Beast of the Night: LeBron James scored 34 points and chipped in 2 threes, 4 boards, 7 dimes, 2 steals and a block last night as he outdueled Dwyane Wade. He shot 40 percent (8-20) from the floor, but the important thing is that he shot 89 percent (16-18) from the free throw line. It doesn’t matter what number he sports on his jersey – The King is a fantasy stud who makes you numb with his steady production of solid lines.

Noteworthy Lines:
Andrew Bynum – 13-18 FG (72%), 0-3 FT (0%), 26 Pts, 15 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Blk, 3 TO; No Pau Gasol means heavy minutes and big stats from Bynum. His minutes and numbers will dip once Gasol returns, but Bynum will still be a no-brainer to start.

Mo Williams – 10-15 FG (67%), 5 3ptm, 25 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 4 TO; His hand remained hot last night and though he doesn’t hand out the assists you’d want from a point guard, it’s tough to complain when he’s producing like this.

Michael Beasley – 9-17 FG (53%), 4-4 FT (100%), 2 3ptm, 24 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Stl, 1 Blk; This was his best line of the season so far, but he’s not out of the woods of inconsistency just yet. Still, his owners have to be happy that he’s playing well after a forgettable offseason.

Lamar Odom – 4-5 FG (80%), 0-2 FT (0%), 8 Pts, 12 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; A nice all-around game from Odom. He’s bound to be less reliable once Gasol returns, so look to trade him while his value is high.

Quentin Richardson – 0-2 FG (0%), 2 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 TO; He’s back to his old ways. Q-Rich will be better than this on most nights while he starts but if he gets pushed to the bench, his owners should seriously consider cutting him loose.

Waiver Wire Appeal:
J.J. Hickson – 18 Pts, 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; He started over the newly-embarrassed Anderson Varejao and had a nice game. If he remains with the first unit, Hickson will definitely deserve consideration in most leagues.

Jared Dudley – 14 Pts, 3 3ptm, 6 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 TO; Yes, this came in a blowout loss to the Lakers, but he played just 24 minutes, two more than usual. He continues to do a lot with the playing time he gets.

Injuries:
Andris Biedrins (back): out for the remainder of this road trip

Raja Bell (calf): probably out tonight, but could be back Saturday

Antawn Jamison (shoulder): expected to return Saturday

Mike Miller (shoulder): see above

Nate Robinson (ankle): expected to play tonight

Tim Duncan (ankle): coach said one of his stars would return Friday, probably Duncan

Tony Parker (ankle): see above, monitor status right before the game

Thaddeus Young (shoulder): game-time decision tonight

Eric Gordon (groin): out another 10 days

Ronnie Price (toe): out tonight

Ryan Anderson (ankle): unlikely tonight

Pau Gasol (hamstring): out tonight

Courtney Lee (groin): questionable tonight, could return soon

Chris Douglas-Roberts (swine flu): questionable tonight

Hasheem Thabeet (jaw): could play Sunday

T.J. Ford (back): could return Saturday, monitor his status

Troy Murphy (back): could play Saturday

Richard Hamilton (ankle): very close to returning

Al Jefferson (family illness): will miss two games

For Tonight:
Expect a chippy game between the Lakers and Nuggets tonight. Also, look for strong lines from Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith.

Let’s see if we can pick up any hints about the new direction the Hornets will take under new coaching and if it helps David West’s value at all.

There should be some nice lines being put up in New York as the Knicks host the Warriors tonight. Also, see if the off-court drama between Nellie and his players spills out onto the court.

Everybody loves Chris Bosh and Chris Kaman so far this fantasy season. See how they match up tonight.

For Next Week:
4 games: ATL, CHA, CLE, DET, HOU, IND, MIA, MIL, NO, OKC, ORL, POR, TOR
3 games: BOS, CHI, DAL, DEN, GS, LAC, LAL, MEM, NJ, NY, PHI, PHO, SAC, SA, UTA, WAS
2 games: MIN