In the biggest surprise of the night, the Knicks beat the Heat in Miami, 100-76. Miami will be without Shaquille O’Neal, who needs surgery to remove torn cartilage in his left knee and will miss four to six weeks. This is a big blow to the Heat, who are lucky to have one of the best backup centers in the league in Alonzo Mourning…The Jazz advanced to 8-1 with a 118-109 victory in Seattle. Deron Williams continues his breakout season with 27 points, eight assists and two steals…In a battle of young centers, LaMarcus Aldridge outplayed Kendrick Perkins, but the Blazers lost to the Celtics 118-90. Aldridge recovered from his shoulder injury more quickly than expected and has been inserted into the starting lineup at center. He’s now a darkhorse to win Rookie of the Year honors.
Injury News: Charlie Villanueva has a torn ligament in his left elbow and will miss at least four weeks. Brian Skinner will likely take his place in the lineup but Andrew Bogut, Michael Redd and Mo Williams will have to pick up the slack for the wounded Bucks… Steve Nash missed Friday’s game with a strained back, but the team is hopeful that he’ll be able to go on Saturday. Leandro Barbosa’s value skyrockets if Nash misses substantial time.
