Yesterday

The Cavaliers topped the Bulls in overtime, 112-108, putting them 2.5 games behind Detroit for the division and conference lead with only nine games left. Daniel Gibson saw 16 minutes of action, making the only shot he took. He added two rebounds, but also picked up four fouls.

LaMarcus Aldridge played only seven minutes in the first quarter before having to leave the game due to dizziness. Unfortunately, this is not a bad April Fool’s joke. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and was later discharged, with Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard attributing the dizziness to dehydration. Portland fell to the Clippers, 99-86.

Today

The Bulls and Hawks are in the middle of the second quarter in Atlanta, but Royal Ivey has yet to see the floor. (NBA League Pass)

D-Gib and the Cavs try to continue their winning ways against my Celtics. I have a feeling that they won’t have any problems with this one, but if for some reason Boston is ahead, don’t be overly concerned — Doc Rivers will bench all the starters for the entire fourth quarter. (5 PM CDT, NBA LP)

The Raptors and T.J. Ford face the struggling Charlotte Bobcats in Toronto tonight. The Raps are closing in on a division crown, as their magic number is down to only four. (5 PM CDT, NBA LP)

When will Maurice Evans return from knee injury? His next chance comes tonight at Staples against the Sacramento Kings. (8:30 PM CDT)

Last night

T.J. Ford was absolutely nails for the Raptors in their overtime road victory over the Washington Wizards last night. Ford chipped in with 23 points in his 30 minutes on the court and dished out six assists. And while none of Ford’s buckets were quite as crazy as Morris Peterson’s ridiculous three-point heave to tie the game with 0.02 seconds left in regulation, the Raptors needed every one of them to get to overtime and seal the victory. T.J. also added six rebounds before fouling out of the contest at the end of regulation.

Maurice Evans continued to struggle with his knee injury, missing his fifth straight game as the Lakers fell to the Rockets in overtime.

Today

Two national semifinal games aren’t enough for your huge basketball appetite? Or perhaps you just miss the play of Daniel Gibson. Today’s nationally telvised game with the Bulls should fit the bill on both accounts. And really, who doesn’t want to see Ben Wallace’s perfect cornrows? (2 PM Central, ESPN)

While they aren’t playing for much at this point, the Portland Trail Blazers look to have a pretty bright future. And a huge part of that is big rookie LaMarcus Aldridge. Of course, with the Clippers in town, many may watch this game just for the huge celebrity draw of Chris Kaman. I really love him in those Geico ads. (9 PM Central, NBA League Pass)

Last night

LaMarcus Aldridge had a rough shooting night, going 3-of-10 from the floor in a 96-92 loss to the Grizzlies. He grabbed six rebounds on the night and blocked two shots in his 28 minutes. The loss was the third straight for the Trail Blazers and put them a half-game behind Seattle in the cellar of the Northwest Division.

Tonight

The Raptors and T.J. Ford have a magic number of only six to clinch the Atlantic Division. They can trim a game off of that with a road victory over Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards.
(6 PM Central, NBA League Pass)

The L.A. Lakers look to end the Houston Rockets’ three game winning streak in a home contest at the Staples Center. Swingman Maurice Evans hasn’t seen the court for Coach Phil Jackson since March 18th, suffering from a sore right knee. With this game being nationally broadcast, Horn fans can only hope that Mo is ready to play again. (9:30 PM Central, ESPN)

Last night

The Raptors and T.J. Ford further solidified their hold on the Atlantic Division and moved into the third slot in the Eastern Conference with a 96-83 win over the Miami Heat. Ford just missed a double-double, dishing out nine assists to go with his fourteen points. He was a perfect 8-for-8 from the line on the night.

Daniel Gibson had a cold shooting night, going 0-for-4 in the Cavs’ loss to the Knicks. D-Gib played a little more than eleven minutes, but did chip in a steal and a rebound.

The Hawks were manhandled by the homestanding Charlotte Bobcats last night, but Royal Ivey wasn’t part of the problem. Ivey only played 43 seconds in the game and didn’t have any other marks on his stat sheet. Perhaps the Hawks could’ve used a little more of the famous Ivey defense in the 101-87 loss.

Tonight

The Portland Trailblazers host the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, where Rookie of the Year candidate Brandon Roy hopes to continue impressing voters. But Longhorn fans will be more interested in the play of LaMarcus Aldridge, who is averaging nine points and five boards a game. (9 PM Central, NBA League Pass)

With only three games left in the college basketball season — sorry NIT championship, but you don’t count — what’s a fan to do? While I’ve loaded up the DVR with some “classic” UT games from the past season and a couple of NCAA tournament games that were great, watching them will probably get old sometime in July. So in the interest of extending the shelf life of my off-season stockpile, it’s time to turn the attention to the NBA.

The nice thing about the NBA season is that you can pay complete attention to the NCAA until they cut down the nets and then tune in to David Stern’s product just in time to see the meaningful stuff. The League is heading down its homestretch and will enter its “second season” when teams play another 46,932 post-season games to determine a champion. I’m hoping to keep this space filled with some content by compiling a rundown of the performances by former Longhorns who are now playing in the League. Here then, is your first “Horns in the League” update:

Last night
It was a pretty slow day in the NBA, with only four games on the schedule. Maurice Evans missed his fourth straight game for the Lakers as they fell to the Grizz, presumably still struggling through the knee pain that has hampered his play in February and March.

Daniel Gibson turned in nearly 17 minutes for the Cavs off the bench. Cleveland defeated the Pacers, 105-94 to keep pace with division and conference-leading Detroit. Gibson scored six points — two from the charity stripe — and logged a pair of steals and an assist.

Tonight
T.J. Ford and the Raptors host the Miami Heat as they attempt to lock down the Atlantic Division title. (6 PM Central, NBA League Pass)

The Atlanta Hawks and Royal Ivey travel to Charlotte to ward off the evil powers of Adam Morrison’s pornstache. (6 PM, NBA LP)

D-Gib and the Cavs continue chasing the Pistons as they take on the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. The latest rumors have Isiah Thomas trading his entire lineup for a nickel and a pack of Big League Chew. (6:30 PM, NBA LP)