Sunday night was a big night in the NBA for Jayhawk fans and former Jayhawks — or at least I thought it was going to be. The schedule dictated that the Boston Celtics were to travel to Indiana for a match-up with the Indiana Pacers. On paper, it didn’t mean much. Boston entered the game at 19-2 and Indiana was a less-than-stellar 7-12. But for fans of former Jayhawks, it wasn’t about the two teams, their mascots or their records. It was about seeing NBA all-star Paul Pierce (1996-1998) match-up with rookie Brandon Rush (2006-2008). Last week, Rush got the chance to guard Lakers star Kobe Bryant for a few possessions. Kobe — as he does with most who attempt to hold him — got the best of B. Rush on most trips. But just the fact that the Pacers asked Rush to guard Kobe says plenty about how he’s progressing. It seemed that Sunday night would offer another chance to assess Rush’s talents against another all-pro in Pierce. His size, length, athletic ability and intelligence surely would have been a challenge for Pierce. But the opportunity never came. Rush suited up but never got into the game. Pierce, of course, did play. He finished with 17 points, 8 assists and 3 rebounds in 44 minutes while being guarded mostly by Danny Granger. It would’ve been a blast to see the two former Jayhawks square off on Sunday but we’ll have to wait for another time. In the meantime, the near-showdown got me thinking. Which one of these Jayhawks had a better career at KU? Pierce might have had better numbers and, obviously, has gone on to have a great pro career. But Rush wasn’t too shabby while he was in Lawrence and he got a title.Your thoughts? No. 34 or No. 25? How about sounding off about some of the best small forwards in KU history?