Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

Carter and Nets face last gasp for playoffs; McGrady to play Friday; Battier battling foot; Jamison back strong; Bynum slows return; Manu missing the mark; Boone not back soon?; and more...

A (W)RAP FOR NETS? 
Some NBA games have more history behind them than others. When it comes to Vince Carter and the Toronto Raptors, there's enough history to fill a college textbook. And no doubt, on Friday another chapter in that history will be written.

That's because on Friday, Carter and his New Jersey Nets visit the Raptors in Toronto. Not only will Rap fans get another chance to voice their feelings about Carter abandoning them in 2004, but a New Jersey loss will officially eliminate the Nets from the playoffs. And after Jersey eliminated Toronto from last season's postseason dance in Round 1, a win Friday will be that much sweeter for the Raptors and their fans.

Meanwhile, Toronto has already qualified for this season's playoffs, but a serious swoon over the past couple months has left the team somewhat rattled. A big win over Carter and the Nets may be just the tonic to get Toronto back on track. Will Carter and his Nets keep playoff hope alive, or will Chris Bosh and the Raptors exact a little revenge?

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MCGRADY SHRUGGING IT OFF? 
The Associated Press reports Rockets' superstar swingman Tracy McGrady will play Friday versus the Phoenix Suns after sitting out Wednesday's contest against the SuperSonics. McGrady has been battling a sore shoulder lately. INTEL: He remains one of the NBA's top players, but McGrady also remains one of its most injury-prone players. He will obviously be trying to help the Rockets improve their playoff seeding, but it wouldn't be a shocker to see him limited until the postseason. Whatever the case, keep an eye on Luther Head and Bobby Jackson, who may see the biggest bump in minutes should McGrady not play as much.

BATTIER BATTLING FOOT 
Rockets' starting small forward Shane Battier is questionable for Friday's contest against the Phoenix Suns, according to an Associated Press report. He has been hobbled lately by a bruised ankle and foot. INTEL: Battier continues to be one of the NBA's best defenders despite not putting up huge numbers, so with him out the Rockets may have some defensive issues to deal with. On Wednesday, Battier played just 18 minutes but that opened the door for Steve Novak to step in and step up with 17 points in 30 minutes, including five three-pointers. Novak is capable of similar numbers going forward should he see the playing time.

JAMISON BACK IN A BIG WAY 
After sitting out two games due to a sore shoulder, Wizards' power forward Antawn Jamison returned Wednesday night and played 38 minutes against the Celtics. He appeared no worse for wear against a tough Boston defense, dropping 27 points, 11 boards, and two assists to lead the Wiz to a 109-95 upset win. INTEL: It would appear that Jamison's shoulder injury isn't all that serious. He is one of the NBA's most underrated and consistent performers year-in and year-out. With him seemingly back to full strength, Darius Songaila heads back to a bench role.

BYNUM SLOWS RETURN 
The Lakers announced Thursday that center Andrew Bynum hasn't been cleared to practice yet after seeing a knee specialist in New York on Wednesday. The specialist told the Associated Press that the news should not, however, be seen as a setback for Bynum in his recovery from a dislocated kneecap suffered Jan.13. INTEL: Looks like Bynum won't be back in any significant capacity before the playoffs. The silver lining for the Lakers is that perimeter scorer Vladimir Radmanovic has been excellent lately, so if he can keep that up going into the postseason then the Lakers have yet another scoring option.

MANU MISSING THE MARK 
With just eight points Wednesday against the Suns, Spurs sixth man Manu Ginobili has now scored under 20 points in his past five outings. Over that span he is averaging just 11.2 points per game. INTEL: To be fair to Ginobili, he has also played 30 minutes just once over that span as well. He has been so stellar all season in limited minutes that most NBA fans have come to expect his usual 20 points per game (as he's averaging 19.5 per game despite the recent slump). This doesn't bode well for his Sixth Man of the Year chances, or for his playoff performance, but perhaps he'll snap out of it.

BOONE NOT BACK SOON? 
Nets' center Josh Boone missed his second straight game Wednesday due to a sprained right MCL, and the Newark Star-Ledger reports he is questionable for the weekend's games (in Toronto and Milwaukee, respectively). INTEL: Initially this didn't appear to be a very serious problem, but it may be considering the fact the Nets sat Boone despite needing him desperately for their playoff push. It could be they don't want to risk their young big-man getting more injured. Whatever the case, until Boone proves he can play, expect Nenad Krstic and DeSagana Diop to continue starting for the Nets, with Stromile Swift the first big-man off the bench.

BIEDRINS BACK TO BIG MINUTES 
The impressive recent play of Warriors' center Andris Biedrins continued Thursday night as he grabbed 19 rebounds to go along with 11 points and two blocked shots in 39 minutes of the Warriors' 114-105 loss to the Nuggets. INTEL: The recent injury layoff to Mickael Pietrus opened the door for Biedrins to become a regular starter again, and despite his team's recent struggles, he has been a real anchor for them. Pietrus saw just 10 minutes off the bench Thursday, and with Golden State in a tough fight for a playoff spot, it's likely head coach Don Nelson will continue starting the surging Biedrins.

TERRY VERY STRONG AS STARTER 
Jason Terry's strong recent run for the Mavericks kept going Thursday as he posted 21 points and four assists in 35 minutes against the Jazz in the Mavericks' 97-94 home victory. INTEL: With usual starting shooting guard Jerry Stackhouse due back soon, Terry might usually head back to his sixth man role. But with the Mavs playing well and Terry having scored at least 20 points in five of his past six outings (all starts), we don't see head coach Avery Johnson messing with a good thing.

ARTEST NOT TO TEST FREE AGENCY? 
The Sacramento Bee reports small forward Ron Artest isn't likely to opt out of his contract this summer, despite ongoing rumors he might. INTEL: The talented but temperamental Artest is having a solid season despite having played in only 56 games (due to injuries), and may be limited for the final week of the season because of a thumb injury. The Kings would be hard-pressed to replace his 20.5 points per game and his stellar defense, but his tendency to get injured and in trouble off the court are drawbacks. We'll see what the team, and Artest, do over the summer.

LASME STAYING WITH HEAT 
Miami has reportedly inked power forward Stephane Lasme for the rest of this season. The lanky defense-first rookie was a second-round pick in the 2007 Draft (No.46 overall), and is averaging 4.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game in 12 contests so far. INTEL: Lasme is a very athletic player with a lot of upside as a defender. He is still young and still needs work on his offensive game, but if he can continue putting up solid numbers in the final few games for the Heat, he may become a key role player for them for next season (or for another NBA squad). Expect good numbers of blocks and steals the rest of the way, but not much else.