Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

Kidd and Shaq join Dallas-Phoenix rivalry; Joe Johnson and Hawks still flying; Vince Carter buries Raptors; Dwight Howard struggles; Celtics win with Powe, Posey and House; Kleiza impresses in rare start; and more...

NEW FACES 
It's always a treat to see Steve Nash take on Dallas, as the two-time former MVP always seems to put on a show when he faces his friend and former teammate Dirk Nowitzki.

Nash has averaged 22.5 points and 15.5 assists in two meetings this year against the Mavs, but that was before he lined up against Jason Kidd. That said, Dallas has yet to contend with Nash and Shaquille O'Neal at the same time. The Diesel may be 36 years old, but he's still be a force to reckon with in the paint, and could be trouble for the still-sore Nowitzki and Dallas center Erick Dampier.

With a Sunday afternoon showdown bringing new faces into an old rivalry, will it be Kidd and Dirk who steal a key road win as they continue battling for a playoff spot? Or will Nash and Shaq help send the Mavericks fading into the sunset?

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SUPERMAN STRUGGLES 
Despite a 1-for-8, four-point effort from Dwight Howard, the Orlando Magic defeated Cleveland 101-86 on Saturday to sew up the third seed in the Eastern Conference. INTEL: Foul trouble didn't help his case, but Dwight did manage 12 rebounds and three assists. Howard is too talented to struggle for long; expect a bounce-back against the Knicks in New York on Sunday.

ARENAS GETS A NIGHT OFF 
Gilbert Arenas was not in the lineup on Saturday as the Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 99-87. INTEL: The team report says his absence is merely precautionary, as the Wizards likely don't want him playing in back-to-back games just yet (as they were also in action Friday). Fantasy owners should be aware that Washington also has two straight games next Friday and Saturday, so a repeat of this is possible. Agent Zero has thusfar averaged 15 points and five assists in his pair of games since returning from knee surgery, playing 20 minutes in each.

VINSANITY REIGNS IN JERSEY  
After sitting out Friday night because of a swollen ankle, Vince Carter returned to the lineup Saturday in the Nets' 99-90 victory over Toronto. Listed as questionable prior to the contest, he put up 32 points in 45 minutes, plus seven boards and five dimes. INTEL: That he played at all was a surprise to some, especially with the New York Daily News reporting that the former 'Air Canada' may need ankle surgery after the season. However, while the Nets' playoff chances may be fading, until they're extinguished completely Carter is likely to try to play, and play well when he does.

THE BACK-UP BIG THREE 
With Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all getting the night off Saturday, the Boston Celtics still crushed the Bobcats 101-78. The Big Three's replacements lead the way: power forward Leon Powe had 22 points and nine rebounds, small forward James Posey hit three times from beyond the arc as part of a 19-point effort, and swingman Tony Allen added 12 points. Guard Eddie House also saw 29 minutes as a sixth man, notching 16 points with three triples of his own. INTEL: Head coach Doc Rivers told the Associated Press before the game that he might rest two if the Big Three stars again on Tuesday against Milwaukee, but they the trio will then play in the remaining games. They'll probably still see decreased minutes, so Powe, Posey et al should get more opportunities to approach these numbers.

CARROLL BACK TO STARTING 
With Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace likely to miss significant time the rest of the way after suffering a groin injury Friday, swingman Matt Carroll stepped into the Bobcats' starting lineup Saturday against the Celtics. He managed only three points in 25 minutes on 1-for-6 shooting from the field. INTEL: The weak outing on Saturday aside, Carroll is a terrific shooter who should provide decent scoring totals and some three-pointers in the final batch of games. He's averaging 8.6 points per game on the season, but 10.8 per game as as starter.
J-RICH HAS POOR GAME 
Bobcats swingman Jason Richardson was unable to extend his recent streak of scoring 20 or more points to ten games on Saturday evening, as the Celtics held him to just nine points on 4-12 shooting. INTEL: The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week was due for an off-night. With the Bobcats' second-leading scorer (Gerald Wallace) on the shelf, Richardson should be getting enough shots to be back to posting big lines in no time.

J-J CONTINUES TO SOAR 
Combo guard Joe Johnson led the way again as the Atlanta Hawks won for the sixth time in seven games, defeating the 76ers 92-85 on Saturday night. In 45 minutes, Johnson scored 22 points and tallied eight boards, six assists, two steals and a blocked shot. INTEL: The two-time all-star is currently one of the league's hottest players. After putting up his best numbers of the season in March, early April has seen him average 27.3 points per game (including two triples per contest), 8.3 assists, and seven rebounds over three games.

HAYWOOD BULLIES BULLS 
With a season-high 25 points, center Brendan Haywood led the Wizards to a 99-87 victory over the Bulls on Saturday night. He also racked up 10 rebounds and was a perfect 7-7 at the free throw line. INTEL: The veteran center is having the best season of his career, mostly because he has seen a career high in minutes due to injuries to teammates. His 10.8 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per contest are on track to set career highs.

KLEIZA AND NUGGETS PLAY SMALL-BALL 
With power forward Kenyon Martin serving a one-game suspension, the Denver Nuggets decided to go with a smaller lineup against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday Night. Linas Kleiza, the 6-8 combo forward, started and didn't disappoint. He dropped 28 points, including going 13-of 15 from the charity stripe. Carmelo Anthony also had a strong night with 47 points and 11 rebounds. INTEL: Kleiza certainly had a very nice performance, but since the Nuggets lost 118-115, at home to a lottery-bound Sacramento squad, don't expect them to repeat the experiment when Martin returns on Sunday in Seattle.