Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

K-State's Beasley dominates in NCAA Tourney; Ray Allen returns; Hinrich rests ankle; Deng finds his form; Lamar's leading L.A.; Arenas back soon?; Ginobili back to super-sub; and more...

THE BEASLEY FACTOR 
The 12-55 Heat scored just 54 points in their last game. The 16-51 Grizzlies are 26 games out of the playoffs. The 16-52 SuperSonics have lost nine straight. And the 17-50 Timberwolves are en route to their third straight losing campaign. So what do these teams have to look forward to?

The simple answer is, Michael Beasley. The clear-cut top prospect in the college game, Beasley is currently lighting it up in the NCAA Tournament that started Thursday night. At 19, Beasley was college ball's most dominant player this season as a freshman, averaging an NCAA-leading 12.4 rebounds per game during the regular season while averaging the third-most points per game (26.5) in the nation. Then on Thursday, he led his Kansas State Wildcats to an upset of USC, tallying 23 points and 11 boards in the win.

While none of them would admit it, the Heat, Grizz, Sonics, and Timberwolves have to be getting excited about landing Beasley in the NBA Draft Lottery. The problem is, it obviously puts them in a dubious race for the league's worst record (and therefore for the most lotto ping-pong balls). With all four teams playing Friday night, could K-State's Mike be on their fans' minds?

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CELTS' ALLEN RETURNS 
Appearing in his first contest back from a three-game absence (caused by a sore heel), Celtics 2-guard Ray Allen scored 21 points in 31 minutes against the Mavericks in Boston's 94-90 win. INTEL: A solid outing for Allen, who started the game. On the down-side, he didn't post an assist and had just one steal, but it's probably because he's safely hanging out on the perimeter (where he took nine trey attempts and hit three). Meanwhile, Ray's backup Tony Allen sat out with a sore back and is day-to-day.

HINRICH RESTS HIS ANKLE 
Bulls' point guard Kirk Hinrich sat out Thursday's contest versus the Spurs as he rested a sore right ankle. Hinrich sprained the ankle on Mar.18 versus the Nets. He appears to be day-to-day. INTEL: The Hinrich injury allowed Ben Gordon to start at the point for Chicago. The Chicago Sun-Times reports Hinrich will try to play Saturday against the Pacers. Gordon played a team-high 39 points but posted just three assists, which is one reason he is usually a sixth man.

DENG FINDING FORM 
After a rough February in which he averaged just 12.8 points per game, Luol Deng scored 18 points Thursday against the Spurs and is averaging 17.7 points per game in March. INTEL: A nice bounce-back lately for Deng, who finally seems over his sore Achilles. Deng's wasn't enough to stop a 102-80 thumping by San Antonio, but it continues a nice little streak for him of late. Expect him to get back to averaging around 19 points per game before the season is over (which he did last season).

LAMAR'S LEADING L.A. 
Continuing his dominant play of late, Lakers' forward Lamar Odom tallied 21 points, 12 boards, and six assists Thursday against the Jazz to lead L.A. to a 106-95 victory. INTEL: Since Pau Gasol went down to an ankle injury Odom has been a force in the paint. Over Odom's past four outings he is averaging 17.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He is also averaging 41.3 minutes per contest over the same span, so hopefully he doesn't wear down soon.

ARENAS BACK SOON? 
On Thursday superstar guard Gilbert Arenas told the Washington Post he will return to the court "way before the playoffs." INTEL: Arenas elaborated by saying he is hoping to be back "within this week," so it looks like his return may be imminent. That said, Arenas has changed his mind a few times on this score already, so until he actually suits up it may not be worth getting too excited. That said, most signs point to him returning soon. He averaged 22.4 points, 5.9 assists, and 2.1 steals per contest before leaving in November for knee surgery.

GINOBILI BACK TO SUPER-SUB 
On Tuesday, Spurs' head coach Gregg Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News that superstar swingman Manu Ginobili will come off the bench for the rest of the season. INTEL: Thursday saw the do-it-all Argentine manage just six points in only 27 minutes off the bench, but the Spurs blew out the Bulls 102-80 in the game and so Ginobili probably got to rest part of the contest with things salted away. Michael Finley is the team's starting shooting guard.

KIRILENKO PUTS UP POINTS 
Scoring in double-figures for the first time in four games, Andrei Kirilenko put up 15 points Thursday against the Lakers in the Jazz's 106-95 loss. INTEL: Looks like the lanky forward's sore hip is finally feeling better. The malady has obviously been affecting Kirilenko lately, especially on defense. He didn't block a shot in the game, which is a little troubling since he has just three swats in the past five games and that area is his specialty. Still, the mini-outburst in scoring is a solid sign that he's improving.

GELABALE DONE FOR SEASON 
Athletic backup small forward Mickael Gelabale will miss the rest of the regular season after tearing the ACL in his right knee. INTEL: The 24-year-old Gelabale has shown improvement and potential this season, and when given the playing time has demonstrated an ability to be an above-average scorer. This injury is obviously a setback for him, but if Gelabale works hard in rehabbing the knee and heals relatively quickly, he should be able to build on is progress next season.