Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

Parker to test ankle against Paul; Wallace reportedly suffers concussion; Gibson gone for 4-6 weeks; Mavs try out different guard combinations; Rockets may target Barry; and more...

BIG TEST 
San Antonio point guard Tony Parker returned to the Spurs on Thursday after missing nine games with an ankle injury. The competition were the toothless Minnesota Timberwolves that night, but Parker still looked rusty, scoring only eight points in 18 minutes off of the bench.

The veteran will have a much tougher match-up in his second game back from the injury with All-Star point guard Chris Paul and his New Orleans Hornets on the schedule on Saturday. Paul is having an outstanding season, averaging 20.7 points and 10.9 assists per game. His speed could present a stiff challenge for Parker, who may not have the confidence to push his ankle to the limit on defense.

While Parker was out, new arrival Damon Stoudamire and Jacque Vaughn picked up the slack at the point. Look for the two to see their roles reduced dramatically if Parker is indeed fully recovered. The Spurs went 7-2 while Parker was sidelined.

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BOBCATS 
Charlotte's Gerald Wallace was carried off the court on a stretcher on Friday after taking an accidental elbow to the face from Sacramento's Mikki Moore. The 25-year-old Bobcats forward reportedly sustained a concussion. If he misses any meaningful time, look for shooting guard Derek Anderson and rookie power forward Jared Dudley to pick up the extra minutes. Without Wallace to finish the game on Friday, Charlotte ran out of gas down the stretch, losing a heartbreaking 116-115 overtime decision to the Kings.

BULLS 
Even without their newly acquired players from Cleveland, undermanned Chicago enjoyed one of their finest offensive outings in years on Friday against Denver. Led by Ben Gordon's 37 points, the Bulls scored at least 30 points in all four quarters for the first time since 1997 to beat the Nuggets 135-121. Former Cavaliers Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown should be available to play in Sunday's contest against the red-hot Rockets--winners of 11 straight games.

CAVALIERS 
Cleveland has lost guard Daniel Gibson for an estimated four to six weeks with a severe left ankle sprain. The 21-year-old was injured in Wednesday's win over the Pacers. In his absence, new arrivals Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak, both obtained from Seattle at the trade deadline, should play an even greater role. West will likely start at shooting guard, while Sczerbiak will be counted on to provide an accurate outside shooting touch. The pair should make their debut on Sunday against Memphis. Ben Wallace and Joe Smith are also expected to play then.

KNICKS 
A lazy effort by Eddy Curry landed the Knicks big man a seat on the bench after just nine minutes against the Raptors on Friday. Coach Isiah Thomas inserted reserve forward David Lee into the game and the third-year player responded with eight points and 13 boards. Jamal Crawford was the even bigger hero for the Knicks on the night, pouring in a season-high 43 points to deliver New York a 103-99 win over their division rival. Crawford probably wishes every game was against the Raptors. Back in April of 2004, when he was with the Bulls, Crawford registered a 50-point game against the Dinos.

MAGIC 
Superstar Dwight Howard gets most of the attention these days in Orlando, but even he knows the Magic would not be enjoying such a great turnaround season without the contribution of Hedo Turkoglu. The Turkish veteran came through again on Friday, scoring a season-high 31 points in Orlando's 115-99 rout of Philadelphia. The 28-year-old is now averaging 19.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game on the year. Howard was no slouch himself, scoring 24 points to go with his 18 rebounds.

MAVERICKS 
Dallas coach Avery Johnson may have already found the right backcourt combination for his reconstituted team. Newly obtained Jason Kidd was at the point on Friday, where he dished out 15 assists, and two points, in the Mavericks' 98-83 win over the Grizzlies. At shooting guard, Johnson went with Jason Terry. His confidence in Terry was rewarded with a 22-point, six-rebound effort by the veteran. The coach had tried Devean George in the starting lineup against New Orleans earlier in the week with much less success. Eddie Jones and Jerry Stackhouse should also get the opportunity to share the backcourt with Kidd.

PACERS 
Indiana's Danny Granger had his consecutive streak of converted free throws end at 65 in the third quarter of Friday's 113-103 victory over New Jersey. The youngster broke Reggie Miller's franchise record of 61 consecutive free throws made in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland. Granger, an 85.9% free-throw shooter on the season, is enjoying a breakout season in his third-year in the league. The former University of New Mexico standout is averaging a career-best 18.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

PISTONS 
The Detroit Free Press is speculating that Tuesday's deadline deal that saw the Pistons land shooting guard Juan Dixon from the Raptors for big man Primoz Brezec will lead to a couple of more moves. First, Flip Murray will likely be bought out by the team, giving Dixon an opportunity to become part of the primary reserve rotation. Secondly, to replace Brezec, Detroit may go after free agent Dale Davis, who played in Motown between 2005 and 2007. Stay tuned.

ROCKETS 
According to the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets may be among the teams planning on pursuing Brent Barry, who was released by the SuperSonics this week. Barry was dealt to Seattle by San Antonio at the trade deadline in a deal that landed Kurt Thomas with the Spurs. San Antonio and Phoenix are also both expected to try and sign Barry, who averaged 7.3 points per game for the Spurs this season. If the veteran were to be re-acquired by San Antonio, league rules dictate he sit out 30 days.

WARRIORS 
Golden State big man Andris Biedrins had his appendix removed on Thursday night reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The 21-year-old, who had played in 147 consecutive games dating back to last season, could miss anywhere from one to three weeks. Patrick O'Bryant and Chris Webber should be in line to pick up some of Biedrins' minutes. However, it is unlikely either will be able to match his output of 10.3 points and 9.7 rebounds.