NBA Triple Threat: Your (almost) daily roundup of last night's action in the Association:

Dallas 103, LA Clippers 90 The conventional wisdom is for Dallas to survive without Dirk, Josh Howard and Jason Kidd have to step up. Tonight, they did. Howard poured in 32 points, while Kidd nearly finished with a triple-double. Erick Dampier (19 pts and 17 rebs) also contributed in a big way. Yes, it was only the Clippers, but every win counts, and at least it proves they haven't quit. Now come two on the road against the teams chasing them, Golden State and Denver.

San Antonio 107, Orlando 97 The Spurs won their fourth straight, while the Magic won nothing but two injured players. Jameer Nelson left the game with a brusied jaw, and more importantly, Hedo Turkoglu left the game as well with a sprained right wrist. The latter could very well be a problem, since Turkoglu is known for his shot. The Magic actually lead by as much as eight in the third quarter, only to see all fall apart in a 6 minute stretch, a 15-0 run by San Antonio.

New Orleans 114, Indiana 106 The Hornets got off to a six game road trip the right way, fueled by huge nights from David West and Chris Paul, as well as the return of the Birdman. New Orleans almost blew a 14 point lead, but ended those worries by surrendering just two buckets in the final 4:05.

Best Lines

• David West, NO: 35 pts, 14-24 FG, 7-7 FT, 16 rebs, 1 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk
• Josh Howard, Dal: 32 pts, 15-15 FT, 7 rebs, 2 ast, 4 stl
• Drew Gooden, Chi: 31 pts, 16 rebs (8 off), 2 ast, 1 blk...Gooden earns some goodwill until his next boneheaded move.

Rumors du Jour

• Chris Webber retires - It seems quite a long time ago we were wondering if Webber would make an impact with the Warriors. That question's certainly been answered. I had forgotten he was even on the team.
• Team name, logos, colors may stay in Seattle - That's like breaking up with your girlfriend, but getting to keep the tandem bike (thanks to Jon for finishing that analogy for me).
• At Least Another Week for Arenas - According to Agent Zero, he's running out of time to gain his swagger back. Right now, Washington would play Cleveland in round one. Swagger or not, that probably means another first round defeat.

Now it's your turn: share your thoughts on the on and off court action Tuesday in the NBA.