News from April 1. The NBA named Kevin Garnett (Min) and Shaquille O'Neal (Mia) as Players of the Month for March. Garnett averaged 23.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists as Minnesota went 10-5. O'Neal averaged 23.5 points and 10.7 rebounds as Miami went 12-3. The NBA named George Karl (Den) and Stan Van Gundy (Mia) as Coaches of the Month for March. Denver went 12-2. Miami went 12-3. The NBA named J.R. Smith (NO) and Ben Gordon (Chi) as Rookies of the Month for March. Smith averaged 16.8 points as New Orleans went 5-9. Gordon averaged 17.6 points as Chicago went 11-7. Dallas activated Erick Dampier and placed Pavel Podkolzin on IR with torn cartilage in his right knee. Dwayne Jones (junior, St. John's, center) and Alex Acker (junior, Pepperdine, guard) declared themselves eligible for the NBA draft. [thanks to Jed Tai] Dal 100, Phi 83 at Phi Josh Howard (Dal) had 11 points and 9 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) had 29 points including 14-14 FT and 7 rebounds. Keith Van Horn (Dal) had 15 points. Allen Iverson (Phi) had 22 points and 7 turnovers. Marc Jackson (Phi) had 22 points and 5 rebounds. Chris Webber (Phi, left shoulder sprain) did not play. Sea 89, Por 87 at Sea Damien Wilkens (Sea) had 17 points. Ray Allen (Sea) had 19 points on 8-24 FG. Nick Collison (Sea) had 14 points and 8 rebounds including 5 offensive. Shareef Abdur-Rahim (Por) had 21 points and 6 rebounds. Sebastian Telfair (Por) had 18 points and 8 assists. Rashard Lewis (Sea, right foot contusion), Theo Ratliff (Por, back spasms), Derek Anderson (Por, back spasms), and Ruben Patterson (Por, flu like symptoms) did not play. Den 102, SA 84 at Den Carmelo Anthony (Den) had 18 points on 3-12 FG and 12-14 FT and 7 rebounds. Marcus Camby (Den) had 15 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 8 blocks. Earl Boykins (Den) had 23 points. Tony Parker (SA) had 17 points and 7 assists Manu Ginobili (SA) had 13 points on 1-8 FG and 10-12 FT, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Den shot 43.6% (34-78) FG and SA shot 31.8% (28-88) FG. Kenyon Martin (Den, chest contusion) did not play. Pho 107, Min 98 at Pho Quentin Richardson (Pho) had 18 points including 5-11 3-pointers and 7 rebounds. Shawn Marion (Pho) had 24 points including 5-22 FG, 16 rebounds including 5 offensive, and 3 steals. Amare Stoudemire (Pho) had 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Steve Nash (Pho) had 28 points including 10-15 FG and 4-5 3-pointers and 11 assists. Kevin Garnett (Min) had 15 points, 15 rebounds including 5 offensive, and 6 turnovers. Wally Szczerbiak (Min) had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Walter McCarty (Pho, personal reasons) did not play. NO 76, Hou 73 at Hou Lee Nailon (NO) had 16 points. Chris Andersen (NO) had 9 points including 2-8 FG and 16 rebounds. P.J. Brown (NO) had 13 points and 8 rebounds. Tracy McGrady (Hou) had 21 points on 5-20 FG and 9-11 FT and 5 turnovers. Clarence Weatherspoon (Hou) had 14 points, 10 rebounds including 5 offensive, and 3 steals. Yao Ming (Hou, sore right calf) did not play. Tor 119, Cha 107 at Cha Chris Bosh (Tor) had 27 points and 9 rebounds. Jalen Rose (Tor) had 23 points. Donyell Marshall (Tor) had 18 points including 4-7 3-pointers and 12 rebounds. Emeka Okafor (Cha) had 29 points including 11-16 FG and 14 rebounds including 5 offensive. Brevin Knight (Cha) had 14 points and 10 assists. Det 97, LAC 84 at Det Tayshaun Prince (Det) had 23 points. Ben Wallace (Det) had 16 points including 5-7 FG, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Richard Hamilton (Det) had 14 points including 5-15 FG, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists. Marko Jaric (LAC) had 24 points including 10-15 FG, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. Elton Brand (LAC) had 22 points and 11 rebounds. Quinton Ross (LAC, back spasms), Corey Maggette (LAC, back injury), and Chris Kaman (LAC, back injury) did not play. NJ 93, NY 91 at NY Vince Carter (NJ) had 31 points including 11-14 FT and 6 assists. Nenad Krstic (NJ) had 10 points and 5 rebounds. Jason Kidd (NJ) had 18 points and 8 rebounds. Jamal Crawford (NY) had 23 points and 5 rebounds. Stephon Marbury (NY) had 26 points including 8-10 FT. Malik Rose (NY) had 18 points including 10-12 FT and 9 rebounds including 6 offensive. Was 111, Orl 102 at Orl Etan Thomas (Was) had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Gilbert Arenas (Was) had 31 points including 12-13 FT and 6 turnovers. Larry Hughes (Was) had 30 points including 10-12 FT, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Dwight Howard (Orl) had 22 points on 7-11 FG and 8-14 FT, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals. DeShawn Stevenson (Orl) had 19 points and 5 turnovers. Steve Francis (Orl) had 21 points including 7-22 FG, 10 rebounds including 5 offensive, and 5 assists. Anthony Peeler (Was, sore knee) and Jameer Nelson (Orl, intercostal tear) did not play. Sac 128, Cle 109 at Cle Peja Stojakovic (Sac) had 22 points. Kenny Thomas (Sac) had 18 points and 8 rebounds including 6 offensive. Mike Bibby (Sac) had 22 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals. Cuttino Mobley (Sac) had 22 points including 4-4 3-pointers and 6 assists. LeBron James (Cle) had 35 points on 13-21 FG and 7-10 FT, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, and 7 turnovers. Drew Gooden (Cle) had 21 points and 5 rebounds. GS 108, Uta 91 at Uta Jason Richardson (GS) had 18 points. Derek Fisher (GS) had 19 points including 5-10 3-pointers. Zarko Cabarkapa (GS) had 14 points including 5-6 FG and 5 rebounds. Gordan Giricek (Uta) had 17 points including 5-14 FG and 7 assists. Matt Harpring (Uta) had 13 points on 3-11 FG and 7-12 FT and 11 rebounds including 7 offensive. Calbert Cheaney (GS, sprained right ankle) and Raja Bell (Uta, bruised right shin) did not play. Bos 116, Atl 100 at Atl Paul Pierce (Bos) had 17 points including 5-7 FG and 3-4 3-pointers, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Gary Payton (Bos) had 14 points including 4-5 FG and 8 assists. Ricky Davis (Bos) had 36 points on 14-17 FG and 8-10 FT. Josh Childress (Atl) had 26 points including 11-14 FT and 5 rebounds. Tony Delk (Atl) had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. Bos shot 60% (45-75) FG and Atl shot 41.7% (35-84) FG. Tyronn Lue (Atl, headache) did not play. Mem 93, Mil 82 at Mil Shane Battier (Mem) had 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 turnovers. Pau Gasol (Mem) had 20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks. Mike Miller (Mem) had 14 points. Desmond Mason (Mil) had 24 points including 8-13 FT and 3 steals. Michael Redd (Mil) had 17 points. Mem shot 45.8% (33-72) FG and Mil shot 35.2% (25-71) FG. Jason Williams (Mem, illness), James Posey (Mem, personal reasons), and Reece Gaines (Mil, food poisoning) did not play.