers take off they've gotten some good advice from a veteran.

• Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris’ rookie season has been a bit turbulent at times. None more so than Sunday against the Houston Rockets, when Markieff made what one YouTube user called “the worst consecutive passes in NBA history”:

• The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel points out that the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Nick Collison is among a short (and distinguished) list of players who have been with the same team for at least nine years:

… Collison remains a Thunder essential. Tough defense, screens galore, occasional scoring touch. The Thunder always seems to play better with Collison on the floor. Which is no coincidence. Teams often try to keep their stars as the core, and rotate role players in and out of the roster over a period of years. But the Thunder has made Collison a virtual lifer; he’s under contract through summer 2015. Sam Presti gave Collison a huge signing bonus in November 2010, which basically made Collison a $13-million player for that season. But the payoff was that Collison would remain a Boomer the next four years, making $3.2 million, $2.9 million, $2.5 million and $2.2 million.

You give a bonus like that to guys you can count on. And the Thunder can count on Collison. This organization has counted on him, for longer than all but a handful of players in the NBA.

• Scout Inc.’s David Thorpe put together a Rookie Redraft for ESPN.com on Wednesday. In the article, which is available to ESPN Insider subscribers only, Thorpe took the 2011-12 rookie class and redrafted them based on their performance to date. Both Markieff Morris (13th to the Phoenix Suns) and Marcus Morris (14th to the Houston Rockets) fell in the hypothetical scenario.

Instead, Markieff went 16th to the Philadelphia 76ers, where Thorpe wrote:

Either Morris twin would work here, simply because Philly needed perimeter shooting heading into the draft. With Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young at the power forward spot, Markieff makes more sense than Marcus. He's an excellent shooter, he's from Philly and he's the kind of guy Doug Collins would love to coach.

Marcus went 18th to the Washington Wizards:

Morris hasn't done anything yet as a pro, but the young man is stuck with a coach who does not believe in him. In Washington he'd have been playing from day one and would be the surprise guy of this draft. In Leonard and Morris, the Wiz would have two solid rotation players with at least one starter.

• Speaking of the Morrii, the Topeka Capital-Journal’s Jeremy Deckard wrote about Markieff and Marcus’ reunion earlier this week. There are some great quotes (you can read the whole thing here), but this one section stood out:

Both brothers shared time on and off the court Sunday, and the two sat next to each other for several minutes before team warm-ups.

“It was great moment,” Marcus said of the time spent with his brother. “It was a time to catch up with him.”

The conversation consisted of more than just catching up, however.

“We were talking about the Kansas game,” Markieff said. “We were both trying to figure out how we could keep track of the score of the game.”

• John Reid of the Times Picayune wrote about New Orleans Hornets swingman Xavier Henry’s recent trip to the D-League. It sounds like things are looking up for Henry:

“I think when you are sent to the D-League, it makes you more hungry because a lot of guys down there want your position, and they are going to come at you like you are the prize,” Hornets point guard Jarrett Jack said. “For him, it was kind of a wake-up call.

“Since he came back, it seems like he has had a fire beneath him, showing a little more effort. The thing with younger guys is getting them to play hard all the time.”

(Hornets coach Monty) Williams said he plans to extend Henry’s playing time, starting with tonight’s game against the Golden State Warriors, as long as he continues to make progress.

“There are a lot of teaching points, and I have to make sure I don’t make the same mistakes twice,” said Henry, who has a year remaining on his rookie-scaled contract after this season.

• Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce got into the spirit of March Madness with a blog post at Boston.com on Thursday:

We’re only at the Sweet 16 and my Kansas guys already have me on the edge of my seat! That game against Purdue was intense. They were really handing it to us, but we were able to keep our composure and make a late comeback to pull it out in the end.

Hummel really had it going, but Coach Self made some great adjustments and it paid off. Basketball is all about rhythm and getting it going at the right time, and that’s exactly what KU did. That’s what you’ve got to do during March Madness, its win or go home and watch the rest of the action from your couch.

This year’s tournament has been great with all the upsets and surprises. While it’s been exciting to watch, it’s also got my bracket a little out of whack. No one could have predicted some of these outcomes, and I’ve got to say, as the competitive guy I am, I’m not too happy about being less than 50 percent with only seven of my picks making the Sweet 16. The great news though is that there’s a lot of unbelievable basketball being played.

• Milwaukee Bucks center Drew Gooden answered some fan questions in a YouTube video for Bucks.com. Gooden had some fun with it and even compared himself to a cockroach at one point:

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Friday, March 23

• 6 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Charlotte Bobcats

• 6 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Indiana Pacers

• 6:30 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the New Jersey Nets

• 6:30 p.m., Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Detroit Pistons

• 7 p.m., ESPN, Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Philadelphia 76ers

• 7 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

Saturday, March 24

• 2 p.m., Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Los Angeles Clippers

• 6 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the Washington Wizards

• 7 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the San Antonio Spurs

• 7 p.m., NBATV, Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. the Dallas Mavericks

• 7:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Indiana Pacers

• 9:30 p.m., NBATV, Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Sacramento Kings

Phoenix Suns' Markieff Morris (11) by ngerik

• One game after picking up his first “did not play - coach’s decision” of the season, Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris put together a solid 10-point, six-rebound night against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. Markieff scored in double-figures for the first time in a month and added an assist, three steals and a block in 16 minutes as the Suns edged out the Clippers, 91-87 (full stats here). But the Markieff’s biggest achievement of the night was a Blake Griffin-esque dunk on... Blake Griffin:

The next day, Markieff picked up five fouls and scored just four points with one rebound, two assists and a block in 12 minutes in a 109-101 Suns win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday (full stats here). Against brother Marcus’ Houston Rockets on Sunday, Markieff played 17 minutes and had four points, four rebounds, an assist, a block and a drawn charge. Although he didn’t match up consistently with his twin brother, Markieff and Phoenix got the best of Marcus and Houston as the Suns won, 99-86 (full stats here).

After the game, Keef talked to reporters about playing opposite his brother for the first time:

• Injuries, trades and buyouts over the past week have opened up a sliver of playing time for the Houston Rockets’ Marcus Morris. Starting with an ugly, scoreless eight-minute stint last Wednesday, Marcus has now played significant minutes in three straight games. He played 16 minutes on Saturday as starter and fellow rookie Chandler Parsons sat out, scoring four points (career-high!) with one rebound. The Rockets lost 95-91 to the Los Angeles Clippers, and Marcus made 1 of 3 shots, missing two-three point attempts and sinking 2 of 2 free throws (full stats here). On Sunday, with Parsons back, Marcus faced off with twin brother Markieff’s Phoenix Suns and played 11 minutes. He scored two points, again on 1-for-3 shooting, and snagged a steal in a 99-86 loss to the Suns (full stats here).

After the game, Marcus told the Houston Chronicle:

“I’m still a basketball player,” he said. “I came from a great school (Kansas), so at the end of the day, I still know the game. I came out to get used to it, not jack up a bunch of shots to get comfortable.

“It felt good. I had a chance to get out there, run up and down a little bit, defend a little bit. I could have jumped on the glass a little more, but I helped as far as the smaller aspects of boxing out, not letting guys run in there and grab boards.

“ I was just happy to get out there, do the small things and just play.”

Red94.net’s Rahat Huq had this to say about Marcus’ performance on Sunday:

Marcus Morris once again saw minutes with the team playing short-handed. He hit a nice turnaround on the baseline, but overall, like the previous night, didn’t do much offensively. He played pretty well defensively, however, which was encouraging as the issue of whether he could keep pace with perimeter players was the primary concern. He was able to stay in front of Jared Dudley and for the most part, Michael Redd. While Redd did score on a foul, it’s not an issue – he’s a shooting guard; not even a small forward. Some observations or I guess, affirmations, on Morris – he doesn’t have that athletic explosion. No burst. We knew this though. A lot of rookies are able to come in and impress and earn more playing time just by scrapping, without the ball. I think back to Carl Landry’s rookie year when he came in and dunked back every offensive board in sight, earning himself a spot in the rotation. Morris can’t do that because he doesn’t have the athleticism to get those loose balls. For him to be effective, he will need the ball, and therein lies the problem because as a rookie, he isn’t going to get the ball. Another example: Chandler Parsons and Patterson earned their spots by playing smart defense and picking their spots offensively. Marcus Morris’ value is as a one-on-one offensive player. See now why they kept him in the D-League? The few times he was able to pin his man down in the post, he looked pretty good. So calm down on Morris – it’s too soon to worry.

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich (6) by ngerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) stuck in the starting lineup over the weekend as the Hawks won games against the Washington Wizards, on Friday, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Sunday. Hinrich put up five points, two rebounds, five assists and a block in the 102-88 win against the Wizards, and he tallied 14 points, three rebounds, an assist and a block in a 103-87 victory vs. the Cavs.

It looks like Hinrich, who played 41 and 37 minutes in his most recent games after surviving the NBA trade deadline, might start for the remainder of the season. Here’s what Hawks coach Larry Drew had to say, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

“With both Jeff (Teague) and Kirk in the backcourt it gives us some versatility at the guard spot.

“With Kirk in the lineup, especially at the very beginning, he really gets after it. It just makes us much more aggressive and gives us another guy with the ability to break you down off the dribble. It gives us another guy who can catch and shoot. So far it has worked out.”

And with plays like this, why not?

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) by ngerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) couldn’t quite will his team to a victory this weekend, despite scoring 19 points against the Sacramento Kings and 22 against the Denver Nuggets. The Kings blew out the Celtics on Friday, 120-95, as Pierce, who was dealing with a “mild ankle sprain,” shot just 5-for-15 from the field and went 0-for-5 from three. He salvaged a decent line with a 9-for-9 effort at the foul line and chipped in three rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes (full stats here). On Saturday vs. the Nuggets, Pierce rediscovered his three-point shot, going 3-for-7 from downtown. His 22 points came off of 8-for-17 shooting and 3 of 3 free throws. He also added three rebounds, a block and three assists to zero turnovers in 31 minutes before he fouled out, and the Celtics lost, 98-91 (full stats here).

Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) by ngerik

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) did a little bit of everything for the Heat in two weekend wins. On Friday, in an 84-78 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, Chalmers scored 10 points (4-for-6 overall, 2-for-3 threes) with four rebounds and four assists to three turnovers in 32 minutes (full stats here). One of those threes came on a basket with just 1.5 seconds left in the first half. On Sunday, in a 91-81 win over the Orlando Magic, Chalmers had seven points on 3-of-8 shooting (1-of-3 from three), with five rebounds, two steals, one block and four assists to two turnovers in 36 minutes (full stats here).

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush (4) by ngerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) played his second most minutes of the season on Friday in a 120-98 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. In 35 minutes, Rush scored 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting (2-for-5 on threes, 2-for-2 at the foul line) and added seven rebounds and four assists (full stats here). A day later on Saturday, Rush played a more normal 22 minutes and scored four points — all on free throws — with three rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block as the Warriors lost, 99-92 to the Utah Jazz (full stats here).

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) followed up his second-career triple-double on Wednesday with a 16-point, 11-rebound game in just 28 minutes on Friday. The Bucks rolled over the Golden State Warriors, 120-98 (full stats here). Playing just three quarters, Gooden made 6 of 14 shots, 4 of 4 free throws and added four assists— his fifth game in a row with at least four dimes. He was also named the Eastern Conference player of the week after averaging 18 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.0 assists in his last three games — all Bucks wins.

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) put up six points, six rebounds and two assists on Thursday as the Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets, 103-90 (full stats here). On Friday, Collison had just two points and five rebounds in a 114-105 loss to the San Antonio Spurs (stats), before following that up with seven points, two rebounds on Sunday as OKC took down the Portland Trailblazers, 111-95 (stats).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) played one minute and 20 seconds total in OKC’s last three games. Aldrich saw 55 seconds in a 103-90 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday and 25 seconds against the Portland Trailblazers in a 111-95 victory on Sunday. He did not play (coach’s decision) on Friday as the Thunder lost, 114-105 to the San Antonio Spurs.

• After seeing consistent double-digit minutes and setting a new career high in points at the beginning of March, New Orleans Hornets swingman Xavier Henry’s minutes and production have taken a nose-dive during the past week. So it wasn’t a surprise to see the second-year pro sent down to the NBA D-League over the weekend. Henry’s assignment to the Iowa Energy — a planned one-game stint “to allow him to get some additional playing time while the Hornets are on a short break,” according to Hornets247.com — followed a string of five games where he scored a total of 10 points, including two scoreless outings last Wednesday and Thursday and a four-point, two rebound effort on Saturday. On Sunday, in Henry’s first game in the NBADL, he scored 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting (3-of-5 free throws, zero threes) with a rebound, an assist and two steals in 19 minutes (full stats here).

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) did not play in a pair of games over the weekend (coach’s decisions). The Grizzlies lost on Friday, 114-110 in overtime to the Toronto Raptors, and won on Sunday, 97-92 against the Washington Wizards. Selby has played just 16 minutes total in four NBA games since Feb. 5.

D-League update

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) pieced together a strong double-double on Sunday, with 17 points and 15 rebounds in a 114-87 victory. Wright made 8 of 14 shots and chipped in four assists, two steals and a block in 32 minutes (full stats here). On Friday, in a 119-112 win, Wright also registered a double-double: 10 points and 12 rebounds. He had three assists, a block and six offensive boards in 29 minutes in that game (full stats here).

• Brady Morningstar (NBA D-League - Tulsa 66ers) had a pair of relatively quiet games over the weekend for the 66ers. Morningstar went scoreless on two attempts on Friday in a 106-97 win (full stats here). He added two rebounds and two turnovers in 15 minutes. On Saturday, Morningstar scored two points and had two rebounds, two steals, four assists and zero turnovers in 19 minutes, as Tulsa won, 97-88 (full stats here).

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Monday, March 19

• 6:30 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks

• 9:30 p.m., Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

Tuesday, March 20

• 6:30 p.m., NBATV, Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns

• 7 p.m., Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. the Los Angeles Lakers

• 8 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Utah Jazz

• 9 p.m., Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Sacramento Kings

• 9 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Portland Trailblazers

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) by ngerik

Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) channeled his inner Wilt Chamberlain on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading his team in assists from the center position and recording the second TRIPLE-DOUBLE of his career. Gooden’s 15-point, 10-rebound, 13-assist effort was all the more impressive considering he did it in 29 minutes and just three quarters — Gooden sat out the entire fourth period. He shot 7-for-12 from the field (including 1-for-3 on three-pointers) and threw in a steal and two blocks for good measure (full stats here). Gooden also turned the ball over five times, but, hey, that’s almost expected when a career 1.1-assists-per-game forward/center ties his career high with 13 dimes. It still didn’t stop Bucks teammate Mike Dunleavy from having fun at Gooden’s expense after the game. From BrewHoop.com:

“Yeah, well some nights he is tragic, and some nights he is Magic (Johnson). Tonight he was Magic, with a little tragic sprinkled in. Five turnovers, come on.”

What was really magic was this: Gooden’s TRIPLE-DOUBLE has been accomplished by just seven other players this season. Heck, it’s something that future Hall of Famer and fellow Jayhawk Paul Pierce has done only six times in his career.

It’s not completely surprising though, as Gooden previewed his big night with 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on Monday in a 105-99 win vs. the New Jersey Nets. In that game, Gooden shot 11-for-19 and scored 15 of his 23 points after halftime (full stats here).

Gooden’s been an assist animal lately, recording five or more in four straight games. That’s impressive in itself. He’s now had 17 such games in almost 10 years in the NBA, and six of those have come this season. All of that has upped his assists-per-game to a career-high 2.4 mark.

But back to that TRIPLE-DOUBLE...

Gooden’s only other career trip-dub came a year ago, on April 9, 2011, against — who else? — the Cleveland Cavaliers (whom Gooden played for from 2004 to 2008). Last year’s performance was eerily similar — 15 points (on 6 of 12 shots) with 13 rebounds, 13 assists, two blocks and four turnovers. The biggest difference? Gooden needed 37 minutes for the feat in 2011 and fouled out. On his second go-around on Wednesday, Gooden pulled it off in 29 minutes and with just two fouls. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the 21-minute triple-double in spring 2013.

Other notes from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) by ngerik

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) made just 4 of 13 shots (including 2 of 8 threes) for 10 points on Tuesday as the Heat lost to the Orlando Magic, 104-98. Chalmers played 31 minutes and had just two rebounds, two steals and two assists to two turnovers and five personal fouls (full stats here). Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls didn’t go much better. In that game — a 106-102 Bulls win — Chalmers played just 23 minutes and made just 1 of 5 shots and a couple free throws for four points. He added five rebounds, three assists, a steal and zero turnovers and even drew a charge (full stats here).

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich (6) by ngerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) started at shooting guard again on Tuesday, playing 40+ minutes for the second game in a row. Statistically, Hinrich had a very impressive game, scoring a season-high 22 points on ultra-efficient 7-for-8 shooting (3-for-4 from three-point range) and 5 of 6 foul shots. He also contributed four assists, a steal and just one turnover in 41 minutes (full stats here).

During Tuesday’s game though, the few weaknesses in Hinrich’s final line had a huge influence on the outcome of the game — a 118-117 loss to the Denver Nuggets, in overtime.

With the Hawks down by a point at the end of the fourth quarter, Hinrich drove in and drew a foul with 1.1 seconds left on the clock. He hit the first foul shot but missed the game-winner, sending the teams to overtime.

During OT, Hinrich made up for his gaffe with some big plays — nailing a three, hitting two more free throws and assisting on a three-pointer — but he also drew a costly shot clock violation with 35 seconds left and the Hawks up by just one. Two Denver foul shots and two Atlanta misses later, the game was over.

After the game, Kirk took responsibility for the loss, which, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Michael Cunningham, stemmed from a host of Hawks miscues. From the Journal-Constitution:

“It’s tough. I had a chance to win it. I made the hard one, the first one, and I missed the second. I’m very disappointed.”

A night later, Hinrich didn’t get the chance to win or lose the game for the Hawks, as the Los Angeles Clippers ran away with a 96-82 Wednesday win. Hinrich once again started, but he scored just four points (1-for-5 shooting) and chipped in five rebounds, two assists and two turnovers in 35 minutes (full stats here).

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) by ngerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Celtics went on to win, 94-85. Pierce hit 7 of 16 shots overall, nailing 3 of 7 threes and 8 of 10 free throws. He also dished out seven assists with three rebounds and four turnovers in 31 minutes (full stats here).

Against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Pierce didn’t shoot the ball any better (5-for-17, 0-of-4 threes, 15 points) and had six turnovers, but the Celtics won on a late basket, 105-103. Pierce added six rebounds, six assists and two steals in that game (full stats here).

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush (4) by ngerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) was counted on to provide a bit more offense for the Warriors on Tuesday after the team traded away starting shoot-it-a-lot guard Monta Ellis, and Rush delivered, scoring 17 points in 24 minutes as Golden State beat the Sacramento Kings, 115-89. Rush shot the three-ball very well, sinking 5 of 9 three-point attempts. He also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked a shot (full stats here).

After the game, Adam Lauridsen of the Bay Area News Group’s Warriors blog wrote:

… Rush’s shooting touch was dead-on consistent the entire night. The three pointers that cracked open the lead in the third quarter were just beautiful basketball plays — created thanks to unselfish passing and well-executed rotations.

On Wednesday, Rush couldn’t connect on either of his threes and he finished with seven points, five rebounds, three assists, a steal, a block and an uncharacteristic three turnovers in 29 minutes against the Boston Celtics. The Warriors lost, 105-103 (full stats here).

New Orleans Hornets' Xavier Henry (4) by ngerik

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) took just three shots, making one for two points against the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday. Henry added two assists and did not register any other stats as the Bobcats held off the Hornets at the buzzer, 73-71 (full stats here). On Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, Henry played just six scoreless minutes in the second quarter, missing two shots and two free throws. He also grabbed a rebound, blocked a shot and turned the ball over once before being benched for the rest of the game. The Lakers won, 107-101 in overtime (full stats here).

Oklahoma City Thunder's Nick Collison (4) by ngerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) grabbed seven rebounds and scored four points as the Thunder lost to the Houston Rockets, 104-103 on Tuesday night (full stats here). Collison played 21 minutes and had his usual allotment of “plays the boxscore won’t show.” From the official Thunder website:

Incredible work by Nick Collison to secure a defensive rebound then acrobatically pitch it ahead to Harden ...

Great work to draw a charge by Collison on Goran Dragic ...

Good job by Mohammed and Collison to stick with the play and get an offensive rebound in addition to saving a loose ball ...

Beautiful interior bounce pass from Collison to Mohammed in the lane ...

Collison in the right place at the right time to finish up a Westbrook miss ...

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) did not play (coach’s decision) on Tuesday against the Houston Rockets. Oklahoma City lost at home to Houston, 104-103 (game stats here). Aldrich’s competition for minutes at the backup center position, Nazr Mohammed, had what DailyThunder.com’s Royce Young called “probably his best game in a month” — 10 points, six rebounds and a block in 15 minutes. Not great news for Aldrich right now, but nothing to worry about long term.

• If you were hoping for encouraging news about Phoenix Suns rookie Markieff Morris’ latest slump … well, skip this blurb. On Monday, Markieff made it into the game at the end of the first quarter and hit two quick jumpers at the start of the second. And then things went downhill from there. Markieff didn’t hit another shot in his 20 total minutes on the floor and finished with four points and four rebounds as the Suns lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 127-124 (full stats here).

After the game, the Arizona Republic’s Paul Coro provided some perspective on the rookie’s slide:

Rookie Markieff Morris missed his last six shots Monday night and has made one 3-pointer in the past three weeks. He had signs of a bounce-back game when he made his first two jumpers Monday night and had a big block on Kevin Love, but he was out of place defensively on rotations and didn't challenge Love on 3s. The Suns want to invest in Morris for the future, but Hakim Warrick has outplayed him of late.

On Wednesday, against the Utah Jazz, Markieff didn’t even make it off the bench and earned the first “did not play - coach’s decision” of his career. The Suns won, 120-111 (game stats here).

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decision) on Tuesday in a 105-104 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats, Marcus checked in with the Rockets up 27 points and almost eight minutes left in the game … annnd he turned the ball over on his team’s first possession. Annnd then he proceeded to miss two mid-range jump shots and a layup, coughing the ball up one last time before the game ended in a 107-87 Rockets victory. There wasn’t really any redeeming value from his line in the box score (full stats here), but at least he saw time on the court?

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) saw 17 whole seconds of game time on Tuesday as the Grizzlies lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 116-111. Selby entered the game at the tail end of the fourth quarter, with the game already out of reach (full stats here).

Other Jayhawks in the pros

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) scored 13 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds Wednesday as the Toros won, 129-116. Wright played 31 minutes and added an assist, three steals and four offensive rebounds (full stats here).

• Darnell Jackson (Ukraine-Superleague - BC Donetsk) put up eight points in eight minutes on Saturday in a 98-63 regular-season blowout. Jackson was perfect from the field (3-for-3) and from the foul line (2-for-2), and he collected three rebounds as the BC Donetsk bench played heavy minutes in place of the starters (full stats here).

• Mario Little (Ukraine-Superleague - SK Dnipro Azot Dniprodzerzhynsk) pieced together a solid double-double on Saturday, pulling down 13 rebounds to go with 11 points and four assists in 30 minutes. Little went 4-for-8 in the game, including 2-for-3 from three-point range. His team won its regular-season game, 84-73 (full stats here).

• Sasha Kaun (Russia PBL - CSKA Moscow) scored six points with three rebounds in 15 minutes on March 7 during a 79-60 regular-season loss (full stats here). Kaun followed that performance up with a nine-point, three-rebound effort in 18 minutes on Saturday as CSKA Moscow won, 62-37 (full stats here). In his third game in a week, on Tuesday, Kaun had his best showing, scoring 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting and chipping in six rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes as his team won, 75-57 (full stats here).

• Aaron Miles (Russia PBL - Krasnye Krylya) put up nine points, three rebounds and four assists in a 79-59 loss on March 7 (full stats here). On Saturday, he put up almost the exact same numbers — nine points, four rebounds, three assists — in a 66-55 loss (full stats here). Miles then shared the ball a bit more on Wednesday, as he passed out seven assists to go along with five points and two rebounds in a 62-61 win over a a 1-11 opponent (full stats here). He played just over 30 minutes in each of the three games.

• Keith Langford (Israeli Premier League - Maccabi Electra) led his team to a 90-73 victory on Sunday with a team-high 19 points and six assists. Langford shot 7-for-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line, adding two rebounds, three steals and just one turnover in 29 minutes (full stats here). On Tuesday, Langford played just 18 minutes as his team walked away with a 71-53 win. He had seven points and two rebounds in that game (full stats here).

• Russell Robinson (Turkish Basketball League - Trabzonspor) is injured and has not played in a game since March 3.

NBA trade deadline roundup

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) and Andrew Bogut (6) by ngerik

• The Milwaukee Bucks traded injured center Andrew Bogut to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday in a move that might eventually pave the way for forward/center Drew Gooden to stick in the Bucks’ starting lineup next season. The Warriors gave up guard Monta Ellis and backup big men Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown in the deal. Gooden’s short-term outlook in Milwaukee shouldn’t be affected, especially not after Wednesday’s triple-double.

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) might stand to benefit from a Tuesday trade that sent starting shooting guard Monta Ellis to Milwaukee. From the Bay Area News Group’s Warriors blog:

The Ellis trade probably makes it more likely than before that the Warriors will explore re-signing Rush. The price will have to be right, but the team will no longer need to renounce him to make a run at signing a center in the off-season. You always need to be wary of contract year performances, but Rush really seems to have re-invented himself during his fresh start with the Warriors.

• As for Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce, you might remember he had been mentioned in trade rumors several weeks ago. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Chris Broussard wrote:

The Celtics offered Paul Pierce to Portland -- I'm not sure what they asked for in return -- but the Blazers were not interested because of the two years and $32 million remaining on Pierce's contract.

Wednesday night, less than 24 hours before the trade deadline, Pierce walked through the locker room prior to the Celtics’ game against the Golden State Warriors, joking with media and shouting, “I’m still around! I’m still around!”

On Tuesday, ESPN published a column from writer J.A. Adande titled, “Will Paul Pierce decide his fate?” You can read the column, which summarizes Pierce’s situation, here or take a look at a snippet below:

Pierce, 34, has the longest contract among the Celtics' over-30 set, with two years remaining at $16.8 million and $15.3 million. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are free agents after the season.Rajon Rondo, the 26-year-old point guard with three seasons and $36 million left on his contract, is the Celtics' only long-term obligation who costs more than $2 million a season.

But when I asked Pierce if he wanted to end his career as a Celtic, there wasn't much passion in his response. It's probably a cautionary reflex that comes with being in the NBA long enough to see every possible scenario unfold.

"You ask anybody in the league who's been somewhere as long as I have, why wouldn't they [want to stay]?" Pierce said. "But at the end of the day I know it's a business. There's only so much I control.

One last note

Former Kansas basketball players Kirk Hinrich, left, and Nick Collison were a part of the 2002 Final Four team that went 33-4 overall and 16-0 in Big 12 play. by Scott McClurg

GQ.com posted Oklahoma City Thunder big man Nick Collison’s latest blog entry on Wednesday. This time around, Nick wrote about, well, nicknames. From the post, “Why I Take My Nickname-Creation Duties Very, Very Seriously”:

One day back in college, I was riding in my good friend and teammate Kirk Hinrich's car. I didn't think he was watching me—I forgot that guards have great peripheral vision—and he caught me picking my nose. (Oh please. Don't act like you've never picked your nose.) So Kirk started calling me "Booger." To this day, Kirk and some of my other friends call me "Boog" from time to time. I think Kirk wanted revenge because when he first got to Kansas, one of our assistant coaches constantly called him "Curt" instead of "Kirk." He hated it, so naturally we started calling him "Curtis," with a heavy accent on the second syllable. It was more like "Cur-TUSSS." Eventually this was shortened to "Tuss," and it has stuck for more than a decade.

Nicknames among basketball teammates are very common. It's probably because we spend so much time together and because, in general, basketball players are clowns. We like to make each other laugh and have fun. We talk shit and give each other a hard time. It's just what we do.

The entry includes a bunch of great anecdotes, including a line about fellow Kansas center Cole Aldrich:

I am pretty proud to have given Cole Aldrich the nickname "Cole Sore." It's one of my all-time bests. It's just a play on words, but it gets a good reaction.

As for Nick? His nickname isn’t what you’d expect:

… some guys call me "Los." This comes from our center Kendrick Perkins, who found out my full first name is Nicholas and tried to tag me as "Las" (because of the last syllable from "Nicholas"). He quickly realized this was pretty weak, and he switched it to "Los" because he liked it better. I think this has stuck because "Los" is usually short for Carlos, and my name is not Carlos, which makes no sense, which means it makes perfect sense.

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Thursday, March 15

• 7 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Washington Wizards

• 8 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Denver Nuggets

• 9:30 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Los Angeles Clippers

Friday, March 16

• 6 p.m., ESPN, Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Philadelphia 76ers

• 6:30 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the Washington Wizards

• 7 p.m., Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Toronto Raptors

• 8:30 p.m., ESPN, Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the San Antonio Spurs

• 9 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Detroit Pistons

• 9 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Sacramento Kings

• 9:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) by ngerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) reached another milestone in his storied NBA career on Friday, as he played in his 1000th career game. Pierce scored 22 points (7-for-13 overall, 2-for-5 threes, 6-for-7 free throws) and took an early bow, playing just 26 minutes and sitting out the fourth quarter as the Celtics overwhelmed the Portland Trailblazers, 104-86. Pierce tacked on four rebounds, two assists and two steals as he joined some good company in the 1000-game club. His 1001st game didn’t go quite as well, and Pierce had just 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting as Boston lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 97-94 on Sunday. Pierce had an impressive nine assists and three steals, but he couldn’t grab a single rebound in 38 minutes (full stats here).

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) by ngerik

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) double-doubled, shared the ball and kept up his solid play as Milwaukee picked up a pair of wins this weekend. Gooden had 12 points on 12 shots and turned the ball over six times on Friday, but he grabbed 10 rebounds, including five offensive boards, against the New York Knicks. Gooden also passed out five assists and notched two steals in 32 minutes as the Bucks beat the Knicks, 119-114 (full stats here). On Sunday, Gooden registered his fifth 20-point line in his last eight games, scoring 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting and 7 of 9 free throws in 34 minutes against the Toronto Raptors. He added six rebounds and another five assists, this time to just two turnovers, and BrewHoop.com noted that Gooden “successfully battled foul trouble and managed to do all of the good Drew Gooden stuff without any of the bad.” Milwaukee took down Toronto, 105-99 (full stats here).

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) scored just five points with zero assists on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, but the Heat came out ahead, 93-91 in overtime. Chalmers picked up four fouls and played just 26 minutes — most in the first three quarters. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra rolled with backup Norris Cole for much of the fourth quarter before subbing Chalmers back in during the final minutes of regulation. Chalmers then played the first few minutes of overtime before Spoelstra closed out the game without a point guard. Chalmers finished the game with three rebounds, a block and two turnovers. He shot just 2-for-6 for the day, including a 1-for-4 mark from three-point range, which would have been a bit worse if he hadn’t gotten a shooter’s bounce (full stats here).

Oklahoma City Thunder's Nick Collison (4) by ngerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) scored two points with six rebounds and two blocked shots in 20 minutes as the Thunder lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 96-90 on Friday (full stats here). He also had two assists, including this pretty pass to All-Everything teammate Kevin Durant:

Possibly encouraged by the success of Friday’s alley-oop, Collison dished out a season-high four assists on Saturday against the Charlotte Bobcats. He also scored four points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked another two shots. He chipped in a steal in his 17 minutes (full stats here).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) sat out (coach’s decision) as the Thunder lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 96-90 on Friday, but he made the most of his 10 minutes one night later as OKC took on the Charlotte Bobcats. Aldrich snagged three rebounds in three rare second-quarter minutes on Saturday. He then checked back in with seven minutes left in the fourth-quarter blowout, rounding out his stat line with a couple of dunks and a hook shot. Aldrich finished with six points, six rebounds, a steal and zero turnovers/personal fouls. The Thunder won handily, 122-95 (full stats here).

New Orleans Hornets' Xavier Henry (4) by ngerik

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) struggled a bit with his shot this weekend, going 6-for-22 in two games. Henry had 12 points — all in the second half — on 4-for-14 shooting overall and 4-of-4 foul shots as the Hornets lost to the Denver Nuggets, 110-97 on Friday. He also had five rebounds, an assist, two steals and four personal fouls in 25 minutes (full stats here). On Saturday, Henry had four points on 2-for-8 shooting in 20 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He added at least one nice finish at the basket, four rebounds and two assists to zero turnovers as the Hornets won one in Minnesota, 95-89 (full stats here).

After Friday’s game against Denver, Hornets247.com’s Ryan Schwan wrote:

I was floored to see that not only did Henry go right tonight on the way to the basket, he did it three times. He even had a crossover from his left to his right to free himself up from Afflalo, who was clearly riding his left hand. The lefty had a rough shooting night from anywhere not at the rim tonight, but he continues to make me a fan. With his 4-4 shooting performance from the line tonight, he also finally elevated his FT% above 50% and is shooting 85% from the stripe in March. If he can make those foul shots he’s been earning, his value skyrockets.

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich (6) by ngerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) played 17 productive minutes off the bench on Friday against the Detroit Pistons, putting up nine points. Hinrich chipped in just one assist and a steal, but he also had zero turnovers as the Hawks lost, 86-85 (full stats here). On Sunday, Hinrich was back in the starting lineup, this time to match up with the guard-heavy Sacramento Kings. Hinrich played a whopping 42 minutes — his most of the season — and finished with 12 points (5-for-10 overall, 2-for-5 from three), with three rebounds, four assists, two steals and one turnover as the Hawks won, 106-99 (full stats here).

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) continued his slide into mediocrity on Saturday as he went scoreless in just three minutes of playing time against the Memphis Grizzlies. Markieff missed all three of his shot attempts (no threes), and though he grabbed two rebounds, he also turned the ball over once and committed two personal fouls. The Arizona Republic’s Paul Coro noted that Keef was yanked — quickly — because of his poor defense. The Suns won, 98-91 (full stats here).

In the six games since the All-Star break, Markieff has scored just 10 points total on 3-for-25 shooting (1-for-6 from three, 3-for-4 free-throws). During that stretch, he has not played more than 18 minutes in a night, and in his last two games, Markieff has seen just nine total minutes of playing time.

The Arizona Republic published a bit on the rookie’s slump:

"We'll give him a chance," (Phoenix coach Alvin) Gentry said before Saturday's game. "We have to have him perform. He's got to be productive and, if not, we'll have to go somewhere else. If he's tired, he still has to have the energy to come out and play. I'm pretty sure Steve Nash and Grant Hill are tired too."

Morris never even experienced a stretch such as this during two years of coming off the bench at Kansas, where he started as a junior before turning pro. After Saturday's first half, Morris had made 8 of his past 50 shots.

"We're winning," Morris said Saturday morning. "That's all that matters. I'm a rookie. Sometimes shots won't fall. It's about winning, so I'm happy for the team."

Morris then turned to throw his gum into a garbage can and missed. It has been that kind of March for Morris …

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) didn’t make much noise in a pair of weekend games, but the Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks, 111-87 on Saturday, and the Los Angeles Clippers, 97-93 on Sunday. Rush tallied two points and shot just 1-for-5 (0-for-4 from three) with five rebounds, two assists and a steal in 24 minutes against the Mavericks (full stats here). He followed that up with a five-point outing against the Clippers, in which he shot 2-for-3 (1-for-1 from three) and grabbed three rebounds (full stats here).

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decisions) on Saturday against the New Jersey Nets or Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Rockets split their weekend contests, defeating the Nets, 112-106 on Saturday (game stats here), before losing to the Cavs, 118-107 on Sunday (game stats here).

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) did not play (coach’s decisions) on Saturday vs. the Phoenix Suns or Sunday vs. the Denver Nuggets. The Grizzlies lost to the Suns, 98-91 (game stats here), and beat the Nuggets, 94-91 (game stats here).

Other notes

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) hit 5 of 8 shots for 12 points as the Toros won, 114-109 on Saturday. Wright had three assists, two blocks, a steal and just one rebound in 25 minutes in the victory (full stats here). On Sunday, Wright redeemed his rebounding stats, grabbing 11 boards in 33 minutes during a 105-97 loss. He double-doubled with 12 points off of 6-for-14 shooting (full stats here).

• Brady Morningstar (NBA D-League - Tulsa 66ers) had a quiet night on Sunday, scoring just two points on 1 of 5 shots as the 66ers won, 81-79. Morningstar also had one rebound, one steal and one turnover in 20 minutes (full stats here).

• ESPN’s John Hollinger wrote on Wednesday about players he thinks teams could try to target as part of larger deals before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. Hollinger had this to say about the Houston Rockets’ Marcus Morris and Morris’ teammate Chase Budinger (ESPN Insider subscription required):

Houston is heavily in the hunt for star talent, and these two would be near the top of my list if I were dealing with the Rockets. Budinger has fallen out of favor because of his defensive shortcomings -- it's very difficult to pair him on the wings with Kevin Martin, especially since they don't exactly have Bill Russell playing behind them -- but he can score and has arguably the best contract in the league ($885K next season). Morris was the 14th overall pick and thrashed the D-League during a brief stint down there, but has played only 19 minutes for the parent club after second-round pick Chandler Parsons beat him out.

• Despite recent trade rumors concerning him, Atlanta Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s happy where he is:

“I like our team,” Hinrich said before the Hawks played the Kings late Sunday. “I feel like we can be a dangerous team come playoff time. I want to be a part of that.”

• Fox Sports Houston writer (and former KU beat writer) Tully Corcoran gave seldom-used Rockets forward Marcus Morris a little love in his Friday notes:

... the Rockets rely too heavily on a streaky shooting guard and it frequently costs them games. A forward who can post up or face up with a mid-range game could help relieve that pressure significantly.

Fortunately, the Rockets have a player like that in rookie Marcus Morris. Unfortunately, they don't believe he's ready to play defense at the NBA level yet.

I am not necessarily arguing Morris is better than Chandler Parsons, who is having an excellent rookie season. But he would give the Rockets and offensive dimension they now lack, and that dimension would create a more consistent offensive team.

I think.

• BrewHoop.com’s Dan Sinclair took a look at the Milwaukee Bucks’ “overpaid and underappreciated” center, Drew Gooden, in a nice writeup. You can read the full feature here, or read an excerpt below:

... Drew Gooden is still overpaid. It isn't so much the dollar amount as it is the length of the contract. After all, Gooden currently ranks 16th in PER among power forwards (even if he's been playing center, he's still a natural 4), ahead of significantly more expensive players like Carlos Boozer and David West. Of course, Drew's career leading up to his signing with Milwaukee never gave any indication that his contract would provide value, especially with the final year representing his age-33 season. There's no way to call Gooden's deal justified without being flat-out revisionist. In single-year terms, however, he's living up to it.

So ignore those looming three years and 20 million dollars for a second, and allow yourself to appreciate Drew Gooden's current season for what it is: a zany, unpredictable, sometimes-superficial-but-always-entertaining campaign of positive production. It's not always pretty, and it hasn't exactly translated into a successful season for the Milwaukee Bucks. But at least Gooden has put to rest the encroaching notion that he's just not very good at basketball.

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Monday, March 12

• 6:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the New Jersey Nets

• 7 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Charlotte Hornets

• 9 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

• 9:30 p.m., ESPN, Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Los Angeles Clippers

Tuesday, March 13

• 6 p.m., NBA TV, Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Orlando Magic

• 7 p.m., Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Los Angeles Lakers

• 7 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets

• 8 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the Denver Nuggets

• 9 p.m., Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Sacramento Kings

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) by ngerik

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) scored 12 straight points to start the game and had 16 in the first quarter en route to a season-high 27 points on Wednesday. It wasn’t quite enough, though, and the Bucks lost, 106-104 to the Chicago Bulls. Gooden scored at least 25 points for the third time in four games by sinking 11 of 21 shots, including 2 of 4 three-pointers. He also added six rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block in 37 minutes (full stats here).

Gooden’s 27 points were the most he’s scored in a game in almost four years. Gooden’s last game with at least 27 points was a 31-point outing on March 25, 2008, with — who else? — the Chicago Bulls.

Gooden's two three-pointers were also something of a rarity, though he accomplished that feat back on Feb. 10. On at least one of his triples Wednesday, Gooden benefited from some ... ahem ... questionable defense by Chicago's Carlos Boozer:

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) by ngerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) scored a team-high 16 points on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers, but it wasn’t enough as the Sixers jumped out to a 55-33 halftime lead and beat the Celtics, 103-71. Pierce did not play the fourth quarter and finished with four rebounds and a steal in 26 minutes (full stats here). Pierce missed on all three of his three-point attempts and did not record an assist for the first time all season.

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich (6) by ngerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) started for the fourth straight game on Wednesday in place of injured shooting guard Joe Johnson. Hinrich put up five points on 2-of-4 shooting (1-of-3 from three) as the Hawks lost to the Miami Heat, 89-86. Hinrich added four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two turnovers in 28 minutes (full stats here).

After the game, Hawks coach Larry Drew talked to reporters about Hinrich, who is shooting just 35 percent overall and 27 percent from three-point range since returning from offseason shoulder surgery at the end of January:

“I think it is just a matter of him really getting his legs under him with his surgery. When he came back we tried to bring him along slowly and we knew it was probably going to take a while for him to really get his rhythm, his timing and really needing time to get his legs under him. He has had some games where he has shot the ball really well and then he has had some games where his shot has been short and off. I still think he is still kind of in that training camp mode.”

Oklahoma City Thunder's Nick Collison (4) by ngerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) missed both of his shot attempts against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, but the Thunder won, 115-104 in a small-ball second-half comeback. All of Collison’s 16 minutes came in the first three quarters, and he finished with two rebounds, one assist, one steal, a block, and two turnovers (full stats here). Collison also drew a charge, according to the official Thunder website’s “plays the boxscore won’t show.”

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) scored just one point on Wednesday in a 115-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he didn’t go down without a fight, blocking three shots in his 13 minutes on the floor. Markieff grabbed a single rebound and also dished out two assists (full stats here).

On Thursday, against the Dallas Mavericks, Markieff saw just six minutes of playing time and didn’t get a shot off. The Suns won, 96-94, and Markieff was replaced down the stretch by Hakim Warrick. Markieff’s only contributions to the stat sheet were a foul and two turnovers (full stats here).

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush (4) by ngerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) put up 11 points and six rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, but the Warriors lost, 110-98. Rush also had two assists to two turnovers in 32 minutes and hit just 1 of 4 three-point attempts (full stats here).

Four of Rush’s five made shots came from inside the arc, something that Warriors coach Mark Jackson doesn’t mind seeing from the three-point specialist. From the San Francisco Chronicle’s Vittorio Tafur:

"He's more than just a stand-still shooter," Jackson said. "He does a very good job picking and choosing his spots and doesn't put himself in position to get hurt and make careless turnovers."

The book on Rush was that he was a poor ball handler at Indiana, but Jackson has his own scouting report since the Warriors traded for Rush in December.

"I like the way he's putting the ball on the floor and making plays, whether it be pick-and-rolls or guys running at him because he's a shooter," Jackson said. "He's certainly showing he's comfortable doing that."

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) went through one of his rougher shooting nights on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks. Chalmers converted on just one his five shots and missed both of his attempts from beyond the arc. He finished with five points (thanks to 3-for-3 foul shooting), two rebounds, three assists, two steals and two turnovers in 25 minutes. The Heat won, 89-86 (full stats here).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) did not play (coach’s decision) against the Phoenix Suns in the Thunder’s come-from-behind 115-104 victory on Wednesday (game stats here).

When it came time for OKC coach Scott Brooks to sub in a backup center in the second quarter, he went with veteran Nazr Mohammed instead of Aldrich. Mohammed played just four minutes, and was scoreless with two rebounds. The three Thunder bigs not named Serge Ibaka played a combined 38 minutes as OKC went with a small lineup in the second half.

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) hit the only shot he attempted against the Sacramento Kings and finished with two points as the Hornets lost, 99-98 on Wednesday. Henry played 15 minutes and also chipped in one rebound and one assist (full stats here).
  

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) went scoreless on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, missing both of his shots, but the Grizzlies won in convincing fashion, 110-98. Selby played six minutes and picked up one personal foul in that time (full stats here).

Selby’s seen stints of five, five and six minutes in three of the Grizzlies’ last four games. During that same time, combo guard O.J. Mayo has taken over the brunt of the backup point guard duties. From the Commercial Appeal:

(Grizzlies coach Lionel) Hollins said the decision to go with Mayo has more to do with matchups than his dissatisfaction with Pargo and Selby.

"It depends on the opponent," Hollins said. "Like in the Dallas game (Feb. 29) I didn't feel like they were going to come out and pressure us so we just ran our zone offense. It was no problem. But when you're playing a team that's pressuring you and you're trying to get into good offense then maybe you go with one of the other guys."

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) saw three minutes in garbage time during the Rockets’ 116-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Marcus, who saw NBA minutes for just the fifth game in his short career, missed a jumper with 42 seconds left. He finished with one point (off of 1-of-2 free-throw shooting) and one rebound (full stats here). The fact that he saw the floor at all was an encouraging sign, considering the Rockets’ crowded rotation. Marcus entered the game before fellow benched small forward Chase Budinger, who picked up a DNP-CD.

Other notes

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) scored 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting on Thursday as the Toros lost, 105-100 to the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Wright grabbed nine rebounds, including five offensive boards, in 26 minutes. He also had an assist, a steal and three turnovers (full stats here).

• Brady Morningstar (NBA D-League - Tulsa 66ers) put together an odd stat line on Wednesday as the 66ers beat the Idaho Stampede, 94-87. Morningstar made just 1 of 8 shots from the field, but he finished with 13 points thanks to a perfect 11-for-11 mark at the foul line. Morningstar added six rebounds and had zero turnovers in 35 minutes (full stats here).

• It’s that time of year again. The NBA’s March 15 trade deadline is less than a week away, and two former Jayhawks’ names have cropped up in trade rumors recently. From CBS Sports insider Ken Berger:

The Celtics are prepared to entertain offers for Paul Pierce, whose subtraction from the Boston core would be the most advantageous to the post-Big Three rebuilding effort given his age (34) and the $32 million he's owed over the next two seasons. And for those same reasons, he'll be the most difficult of Boston's top four players to move.

The Hawks won't find a taker for Joe Johnson and the $90 million he has coming to him over the next four years, but rival executives believe Kirk Hinrich could be on the move -- perhaps filling the gaping two-guard hole on the Clippers. That depends on the asking price, as the Clips' assets were diminished in the Chris Paul trade.

• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post wrote a feature on Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers’ improvement. Skolnick points out that Chalmers is a longshot to win the league’s Most Improved Player award, but notes that his consistency has been a big reason for the Heat’s 30-9 record.

An excerpt from the full story, which you can read here:

During All-Star weekend, he received compliments from some of his colleagues around the league, but nothing that stuck out. He's been more excited to receive text messages offering praise and encouragement from his "other family" at Kansas, especially those from assistant coaches and head coach Bill Self.

Still, Chalmers carries a chip on his shoulder, the one that formed back in Alaska, where he eventually surprised many people by becoming the state's third NBA player.

"Way more people told me I wouldn't make it than that I would make it," Chalmers said.

Now he has.

"They're quiet now," he said. "I don't even see them when I come home."

He laughed.

"They probably hide from me," he said.

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Friday, March 9

• 6:30 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Portland Trailblazers

• 6:30 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the Detroit Pistons

• 7 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers

• 7:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the New York Knicks

• 8 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Denver Nuggets

Saturday, March 10

• 6:30 p.m., Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Indiana Pacers

• 7 p.m., Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. the New Jersey Nets

• 7 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Charlotte Bobcats

• 7 p.m., NBA TV, Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

• 8 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies

• 9:30 p.m., NBA TV, Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Dallas Mavericks

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) by ngerik

So... Paul Pierce is having a good week.

27 points on Friday. 34 points on Sunday. 30 points on Tuesday.

After scoring 25+ points just once in February and just three times all season, Pierce has accomplished that feat in all three of the Boston Celtics’ March games. As far as I can tell, he’s either (a) pumped about Boston’s upcoming St. Patrick’s Day festivities, (b) suffering from an acute case of March Madness or (c) very good at basketball.

Pierce began his scoring spree with 27 last Friday against the New Jersey Nets. Then, on Sunday, he went head-to-head with the New York Knicks in a nationally televised overtime thriller, posting 34 points (13-23 FG, 4-7 3PG, 4-5 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Pierce played 46 minutes, admittedly inflating his totals a bit, and hit an off-balance/game-tying/overtime-forcing three-pointer at the end of regulation. The Celtics went on to win, 115-111 (full stats here).

Pierce v. NYK highlights, below:

Tuesday night, Pierce found himself in another overtime battle — this time with the Houston Rockets. And again, Pierce poured in 30 points, including seven in the overtime period, and the Celtics won, 97-92. Pierce shot 9-for-21 from the field, cashed in on 11 of 12 free throws and had six rebounds, two assists and two steals in 41 minutes (full stats here).

Pierce OT highlights below, starting at 1:58:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZKhwCgfZpE

Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) by ngerik

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) padded his top-10 three-point shooting numbers on Sunday and Tuesday, hitting 6 of 11 triples in two recent Heat games. Chalmers scored 15 points (5-12 FG, 4-8 3PG, 1-1 FT) with four rebounds, two assists, three steals and an impressive zero turnovers in 36 minutes as the Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 93-83 on Sunday (full stats here).

He then followed that up with an eight-point, five-rebound, seven-assist, two-steal performance as the Heat beat the New Jersey Nets, 108-78 on Tuesday (full stats here). Chalmers also had a not-so-impressive five turnovers in 32 minutes against the Nets, but those came on a night when (1) the Heat won, (2) Chalmers helped hold Nets point guard Deron Williams to 16 points after he exploded for 57 on Sunday and (3) Chalmers had his most assists since Jan. 21, so... it works. Like this pass:

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush (4) by ngerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) grabbed a season-high nine rebounds on Sunday as the Warriors gave up a nine-point halftime lead and lost 83-75 to the Toronto Raptors. Rush played 30 minutes in that game, missing on all three of his three-point attempts and finishing with just seven points. He also contributed two assists and a block (full stats here).

The next night, on Monday, Rush and the Warriors took out their frustration on the hapless Washington Wizards and won, 120-100. Rush hit 4 of 5 shots (including a perfect 2 of 2 threes) against the Wizards and had three rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes (full stats here).

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) couldn’t buy a basket on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings, going 0-for-7 in a 96-88 Suns win. Markieff salvaged his night by grabbing six rebounds and sinking two free throws for two points (full stats here), but his field goal percentage continued to plummet and now sits at 37.5 percent. Throwing the contrasting offensive systems/philosophies out the window, I’ll point out that he’s just one year removed from a 58.9 percent mark at KU.

Markieff spoke to Arizona Sports 620 about his slump:

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) by ngerik

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) has been on a nice mini-tear since returning from injury after the All-Star break. Gooden double-doubled and/or scored at least 23 points in three of his last five games, including a 25-point, 10-rebound gem on Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Gooden hit 9 of 21 shots and made 7 of 8 free throws as the Bucks won, 97-93. He also added two assists and a block (full stats here).

A more entertaining summary from the folks at BrewHoop.com:

Committed a lane violation on his own free throw, opted to play a bit of point guard with Brandon Jennings at his side before getting the ball stripped at halfcourt, and skied a pass a few rows up late in the fourth quarter.

But 25 and 10 for Gooden, and hardly an offensive peep from any of the bigs on Philadelphia.

Oklahoma City Thunder's NIck Collison (4) by ngerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) played 23 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks and had two points and six rebounds as the Thunder won, 95-91 (full stats here). Collison played his customary team-friendly/statistically-invisible brand of basketball, registering zero turnovers and made some “plays the boxscore won’t show.” From the official Thunder website:

Great instincts from Nick Collison to grab a loose ball and flip it to James Harden who finished in transition on the other end...

Tough box out by Collison to out-hustle Dirk Nowitzki for a defensive rebound...

Perfect pick by Collison to free up Jackson for a 3-pointer...

Collison goes up high on the glass and tips one in...

Great passing by Westbrook to find Collison, then hustle by Westbrook and Collison to tip and corall two offensive boards...

Solid defensive possession from Collison and Harden, who harrassed Nowitzki and Jason Terry for 24 seconds...

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) sat out (coach’s decision) on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks, just one game after posting a solid six-point, seven-rebound performance. The Thunder won in a close 95-91 game that pushed OKC’s record to 30-8. The Thunder’s other backup big, Nazr Mohammed also did not play, and after the game, the Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry speculated:

A part of neither Aldrich nor Mohammed seeing any playing time had to have had something to do with Mavs starting center Brendan Haywood spraining his foot 30 seconds into the game. I contend that was the best thing to happen to the Mavs, but I digress. When Haywood was lost, it left Dallas with only Ian Mahinmi at center. But Perk and Serge Ibaka were playing well, too, so Brooks let them go.

Another interesting tidbit from Mayberry:

… in the Mavs locker room before the game Dallas already had Cole over Naz as the second center on the depth chart.

AND Thunder coach Scott Brooks sounded pretty pleased with Aldrich’s performance, according to this tweet from DailyThunder.com’s Royce Young before Monday’s game:

Scott Brooks on the radio on Cole Aldrich: "He's getting close. I'm very confident I can throw him in and get results."

Fellow Jayhawk and Thunder teammate Nick Collison also had some nice things to say. Again, from the Oklahoman:

“Cole played well,” Collison said. “He's done well this year when he's got the chance. He's an NBA rotation player. He just hasn't gotten a chance to show it yet. But he's going to be good for us.”

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) kept up his impressive play on Monday against the Portland Trailblazers, scoring nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. Henry also hit his only three-pointer and added two rebounds in 18 minutes as the Hornets lost, 86-74 (full stats here).

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) started for injured Hawks shooting guard Joe Johnson again on Tuesday but ended up playing just 18 minutes and scoring two points as the Hawks won, 101-96 against the Indiana Pacers. Hinrich added a rebound, a block and three assists to two turnovers (full stats here).

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decision) on Sunday in a 105-103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers or Tuesday in a 97-92 loss to the Boston Celtics. Both times, as has been the trend this season, Marcus was the victim of a crowded Rockets rotation. During the Clippers game, former starting small forward Chase Budinger did not enter the game either, and then on Tuesday, when the Rockets went with a tight eight-man rotation against the Boston Celtics, Marcus sat behind fellow DNP-CD’d SFs Terrence Williams AND Budinger.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Marcus was back with the D-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers soon, if only to keep the rust off. The Vipers are a bit quiet this week, but their schedule ramps up with a bunch of games starting March 12.

Other notes

• Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.net reported on Sunday that Sherron Collins and his Turkish team, Haccetepe, “reached an agreement to part ways.” Collins had averaged 10.9 points in 19 games in Turkey.

• Aaron Miles (Russia PBL - Krasnye Krylya) approached triple-double territory on Saturday as he put up nine points, eight assists and 10 rebounds in a 79-73 regular season victory. Miles also had two steals and four turnovers in 31 minutes (full stats here).

• Darnell Jackson (Ukraine-Superleague - BC Donetsk) scored 14 points in 18 minutes on Monday in an 80-73 regular-season victory. Jackson also had five rebounds, a steal and a block (full stats here). He also had three-point, six-rebound game on Saturday in 15 minutes during an 86-79 Ukrainian League victory (full stats here).

• Unrelated, but Darnell Jackson dunked in a game back in February, and some Ukrainian fan was really excited about it:

• Mario Little (Ukraine-Superleague - SK Dnipro Azot Dniprodzerzhynsk) put up 13 points, two rebounds, seven assists and three steals on Saturday against former Jayhawk Darnell Jackson’s BC Donetsk, but Little’s team lost, 86-79. Little also had five fouls in 30 minutes during that game (full stats here).

• Russell Robinson (Turkish Basketball League - Trabzonspor) had 10 points, two assists, one rebound, one steal and zero turnovers in 23 minutes on Saturday. Robinson’s team won, 71-69 (full stats here).

• Keith Langford (Israeli Premier League - Maccabi Electra) played just nine minutes and went scoreless on Saturday in an 83-77 regular-season victory (full stats here). Two days later, on Monday, Langford bounced back with 16 points seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in 29 minutes during an 82-77 win (full stats here).

• Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers is joining Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce as a “brand ambassador” for Spalding. From the release, via SLAMonline.com:

As part of the brand’s 2012 campaign, the trio of rising stars (Chalmers, Jimmer Fredette and Chris Singleton) will appear in digital and print advertising as well as in-store signage. They will also wear the new Spalding signature shoe during game time.

• Former Utah Jazz/Texas Legends center Greg Ostertag is “killing the spice sales game.” ‘Nuff said.

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Wednesday, March 7

• 6 p.m., Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. the Toronto Raptors

• 6 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Philadelphia 76ers

• 6:30 p.m., NBA TV, Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat

• 7 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Chicago Bulls

• 7 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns

• 9 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Sacramento Kings

• 9:30 p.m., NBA TV, Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies

Thursday, March 8

• 9:30 p.m., TNT, Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Dallas Mavericks

New Orleans Hornets' Xavier Henry (4) by ngerik

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) had his best week of the year, heating up for a career-high 19 points against Dallas Mavericks on Friday before coming back with a more mild nine points against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Henry’s career-high came off 8-for-12 shooting and was backed up by four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 24 minutes. Just as impressive were Henry’s zero fouls and one turnover as the Hornets beat the defending champion Mavericks, 97-92 (full stats here).

On Saturday, Henry played another 26 minutes, but he made just 4 of 11 shots against the Pacers. To Henry’s credit, he shook off his early shooting woes and scored all nine of his points in seven fourth-quarter minutes. He added six rebounds, two assists, a steal and zero turnovers for the game, but the Hornets lost, 102-84 (full stats here).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) tied a career-high six points and pulled down a career-high seven rebounds on Saturday as the Thunder lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 97-90. Aldrich saw some action early in the game after OKC starting center Kendrick Perkins picked up his third personal foul midway through the second quarter. Perkins eventually fouled out, and Thunder coach Scott Brooks rolled with Aldrich for 14 minutes. During that time, Aldrich made just 1 of 5 looks from the field but was a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line. He also blocked three shots and grabbed five offensive rebounds (full stats here).

After the game, the Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry noted:

He missed a few bunnies that he should have made, but that could come with time. “I rushed them a little bit,” Aldrich said.

Mayberry also asked Thunder coach Scott Brooks about playing Aldrich ahead of backup center Nazr Mohammed (two points, three rebounds, seven minutes):

“I played Nazr and then Perk got in foul trouble,” Brooks said. “And then I went with Cole in the second half. I don’t know what I’m going to do next game. They both are professionals. They both prepare to play and we’ll see.”

Aldrich did not play (coach’s decision) on Thursday against the Orlando Magic. The Thunder beat the Magic, 105-102 (game stats here).

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) started in place of injured shooting guard Joe Johnson on Saturday as the Hawks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 97-90. Hinrich scored eight of his 10 points in the first quarter and finished with two rebounds, one assist and four fouls in 26 minutes (full stats here).

Hinrich also started for Johnson on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks. In that game, Hinrich had seven points, three rebounds, three assists and five turnovers in 25 minutes. The Hawks won, 99-94 (full stats here).

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) by ngerik

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) had just seven points in 30 minutes against the Orlando Magic on Saturday night. Gooden hit just 2 of 7 shots from the field, collected five rebounds and committed five fouls while matched up (mostly) with Orlando center Dwight Howard, who had 28 points and 14 rebounds. Milwaukee lost, 114 to 98 (full stats here).

After the game, Gooden himself summed up the Bucks’ night:

"Dwight got the ball in the paint when he wanted to and scored. And when they got the chance outside to shoot threes, they knocked 'em down. So tonight no matter what poison we picked, it was poison."

On Friday, Gooden put up 26 points on 21 shots in a 99-94 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Gooden was a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line and double-doubled with 10 rebounds in 37 minutes (full stats here). He also had a kind-of-rare-but-not-as-rare-as-it-used-to-be make on a three-point attempt.

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) missed all three of his shots and went scoreless in 25 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. Collison grabbed just two rebounds and blocked one shot as the Thunder lost, 97-90. Collison also turned the ball over an uncharacteristic four times (full stats here).

On Thursday, Collison made his only shot for two points, two rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block in 17 minutes against the Orlando Magic. OKC narrowly won that game, 105-102, but Collison and his fellow Thunder bigs couldn’t slow down Orlando center Dwight Howard, who had 33 points on 14-of-20 shooting (full stats here).

Phoenix Suns' Markieff Morris (11) by ngerik

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) made just one of his eight shots against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. He finished with three points, four rebounds, two assists and four fouls in 16 minutes as Phoenix edged out L.A., 81-78 (full stats here). And while the Suns held Clippers star Blake Griffin to 6-of-19 shooting, Griffin made 2 of 3 shots while matched-up with Keef.

Markieff didn’t fare much better against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. The Suns rookie picked up five fouls and had just four points on 2-of-6 shooting. Even worse, he had just one rebound in 17 minutes to go along with an assist and two steals. The Suns won, though, 104-95 (full stats here).

The poor shooting has been a problem for Markieff lately. In his last five games, he’s made just 8 of 39 shots and averaged five points a game. On the season, he’s shot just 38.5 percent from the field (104-of-270) — the worst mark among rookie bigs.

The area dragging down his shooting percentages the most? The mid-range, outside of the paint and inside the arc, where he’s hit just 20 of 78 shots (25.6 percent). He fares better behind the three-point line, where he’s made 32 of 80 shots (40 percent). His best spot on the floor, though, is the restricted area under the basket, where he’s made 39 of 76 attempts (51.3 percent). And yet, this season, Markieff’s shot more from the three-point line (29.6 percent of the time) and mid-range (28.9 percent of the time) than the restricted area (28.1 percent of the time).

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) did not play (coach’s decision) on Saturday as Memphis went without a true backup point guard against the Detroit Pistons. The Grizzlies won, 100-83, with shooting guard OJ Mayo running the team when starting point guard Mike Conley rested (game stats here).

One night before, on Friday, Selby played five minutes against the Toronto Raptors. Selby made one of two shots for two points. He also had one assist, but the Raptors outscored the Grizzlies by eight while Selby was in the game. In fact, Toronto’s backup point guard, Jerryd Bayless, scored seven points while matched up with Selby. Still, Grizzlies won in the end, 102-99 (full stats here).

Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) by ngerik

• Poor shooting and foul trouble were the story of the night for Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) against the Utah Jazz on Friday. Chalmers picked up his second of four fouls midway through the first quarter and was limited to 25 minutes in the 99-98 Heat loss. He played just five seconds in the fourth quarter and made just 1 of 6 shots and 1 of 2 free throws for three points. Chalmers misfired on all four of his three-point attempts, lost the ball four times and finished with just two assists to go along with two rebounds and two steals (full stats here).

Chalmers’ Thursday performance against the Portland Trailblazers was a bit smoother. In that game, a 107-93 Heat victory, Chalmers scored 12 points with two threes and zero turnovers in 34 minutes. He added a rebound, two assists and a steal (full stats here).

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) by ngerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) had a cool 27 points against the New Jersey Nets on Friday. Pierce hit 10 of 14 shots overall, 3 of 4 from three and 4 of 4 from the foul line as the Celtics won, 107-94. He also chipped in four rebounds, eight assists and a block (full stats here).

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush (4) by ngerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) couldn’t get his shot to fall against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday and had seven points on 2-of-9 shooting. Rush was just 1-for-6 from three-point range, but he added four rebounds, one assist and one block in 32 minutes. The Warriors lost, 105-83 (full stats here).

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decision) against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. The Rockets lost, 117-105 (game stats here).

Other notes

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) made his D-League debut on Thursday, hitting 8 of 13 shots en route to 16 points in just 22 minutes. Wright also contributed six rebounds, an assist, a block and a put-back slam as the Toros lost, 99-94 in overtime (full stats here).

On Saturday, Wright kept up the efficiency, hitting 6 of 7 shots (including an important late three-pointer) for 13 points. But five personal fouls limited him to just 13 minutes, and the Toros lost, 110-105. Wright added four rebounds and two steals (full stats here).

• Brady Morningstar (NBA D-League - Tulsa 66ers) scored 11 points on Saturday as the 76ers won, 109-100. Morningstar had two rebounds, an assist and one three-pointer in 24 minutes (full stats here).

On Friday, Morningstar played just 12 minutes and had five points and one rebound in a 99-94 loss (full stats here).

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Sunday, March 4

• noon, ABC, Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the New York Knicks

• 2:30 p.m., ABC, Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Los Angeles Lakers

• 5 p.m., Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Toronto Raptors

• 6 p.m., Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. the Los Angeles Clippers

• 7 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Sacramento Kings

Monday, March 5

• 6 p.m., Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Washington Wizards

• 7 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Philadelphia 76ers

• 7 p.m., NBA TV, Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Dallas Mavericks

• 9 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Portland Trailblazers

Kansas forward Thomas Robinson goes up for a dunk against Oklahoma State on Monday, Feb. 25, 2012, at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla. by Richard Gwin

Welcome to March.

I know around here that’s usually the time to talk about tournaments and winning streaks and match-ups and all that jazz. Don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of that in the coming days and weeks.

But the beginning of March also marks time for us to unveil this season’s first Hawks in the NBA “Stock Watch” blog, a regular feature that’s been floated around here during the past couple of years that examines the overall stock as well as the rise and fall of the KU players most likely to play professional basketball in the Association in the near future. This season’s team, with its lack of depth and proven star players, features just three guys who are showing up on mock drafts all over the Internet. Thomas Robinson is a lottery lock, Tyshawn Taylor fluctuates often but is trending upward, and Jeff Withey, a guy who was not really on the NBA radar midway through the season, has started to see his name pop up in the second round of many mock drafts.

Throughout the next few months, we’ll track the stock and status of all three of these guys as their NBA potential changes. It may be a little too early to make an accurate read on how things will end up, but this gives us a starting point.

*** It’s important to note that the NBA Draft Order has not been set yet, which explains why Robinson is tapped to go in the same spot to different teams in the various mock drafts used for this blog.

• THOMAS ROBINSON: JR., FORWARD, 6-9, 237 pounds
Stock Assessment: Entered the season as a pretty certain first-round pick and has emerged as a favorite to win both Big 12 and National Player of the Year honors and become a lock to be a high lottery pick. After playing eight minutes a game as a freshman and around 14 as sophomore, Robinson has flourished as the Jayhawks’ go-to player this season, something that has allowed him to showcase his overall NBA game for the scouts who appear to be drooling over his size, strength, athleticism and improving ability. Robinson will make big bucks at the next level as he has the size and strength to bang with the big boys and may even have the ball-handling skills, jumpshot and quickness to play some small forward.
Average Mock Draft Position: 4th.
Current High: 3rd (DraftSite.com)
Current Low: 5th (MyNBADraft.com)
Overall Movement: + On the Rise + Before this entry, I looked back at one of the final Stock Watch entries from the 2011 season and, in it, I noted that some of the mock drafts from last year that were looking ahead to the 2012 draft had Robinson listed as the 23rd pick of the first round. It goes without saying that he’s improved his stock tremendously since then. But it’s not just since that time that has him listed as “On the Rise,” Robinson actually has improved his stock from the midway point of this season, when he was somewhere in the 6-10 range but has now firmly put himself into the top five. At this point, I’d be surprised if Robinson falls out of the top five. Time will tell.

Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor throws up three fingers after hitting a three to start overtime against Missouri on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012 at Allen Fieldhouse. by Nick Krug

• TYSHAWN TAYLOR: SR., GUARD, 6-3, 185 pounds
Stock Assessment: Taylor’s NBA potential has been a hot topic around KU for the past few years, and it’s a discussion that has varied substantially. Some, at one point or another, saw Taylor as the type of player who could become the next Rajon Rondo, the star point guard for the Boston Celtics. Others saw Taylor as limited and in possession of a game that doesn’t necessarily translate to the NBA level, largely because of its most notable flaws - inconsistency and a tendency to turn the ball over too much. But then the 2011-12 season happened — and, in particular, Big 12 play — and Taylor showed that, when dialed in, he could be a huge asset to any team. The jury’s still out on what type of pro Taylor will be, but, at this point, it looks like he’ll get his shot.
Average Mock Draft Position: 41st.
Current High: 28th (DraftExpress.com)
Current Low: Not Listed (DraftSite.com)
Overall Movement: + On The Rise + Coming into the season, Taylor was not listed on very many mock drafts for 2012. Today, although he’s still listed as a second-round guy on several of them, there are plenty of people out there who believe Taylor’s played his way into the first round. A strong finish and a solid showing in the NCAA Tournament could cement that.

Jeff Withey gets a hand on a shot by Baylor forward Perry Jones. by Richard Gwin

• JEFF WITHEY: JR., CENTER, 7-0, 235 pounds
Stock Assessment: Based on what he had done during his first couple of seasons in Lawrence, it was nearly impossible for anybody to talk about Withey leaving school after his junior season to pursue a pro career. Not only had he played limited minutes and not shown a whole lot in terms of production, the 7-foot former volleyball player also had shown a tendency to get injured often, something that almost always drops a player’s stock a level or two. But Withey has been sensational this season, bringing toughness, incredible interior defense and even a limited but consistent offensive game, particularly at the free throw line. He’s now legitimately in the conversation and nobody’s laughing. In fact, a handful of KU fans may very well be worried about what the future holds.
Average Mock Draft Position: 38th on those sites where he’s listed.
Current High: 33rd (DraftSite.com)
Current Low: Not Listed (DraftExpress.com)
Overall Movement: + On The Rise + Had a ridiculous three- or four-game stretch that made talk of Withey leaving school early started to heat up. Then the 7-footer struggled against Missouri (again) and played an uninspired game against Oklahoma State and at least some of that talk calmed down. Here’s the thing about Withey, he’s got a couple of things that NBA scouts love and NBA coaches can’t teach — height and great timing as a shot blocker. Because of that, he’s destined to get a shot in the NBA at some point, the question now becomes whether he wants that to be sooner or later. Sooner might make his road tougher and later could land him in the lottery. Because he’s a junior, Withey should and likely will throw his name into the ring this year without hiring an agent. That would allow him to gather feedback on where he stands without comprising his college eligibility. We know Robinson’s going to be a Top 5 pick and Taylor’s a senior so he’s gone for sure one way or the other. Withey’s status could be the most interesting one to follow in the coming months.

Draft sites used for the player positioning portion of this blog include: NBADraft.net, DraftExpress.com, HoopsHype.com and DraftSite.com and MyNBADraft.com.

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) by ngerik

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) started Wednesday against the Boston Celtics despite nursing a back injury from the night before. You couldn’t tell it by Gooden’s stat line, though. The Bucks big man scored 23 points with eight rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes, but Milwaukee lost, 102-96 (full stats here). For the second night in a row, Gooden made his living at the foul line, sinking all nine attempts.

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) by ngerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) had 10 points on 5-for-12 shooting, with six rebounds and five assists on Wednesday in a 102-96 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks (full stats here). He turned the ball over four times in 35 minutes, but big games from teammates Kevin Garnett (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Rajon Rondo (15 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) offset the poor offensive showing from Pierce.

Oklahoma City Thunder's Nick Collison (4) by ngerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) stepped back into the Thunder rotation Wednesday after a three-game absence due to a quad contusion. Collison went scoreless in 20 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers, but he grabbed six rebounds and a steal (full stats here).

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich (6) by ngerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) scored two points and committed four fouls in 11 minutes on Wednesday as the Hawks lost, 85-82 to the Golden State Warriors. Hinrich also had a rebound, a steal and one assist to one turnover (full stats here).

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) made just one shot against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, but he secured a big defensive rebound in the last 16 seconds that helped seal an 85-82 Warriors victory. Rush had six rebounds total to go along with his two points. He also contributed two assists and a block in another zero-turnover 29 minutes (full stats here).

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) played just six minutes and had his only shot attempt blocked on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors. The Hornets lost, 95-84 (full stats here).

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) played five minutes against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday in his first game back from a D-League assignment. Selby scored three points off of a driving layup and one of two makes at the free-throw line. His other shot was blocked. Selby added one assist and zero turnovers as the backup point guard as the Grizzlies won, 96-85 (full stats here).

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) played two minutes at the end of a 104-83 loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday (game stats here). Marcus did not register any statistics in his garbage-time minutes.

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) did not play (coach’s decision) against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. OKC won, 92-88 (game stats here).

Tuesday recap

New Orleans Hornets' Xavier Henry (4) by ngerik

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) gave the Hornets a nice spark off the bench against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, scoring 12 points in 18 minutes. The Hornets lost, 99-95 (full stats here). Henry chipped in six rebounds and a steal and hit 6 of 7 free throws — an encouraging sign, considering he’s shooting foul shots at a dismal 55 percent clip this season. His 12 points were a season-high and the most he’d scored since a career-high 17 points on Dec. 5, 2010.

After the game, Hornets247.com’s Ryan Schwan wrote:

Henry has an attacking mindset like I’ve never seen. It leads him into lame offensive fouls and blocked shots because he NEVER shoots until he’s being humped by the other team, but it also generates a lot of nice free throws too. He had a strong game tonight, and with each passing week I am more and more confident he has a future with this team.

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) by ngerik

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) double-doubled in just 23 minutes on Tuesday against the Washinton Wizards. Gooden was extremely active in his first minutes since Feb. 15, but his night was cut short after he was fouled hard in the third quarter. Gooden finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. The Bucks won, 119-118 (full stats here). Nine of Gooden's points came from the free-throw line, where he shot a season-high 11 attempts.

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush (4) by ngerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) put up 14 points and seven rebounds in his return to Indiana on Tuesday night, but the Warriors lost to the Indiana Pacers, 102-78. Rush, who played three years in Indy, shot 6-for-11 overall and 2-for-4 from three while the rest of the Warriors shot 34 percent overall and just 14 percent from three-point range. Rush also took care of the ball and did not have a turnover in 35 minutes on the floor (full stats here).

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) by ngerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) wasn’t very efficient and turned the ball over six times against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, but the Celtics hung on for a 86-83 victory. Pierce scored 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting and had just two rebounds in 34 minutes. He also had six assists and two steals (full stats here).

From ESPNBoston.com:

Pierce, who has struggled with his shot all season, couldn't get much of anything to fall for the first 44 minutes of the game, but came up with some huge buckets down the stretch. That included a deep 3-pointer from the right wing that put Boston out front 78-76 with 3:19 to go and a vintage step-back jumper a short time later to again push the Celtics out front as the lead changed seven times in the final quarter.

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decision) against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. The Rockets won, 88-85 (game stats here).

‘Hawks overseas

BC Donetsk's Darnell Jackson (41) by ngerik

• Darnell Jackson (Ukraine-Superleague - BC Donetsk) scored an impressive 20 points in 24 minutes as his team won a EuroCup Last 16 tournament game on Feb. 21. Jackson was super-efficient, hitting 9 of 11 shots. He added four rebounds, a steal and a block in a 93-87 victory (full stats here).

Then, on Tuesday, Jackson poured in a more routine nine points in 19 minutes in another EuroCup victory. This time, BC Donetsk won, 77-66, and Jackson had five rebounds, two steals, one block and an unsightly five turnovers (full stats here).

With the two latest wins — and a 5-1 record overall in the Last 16 tourney — BC Donetsk booked a trip to the quarterfinals, where play will resume March 20.

• Keith Langford (Israeli Premier League - Maccabi Electra) scored 17 points in a 70-66 Euroleague Top 16 tournament victory on Feb. 23. Langford picked up his points on 6-for-8 shooting (2-for-2 threes), and he registered one rebound, two assists, three steals and four turnovers in 31 minutes (full stats here). Langford’s team played another Top 16 tourney game on Wednesday, but this time Maccabi Electra lost, 70-67. Langford had 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and one turnover in 31 minutes in that one (full stats here).

Maccabi Electra also played two regular-season contests in the last week. On Sunday, Langford’s 17-point, three-rebound, five-assist, zero-turnover night helped pace his team to a 87-81 victory (full stats here). Maccabi Electra played again on Monday, but Langford sat out (coach’s decision) and the team won, 85-64 (game stats here).

Highlights from the Euroleague victory (Langford at :26 and :53):

• Mario Little (Ukraine-Superleague - SK Dnipro Azot Dniprodzerzhynsk) doubled up with 11 points and 11 rebounds on Feb. 21 in a 78-70 regular-season victory. Little also had two assists, a steal and just one turnover in 31 minutes on the court (full stats here).

• Sherron Collins (Turkish Basketball League - Hacettepe University) put up just four points and four assists in 22 minutes during a disastrous 83-46 loss on Saturday. Collins made just 1 of 3 shot attempts — all from three-point range — and 1 of 2 free throws. He also registered a rebound, a steal and one turnover (full stats here).

• Sasha Kaun (Russia PBL - CSKA Moscow) was a non-factor after picking up five fouls in 10 minutes, but his team still won its Euroleague Top 16 tournament game, 96-64 on Feb. 22. Kaun contributed two of those 96 points (full stats here), and CSKA Moscow assured itself a spot in the Euroleague playoffs.

Three days later, on Saturday, Kaun went scoreless in 11 minutes during a regular-season game. He collected two rebounds, though, and his powerhouse team won, 74-53 (full stats here).

• Russell Robinson (Turkish Basketball League - Trabzonspor) hit 3 of 4 three-pointers for 15 points in 22 minutes on Sunday, but his team lost, 87-72. Robinson committed five fouls during the loss and added one rebound, two assists and two steals (full stats here).

• Aaron Miles (Russia PBL - Krasnye Krylya) didn’t have a big offensive game Saturday, but he scored five points with six assists and four steals in 22 minutes as his team won, 77-63. Miles also had two turnovers (full stats here).

Other notes

• On Wednesday, Hoopsworld.com’s Alex Kennedy reported that the Los Angeles Lakers are interested in trading for Atlanta Hawks backup point guard Kirk Hinrich. Kennedy added: “No deal is imminent.” ESPN’s John Carroll suggested the same thing on Tuesday and PeachtreeHoops.com’s Jason Walker added his thoughts here.

• Grantland.com released its “NBA Rookie Midterm Report” on Tuesday, and writer Sebastian Pruiti categorized the Phoenix Suns’ Markieff Morris as one of the “bigs with something missing.” Pruiti wrote:

Morris' biggest strengths are posting up and spotting up on offense. He struggles, however, on defense, especially when he defends the post. In those situations, Morris is just in the 10th percentile in terms of PPP allowed.

Morris' biggest defensive shortcoming is that he fouls too much. According to Synergy, Morris fouls 20.9 percent of the time when he defends the block. Morris tends to be jumpy on defense. He falls for pump fakes and makes it easy for offensive players to get him off balance and out of position. Smarter offensive bigs are using this to draw fouls against Morris. Second, Morris reaches in too much. Yes, big men are expected to be physical when fighting for position, but once an offensive player has caught the ball in the post, putting a hand on him is a foul. Morris keeps his hands on his man too long, and it leads to excess fouls.

• The Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman looked at whether Miami Heat starter Mario Chalmers could be considered among the league’s best point guards. His conclusion? Not quite. Winderman ranked Chalmers just outside the NBA’s top 20 floor generals.

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Thursday, March 1

• 7 p.m., TNT, Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Orlando Magic

• 8 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

• 9:30 p.m., Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Portland Trailblazers

Friday, March 2

• 6 p.m., Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Toronto Raptors

• 6:30 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the New Jersey Nets

• 6:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks

• 7 p.m., ESPN, Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Philadelphia 76ers

• 7 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Dallas Mavericks

• 7 p.m., Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. the Denver Nuggets

• 8 p.m., Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Utah Jazz

• 9:30 p.m., ESPN, Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Los Angeles Clippers