Looking at basketball in the last several weeks, it has become a challenge to see who the forerunner is.  Phoenix and Minnesota matched up for a 115 to 95 score on January 8.  On December 8, it was a reversal of numbers.  The score was 100 to 93.  Minnesota’s in favor this time.  Steve Nash who reportedly had an all season high of thirty nine points was quite in the party mood.  When the Hawks took on the Raptors, Jose Calderon helped out with the fourth straight win for the Raptors.  The Blazers have secured their eighteenth win from the last twenty games.  The Wizards have reported an injured player Gilbert Arenas.  Out of play with a torn meniscus, he had the surgery in November and we hope he makes a speedy recovery.  The Celtics of Boston boast a twenty nine win season.  Having only four losses the whole time, they are quickly on the up and rising teams. During one of the Celtic games, a player for the Lakers was suspended from several games for a flagrant foul on one of the Celtics.  The Suns and the Spurs are back this season, but neither seems to be playing to their potential.  Many injuries and other problems have waylaid these two teams.

The Phoenix Suns became the first Western Conference team to win 30 games very easily.The Suns look for their fifth straight victory overall when they remain on the road to face the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second time in six days Wednesday night.Phoenix (30-12) opened a four-game road trip with a 114-105 win at Milwaukee on Tuesday night.Steve Nash had a season-high 37 points with 10 assists, while center Amare Stoudemire added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns.The win was the second straight on the road for the Suns. Plus Phoenix has won nine of its last 12 meetings with the Timberwolves (6-34). Nash is averaging 15.5 points and 14.0 assists in the two games versus Minnesota this season.Stoudemire had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the Jan. 8 win over the Timberwolves. The veteran scored eight points in 27 minutes in his return after missing seven games due to undergoing an appendectomy.

The Toronto Raptors were unsettled at point guard after T.J. Ford was injured against the Atlanta Hawks in December. Jose Calderon has filled in nicely. The Raptors meet the Hawks for the first time since this season series Friday night.Ford hasn’t played since suffering a stinger.  Ford was cleared to resume workouts Jan. 9 and he was expected to return home to Houston . Plus Ford was headed to the basket when Horford hit the guard’s face with his hand. Horford was suspended one game for the flagrant foul.Toronto is 9-8 since Ford’s injury.  Calderon had 17 points and 14 assists to help Bosh finish with a 31-point game in the Raptors’ 116-91 win over Sacramento on Wednesday night.Bosh,has scored 20 or more points in seven of Toronto’s past eight games. He is averaging 34.5 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting 66.7 percent (26-for-39) from the field in his last two home games.The fifth-year center has helped the Raptors win three straight at Air Canada Centre, averaging 113.7 points while holding opponents to 98.7 in that span.The Raptors have a chance to match their longest home winning streak of the season as they face a Hawks team that has lost four straight on the road. Atlanta (17-18) has lost 10 of 15 road games this season and has not reached 100 points in any of those contests, averaging 87.9 points per game.The Hawks shot 36.5 percent (27-for-74) in an 87-80 loss at Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to their 18th win in the last 20 games with a 99-73 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Monday. Brandon Roy scored 16 points andJarrett Jack had 15.Travis Outlaw 13 and James Jones 10.Joel Przybilla had a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with nine points as Portland rebounded from a 116-109 double-overtime loss to the Raptors in Toronto on Sunday. Vince Carter and Jason Kidd each had 10 points.Aldridge hit a 19-foot jumper for the first points of the game and the Trail Blazers surged to an 8-1 lead. The Nets reserves provided a spark, opening the second quarter with an 8-2 run that trimmed the Trail Blazers lead to 27-20 as Bostjan Nachbar, Antoine Wright, Darrell Armstrong and Allen had the baskets.

Injured Washington Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas promotes in his Adidas advertisement. A return to the hardwood this season will be impossible for Arenas. Arenas has been sidelined for quite some time this season because of knee surgery. He underwent surgery in April to repair a torn lateral meniscus, then had another procedure performed in November to repair a partial tear in the left medial meniscus. The Wizards will play six of the next 11 games on the road.  Pus they are 7-8 as the guest in 2007-08.

Boston Celtics were in serious competition for a lottery pick and were what appeared to be light years away from putting a competitive team on the floor several months ago. The Celtics are focused and are playing with a since of urgency. ticket sales went through the roof but I don’t think that anyone predicted the Celtics to have 29 wins and 3 losses which just happens to be the best record in the league when the trades were made in the off season there was immediate excitement.

Friday night, the Nets won a 102-96 victory against Charlotte. By this, they put the finishing touch on their first four-game winning streak and got back to .500 with a 16-16 record. The victory was not easy. At first sight, the Nets thought they would beat them quickly and without much trouble, but that was not the case. They trailed by 13 points early in the second quarter and did not take their first lead until Carter scored on a layup with 19 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Carter led the Nets with 30 points. Richard Jefferson, had 28, with 20 of them coming in the decisive second half.

Lakers forward Lamar Odom was suspended by the league for one game Tuesday because of a flagrant foul on Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen on Sunday at Staples Center. Odom will sit out Friday’s game against Philadelphia and will forfeit $120,441 in pay.