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)

ESPN.com has a good, quick read from Pat Forde regarding the one-year draft rule and Wednesday night’s McDonald’s All-American Game in Lexington, Kentucky. While it was certainly weird to not have any future Longhorns to watch this year, it was quite enjoyable to know that everybody involved will be a part of March Madness just a year from now.

Even without a Longhorn on the McD’s All-American rosters, there was still a bit of a burnt-orange tinge to Forde’s column. After all, the Horns brought in seven freshman during the first season impacted by the NBA’s new rule. And apparently there’s a pretty good Longhorn frosh who wears 35 and has a penchant for exuberant chest-beating.

[UCLA commit Kevin] Love said he is close friends with Durant, talked to him often during the season and last chatted with him this week.

“He doesn’t know what he wants to do yet,” Love said of Durant’s pro decision. “I told him, ‘The only thing you can do is go down or get hurt, so you might as well go.’ But he hasn’t decided yet.”

If Durant makes any decision other than the one Love has counseled, he’s nuts. He served his time, played well, probably had fun. But whatever higher education he got beyond a jab series and a more polished spin move is purely incidental.

While Horn fans certainly aren’t sending Love or Forde any thank-you cards for those bits of unwanted advice, the same thoughts are certainly running through Longhorn Nation’s collective mind. But what the burnt-orange faithful can thank Forde for are some gems regarding big-time star Michael Beasley and the sickeningly cocky O.J. Mayo.

Game MVP Michael Beasley did cause a bunch of eyebrows to arch when he announced that he planned to stay at Kansas State all four years. His 23 points and 12 rebounds were the work of a guy who doesn’t need four years in school.

…”I would love to see him have the opportunity [to go pro], but he’s going to go to the best coach in the world for my son,” [Beasley’s mother] said.

That coach is Bob Huggins.

“He still needs some fine-tuning, and he’s going to get it,” [she] said. “Discipline, sportsmanship, character.”

There might be a few (hundred) coaches I’d turn to before Bob Huggins for fine-tuning in those areas, but to each his own.

Ziiiing! He’ll be here all week. Don’t forget to tip your waitstaff.

As for the pothead prima-donna, Forde said that Mayo “could use a conscience” and was “booed for his shameless shot selection.” O.J. finished the night 4-of-17 from the field. Looks like he’d fit in with the NBA folks already.

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)