Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

Jazz head to Houston in Western tilt; Carmelo arrested on DUI charge; Rookie Sessions drops a dominant 24 dimes; Arenas and Butler sit as subs step up; Granger stars again for Pacers; Villanueva back in Bucks' lineup; and more...

SMALL STEPS, GIANT LEAPS 
With Tuesday the regular season's penultimate night of games, two of the Eastern Conference's most surprising teams face off in Atlanta.

Last season, the Orlando Magic battled tooth and nail just to get into the playoffs, finishing that regular sked with a 40-42 record, an eighth seed, and an eventual first-round sweep by Detroit. But instead of remaining a bubble team, they took a major step forward. Center Dwight Howard continued his astounding development, swingman Hedo Turkoglu took every facet of his game to the next level, and free agent signee forward Rashard Lewis became their sorely-needed third scoring option. Suddenly, Orlando is a front-runner and they recently reached 50 wins for the first time in 12 years.

The Atlanta Hawks only hope they can experience a similar evolution next season. Having risen from the draft lottery for the first time in nearly a decade and with seasoned veteran point guard Mike Bibby running the offense down the stretch, they've transformed into one of the league's scariest offenses down the stretch. With shooting guard Joe Johnson continuing his star turn and rookie center Al Horford joining young forwards Josh Smith and Marvin Williams, Atlanta is certainly on the rise as well and are also playoff-bound. In a playoff tuneup Tuesday, will it be the Hawks who have the Magic?

---

CARMELO ARRESTED 
Denver Nuggets' superstar forward Carmelo Anthony was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence. The event followed a poor game from Anthony, who shot just 3-for-14 in Denver's win over Houston on Monday and finished with a season-tying low of 11 points. INTEL: He apologized to the team and the fans in the afternoon. The incident is not expected to cost 'Melo any on-court time this season, but it's a personal setback for a player who has slowly been rebuilding his reputation through charity work in and around Denver.

SESSIONS' 24: A DIME DOMINATION 
Bucks' rookie playmaker Ramon Sessions scored 20 points and posted an jaw-dropping 24 helpers in Milwaukee's 151-135 loss to the Bulls. INTEL: This marks the fourth straight game Sessions has dropped double-digit helpers. He spent part of the season in the D-League and it obviously helped, as he appears to be emerging as the clear backup to usual starting point-man Maurice Williams, who sat out again because of an abdominal injury. Sessions is also playing major minutes lately, so for fantasy poolies looking for a late boost, he's a must-add.

CARON,GILBERT SIT OUT 
Despite missing a pair of all-stars in guard Gilbert Arenas and forward Caron Butler, the Wizards still defeated Indiana 117-110 on Monday, eliminating the Pacers from the playoff race. INTEL: Butler is still nursing a bruised knee; he should see at least limited minutes in the team's regular-reason finale at Orlando on Wednesday. As for Arenas, Washington coach Eddie Jordan decided to give him a night off since he played in back to back games on Friday (at Detroit) and Saturday (vs. Philadelphia).

WIZ SUBS DRUB PACERS 
In addition to missing Arenas and Butler, Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson left injured after eight minutes on Monday, leaving Washington looking to the bench. Several subs responded, with forward Andray Blatche (11 points and 11 rebounds), guard Roger Mason (31 points, six rebounds, four assists) and swingman Nick Young (14 points with a pair of three-pointers) all contributing. Forward Darius Songaila again started for Butler and also played well, with 10 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes. INTEL The journeyman Mason (who hit a superb seven triples in the game) has been used off and on by the Wiz yet has managed to average nine points in 21 minutes on the year, while Young hasn't seen the court much since Gilbert Arenas returned, registering DNPs in two of his previous three. It was an especially good showing for that pair, since they may be looked too for instant offense come playoff time.

GRANGER PLAYING HARD 'TIL THE END 
Swingman Danny Granger did all he could to keep the Pacers' season alive on Monday, scoring 35 points on a 12-for-23 shooting night that including seven triples. He also had nine rebounds and three assists in the team's loss to Washington. INTEL: The scoring barrage was the third straight game that Granger reached at least 30 points, and he's now averaging 19.5 on the year. Since the all-star break the third year sensation has been inching closer from 'breakout player' to 'franchise player.'

NO CHARITY: LEBRON STILL STRUGGLING FROM STRIPE 
As per usual, forward LeBron James controlled the court for Cleveland on Monday, as they trumped Philadelphia 91-90. The King finished with 27 points, five assists, four boards, 2 steals and a block. INTEL: The only problem for James was at the foul line, where he shot 6-for-12. Whether it's due to his reported back problems or just the grind of a long season, he's now shooting only 66% from the charity stripe in April.

RONDO PLAYS BIG IN THE APPLE 
Forward Kevin Garnett, forward Paul Pierce and guard Ray Allen all got the night off on Monday, but Boston still won 97-91 over the New York Knicks. Point guard Rajon Rondo lead Boston with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while forward James Posey pitched in 15 points, with all of his makes on a 5-for-12 shooting night coming from beyond the arc. INTEL: How the 6-1 Rondo managed to snatch double-digit rebounds remains yet another mystery for the Knicks to solve during the off-season. Rajon has definitely slowed down since Sam Cassell arrived in Boston, but he's supremely talented and remains their point guard of the future.

CALDERON BACK ON TRACK 
For the third time in four games, Raptors' point guard Jose Calderon reached double-digit assists without recording a turnover. He had 11 dimes and six rebounds in Toronto's 91-75 win over the Miami Heat, and continues to lead the NBA with a 5.3 assist to turnover ratio. INTEL: The obvious problem for fantasy purposes is that Calderon scored only one hoop on Monday, and in those same four games combined he has 19 points. He had a bit of a rough a few weeks ago that saw him lose his starting gig with Toronto to T.J. Ford, but his recent string of strong performances is a reminder how deep the Raps are at the point.

GOOD AS NU-EVA 
Forward Charlie Villanueva made a surprising return to Milwaukee's lineup on Monday, and scored 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting. His line also included four three-pointers and four rebounds in 32 minutes. INDEX: Right up until game time, center Dan Gadzuric was listed as the starter, but evidently Charlie V felt comfortable playing. His strained calf looked fine in the game, and he can safely be expected to start again in the Bucks' finale on Wednesday.

ARTEST BACK OUT 
Forward Ron Artest was not playing as Sacramento faced San Antonio on Monday night. INTEL: He's been missing time on and off with his sprained thumb, but Artest looked fine (22 points, eight rebounds in 44 minutes) against Portland on Saturday. Most likely the Kings have decided to shut him and guard Kevin Martin (also absent Monday) down for the last two games.

BEASLEY'S ON HIS WAY 
As expected, Kansas State forward Michael Beasley made if official on Monday that he will enter the 2008 NBA Draft. INTEL: An All American and the Big 12 Player of the Year, Beasley probably would've been a lottery pick out of high school last year if not for the NBA's minimum age limit. At 6-10 he's quick enough to guard smaller forwards yet already physical enough that he could pass as a center. Beasley remains the consensus top pick of the draft, although Memphis guard Derrick Rose appears to still be in the running after his trip to the national final.