NBA – Barbosa hits sidelines with another injury
PHOENIX (NBA) - Phoenix Suns fans will be thinking that when it rains, it pours after hearing that Brazil international guard Leandro Barbosa suffered an injury in Wednesday's night win over Philadelphia.
The Suns (37-31), trying to stay alive in the chase for the eighth and final play-off spot in the Western Conference, lost Barbosa for one to three weeks after he suffered a bone contusion in his left knee.
Barbosa had been averaging 19.1 points per game since coach Alvin Gentry grabbed the reins on February 16.
Injury prevented Barbosa from taking part in last year's FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament with Brazil in Athens.
Phoenix are three and a half games behind eighth-place Dallas.
James' 24th triple-double
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks all won games on a light Thursday night in the NBA.
With most of the country's attention on the opening day of the NCAA Tournament, players who never experienced March Madness took center stage.
LeBron James' 24th triple-double fired Cleveland to a 97-92 overtime win over Portland and both Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant excelled in the Lakers’ 114-106 triumph over Golden State.
Team USA star James poured in 26 points, hauled in 11 rebounds and dished out 10 assists for the Cavs, winners of seven straight and 10 of their last 11.
Cleveland own the best record in the NBA at 55-13.
Like James, Gasol and Bryant also didn’t play college basketball but they, too, are among the best players in the world.
Each scored 21 points in the Lakers' triumph over Golden State with Gasol also grabbing 14 rebounds.
LA, who are 54-14, will play their next seven games on the road.
The Atlanta Hawks strengthened their grip on fourth place in the Eastern Conference behind Cleveland, Boston and Orlando with a 95-87 victory over Western Conference outfit Dallas.
The Hawks, who got 24 points from Joe Johnson, have now won seven consecutive games.
Both sides are now 41-28.
FIBA
