Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

Ming gone for season with foot fracture; Nash looking to break Paul jinx; James on verge of 10,000 points; Haslem sparks Heat to much-needed win; Who should start at PG in Toronto?; Foye finally breaks out in Minny; and more...

YAO-CH 
The Rockets received devastating news on Tuesday when it was announced that Yao Ming will miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot. The All-Star center had been averaging 22.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game for Houston in 2007-08.

Without Ming on Tuesday, the Rockets still managed to run their winning streak to 13 games with a 94-69 drubbing of the Wizards. Tracy McGrady only contributed 11 points, but the rest of the team banded together to earn the big victory.

Despite the win, the Rockets remain in serious trouble. Veteran Dikembe Mutombo, currently the NBA's oldest player at 41, got the start at center and contributed only four points and six rebounds. Look for forwards Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes to play bigger roles down the stretch as Houston attempts to hold on to their playoff position in a conference brimming with elite big men like San Antonio's Tim Duncan, Los Angeles' Pau Gasol and New Orleans' Tyson Chandler.

CLASH OF THE TITANS 
In three meetings in 2007-08, Hornets point guard Chris Paul has seen his team get the better of Steve Nash's Suns in all three games. The two square off again on Wednesday with Phoenix looking for some redemption.

Paul seems to play his best ball against the Suns. In the three prior contests, he has averaged 30.3 points per game--his best numbers against any team he has faced this year. Nash has been pretty good himself against the Hornets, chipping in 22.3 points and 10.0 assists per game.

Perhaps the presence of new Phoenix center Shaquille O'Neal will be the difference for a Suns team looking for a change of luck against the team that's given them fits this season?

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CAVALIERS 
Cleveland's LeBron James scored 35 points in the Cavaliers' 105-102 loss to the Bucks on Tuesday and now needs only 18 more to hit the 10,000-point plateau for his career. When he hits it, likely in Cleveland's next game on Wednesday against Boston, James, 23, will become the youngest player to reach the mark. Coincidentally, Milwaukee's Michael Redd, who had 25 points in the win, hit the 10,000-point mark in the Bucks' victory over the Nuggets on Saturday. The fastest to hit 10,000 points in terms of games played was Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain who did it in just 236 games. James played his 367th game on Tuesday.

CLIPPERS 
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Clippers and Sam Cassell are close to agreeing on a buyout that will allow the veteran point guard to explore opportunities with a contending team. Boston, Phoenix and Dallas are all reported to be interested in acquiring Cassell to serve as a backup down the stretch. In order to be eligible to play in the postseason, the 38-year-old would need to sign with a new team by Saturday.

NETS 
Recently acquired New Jersey point guard Devin Harris continues to work diligently in an effort to recover from an ankle injury that has left him sidelined for the past month. The Bergen Record reports that Harris may be ready to take part in a team practice on Wednesday, which also happens to be his 25th birthday. The athletic guard was the key player to come to the Nets in the deal that saw Jason Kidd land with the Mavericks. Harris was averaging 14.4 points and 5.3 assists per game for Dallas before his injury.

HEAT 
The return of Udonis Haslem to the Heat's starting lineup at power forward on Tuesday appeared to give the team a much-needed boost as Miami snapped their 11-game losing streak with a 107-86 rout of Sacramento. The 27-year-old was playing his second game since missing nine games with an ankle injury. After looking a tad rusty in his first game back against the Sixers, Haslem responded with 17 points and seven rebounds in the victory. His return to power forward allowed Shawn Marion to shift to small forward where he dominated with 24 points and eight boards.

RAPTERS 
Is a point guard controversy about to get brewing in Toronto? On Monday, T.J. Ford, currently Jose Calderon's backup, played his best game since returning from a serious neck injury. The speedy guard had 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds in the Raptors' 102-98 win over the Pacers. Meanwhile, Calderon, who used to back up Ford before his injury, struggled with only four points, one rebound and no assists. Calderon will likely remain the starter for now, but don't be surprised to see Ford reclaim the job if he continues his strong play. Toronto faces Minnesota on Wednesday.

76ERS 
The Sixers could have a big problem in the middle. Center Samuel Dalembert did not practice on Monday due to a sore ankle and thigh. The veteran big man, who is averaging 10.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, is currently listed as day-to-day. If he is unable to suit up against Orlando on Wednesday, reserve centers Calvin Booth and Shavlik Randolph will definitely have their hands full with Magic All-Star Dwight Howard.

TIMBERWOLVES  
Since returning from a knee injury a few weeks ago, Minnesota shooting guard Randy Foye has had trouble finding his rhythm. On Tuesday, the second-year shooting guard finally broke out, scoring a season-high 20 points in the Timberwolves' shocking 111-100 win over the Jazz. In his previous 11 games this season, Foye had averaged just 8.7 points per game--a big step backwards from his rookie output of 10.1 points per contest in 2006-07. Has Foye finally turned the corner?