There aren't any absolute must-see games on Tuesday, but there's still plenty of fun stuff tonight. If you haven't seen the Pacers much this season, they are worth a look. Check them out and learn why they've got one of the best records in the league. The Jazz have also been solid this season. The Cavs have been better than expected, though they shoud lose to the Heat, of course. The Bobcats are barely an NBA-level team right now, so the Celtics should do fine against them. The Wolves are without Kevin Love, so it'll be fun seeing which teammates step up. The Thunder and Warriors are both fun teams to watch. Enjoy.
Utah (13-10) at Indiana (16-7), 7 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: Though the Indiana Pacers expected to play better in their most recent contest, they have no plans of letting that latest defeat linger for too long.
Hoping to avoid dropping consecutive games for the first time this season, the Pacers look to bounce back when they host the struggling Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.
Indiana (16-7) shot a season-low 34.1 percent while scoring its fewest points of 2011-12 in an 85-81 home loss to Orlando on Saturday. The victory snapped the Pacers’ four-game winning streak, but it likely won’t take away any of their confidence as they remain one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams... The Jazz also must find a way to regroup after they fell 99-88 at New York on Monday. Al Jefferson had 22 points and Paul Millsap pulled down 13 rebounds, but Utah was unable to solve a Knicks team without Amar’e Stoudemire and minus Carmelo Anthony for most of the contest.
Utah went 2 of 11 from 3-point range and committed 22 turnovers, prompting coach Tyrone Corbin to believe his team took the short-handed Knicks for granted.
Cleveland (9-13) at Miami (18-6), 7:30 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers in shambles after signing with the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010.
While the Cavaliers still have a long ways to go before they’re again one of the top teams in the league, they seem to be headed in the right direction with rookie Kyrie Irving leading the way.
Coming off a win over the defending champions, visiting Cleveland looks for its momentum to carry over against James and the Heat on Tuesday night.
After finishing with an Eastern Conference-worst 19 wins last season following James’ departure, the Cavaliers (9-13) surprisingly find themselves in ninth place in the East - one-half game behind eighth-place Milwaukee... The Southeast Division-leading Heat (18-6) have been nearly unbeatable at home, with their only losses 100-92 to Atlanta on Jan. 2 and 91-82 to the Bucks on Jan. 22.
Since that loss to Milwaukee, Miami has won a season-best five straight on its own court - most recently holding on to defeat Toronto 95-89 on Sunday.
Charlotte (3-21) at Boston (13-10), 7:30 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: Led by a scoring surge from Paul Pierce and a renewed effort on defense, the Boston Celtics are healthy and looking again like one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.
Pierce will try to move into second place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list when the Celtics welcome the lowly Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night.
After a slow start and being hampered by injuries, Boston (13-10) has won four straight and eight of nine, including 98-80 over Memphis on Sunday. Kevin Garnett matched his season high with 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Rajon Rondo, playing his second game after missing eight with a wrist injury, tied a season best with 14 assists... The Celtics should have little trouble putting up those kinds of defensive numbers against Charlotte (3-21), which has dropped 11 straight while averaging 83.0 points.
Sacramento (9-15) at Minnesota (12-12), 8 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: It’s been six seasons since the Minnesota Timberwolves had a winning record after 25 games. If they are to achieve that feat again, they must do it without their best player.
Looking to move above .500 with a third straight victory, the Timberwolves will be without suspended star Kevin Love on Tuesday night when they try to snap the visiting Sacramento Kings’ season-high three-game winning streak.
Coming off consecutive victories over New Jersey and Houston, Minnesota (12-12) is in position to surpass the .500 mark after 25 games for the first time since 2005-06. The Timberwolves have averaged 106.8 points while winning three of four overall... The Timberwolves must do that without Love, who will serve the first of his two-game suspension for stomping on Houston’s Luis Scola as the Rocket forward was lying on the floor during Minnesota’s 100-91 victory Saturday. Though Love (25.0 points, 13.7 rebounds per game) has grown frustrated because he believes game officials have failed to consistently police some overly physical play this season, he apologized to Scola both after the game and in a statement issued by the team on Monday.
Phoenix (10-14) at Milwaukee (10-13), 8 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: Michael Redd broke the 40-point barrier 11 times during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks, but a 17-point performance for the Phoenix Suns on Saturday could have been one of the best moments of his career.
Redd is likely in for another memorable game Tuesday, regardless of how many points he scores.
Returning to Milwaukee for the first time since spending his first 11 seasons there, Redd will try to help the Phoenix Suns win three straight for the first time in nearly a year.
Signed by Phoenix as a free agent two games into this season, Redd replaced the injured Jared Dudley (bruised thigh) on Saturday, earning his first start since Jan. 10, 2010, while with the Bucks. Redd took advantage of the chance, hitting four 3-pointers and scoring a season-high 17 points in a 95-89 victory over league-worst Charlotte... Milwaukee point guard Brandon Jennings, the team leader with 19.9 points and 5.4 assists per game, should be well-rested after scoring eight points in 22 foul-plagued minutes Saturday.
Oklahoma City (19-5) at Golden State (8-13), 10:30 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: The Golden State Warriors let one slip away their last time out after failing to slow down one of the weaker teams in the Western Conference.
Getting back on track could prove all the more difficult with Kevin Durant and the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder coming to town.
Golden State looks to avoid a seventh defeat in nine games versus Oklahoma City as the teams meet Tuesday night.
The Warriors (8-13) failed to carry over any momentum from a 3-1 stretch, suffering a disappointing 114-106 overtime loss at Sacramento on Saturday. Golden State was outrebounded 55-36 and managed just four points in OT... While Durant is obviously at his best when trying to score the basketball, he may want to think about continuing to get his teammates involved. The Thunder are 16-1 when he dishes out at least three assists.
Westbrook had 28 points and 11 rebounds against Portland, finishing two assists shy of a triple-double.
Utah (13-10) at Indiana (16-7), 7 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: Though the Indiana Pacers expected to play better in their most recent contest, they have no plans of letting that latest defeat linger for too long.
Hoping to avoid dropping consecutive games for the first time this season, the Pacers look to bounce back when they host the struggling Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.
Indiana (16-7) shot a season-low 34.1 percent while scoring its fewest points of 2011-12 in an 85-81 home loss to Orlando on Saturday. The victory snapped the Pacers’ four-game winning streak, but it likely won’t take away any of their confidence as they remain one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams... The Jazz also must find a way to regroup after they fell 99-88 at New York on Monday. Al Jefferson had 22 points and Paul Millsap pulled down 13 rebounds, but Utah was unable to solve a Knicks team without Amar’e Stoudemire and minus Carmelo Anthony for most of the contest.
Utah went 2 of 11 from 3-point range and committed 22 turnovers, prompting coach Tyrone Corbin to believe his team took the short-handed Knicks for granted.
Cleveland (9-13) at Miami (18-6), 7:30 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers in shambles after signing with the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010.
While the Cavaliers still have a long ways to go before they’re again one of the top teams in the league, they seem to be headed in the right direction with rookie Kyrie Irving leading the way.
Coming off a win over the defending champions, visiting Cleveland looks for its momentum to carry over against James and the Heat on Tuesday night.
After finishing with an Eastern Conference-worst 19 wins last season following James’ departure, the Cavaliers (9-13) surprisingly find themselves in ninth place in the East - one-half game behind eighth-place Milwaukee... The Southeast Division-leading Heat (18-6) have been nearly unbeatable at home, with their only losses 100-92 to Atlanta on Jan. 2 and 91-82 to the Bucks on Jan. 22.
Since that loss to Milwaukee, Miami has won a season-best five straight on its own court - most recently holding on to defeat Toronto 95-89 on Sunday.
Charlotte (3-21) at Boston (13-10), 7:30 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: Led by a scoring surge from Paul Pierce and a renewed effort on defense, the Boston Celtics are healthy and looking again like one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.
Pierce will try to move into second place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list when the Celtics welcome the lowly Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night.
After a slow start and being hampered by injuries, Boston (13-10) has won four straight and eight of nine, including 98-80 over Memphis on Sunday. Kevin Garnett matched his season high with 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Rajon Rondo, playing his second game after missing eight with a wrist injury, tied a season best with 14 assists... The Celtics should have little trouble putting up those kinds of defensive numbers against Charlotte (3-21), which has dropped 11 straight while averaging 83.0 points.
Sacramento (9-15) at Minnesota (12-12), 8 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: It’s been six seasons since the Minnesota Timberwolves had a winning record after 25 games. If they are to achieve that feat again, they must do it without their best player.
Looking to move above .500 with a third straight victory, the Timberwolves will be without suspended star Kevin Love on Tuesday night when they try to snap the visiting Sacramento Kings’ season-high three-game winning streak.
Coming off consecutive victories over New Jersey and Houston, Minnesota (12-12) is in position to surpass the .500 mark after 25 games for the first time since 2005-06. The Timberwolves have averaged 106.8 points while winning three of four overall... The Timberwolves must do that without Love, who will serve the first of his two-game suspension for stomping on Houston’s Luis Scola as the Rocket forward was lying on the floor during Minnesota’s 100-91 victory Saturday. Though Love (25.0 points, 13.7 rebounds per game) has grown frustrated because he believes game officials have failed to consistently police some overly physical play this season, he apologized to Scola both after the game and in a statement issued by the team on Monday.
Phoenix (10-14) at Milwaukee (10-13), 8 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: Michael Redd broke the 40-point barrier 11 times during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks, but a 17-point performance for the Phoenix Suns on Saturday could have been one of the best moments of his career.
Redd is likely in for another memorable game Tuesday, regardless of how many points he scores.
Returning to Milwaukee for the first time since spending his first 11 seasons there, Redd will try to help the Phoenix Suns win three straight for the first time in nearly a year.
Signed by Phoenix as a free agent two games into this season, Redd replaced the injured Jared Dudley (bruised thigh) on Saturday, earning his first start since Jan. 10, 2010, while with the Bucks. Redd took advantage of the chance, hitting four 3-pointers and scoring a season-high 17 points in a 95-89 victory over league-worst Charlotte... Milwaukee point guard Brandon Jennings, the team leader with 19.9 points and 5.4 assists per game, should be well-rested after scoring eight points in 22 foul-plagued minutes Saturday.
Oklahoma City (19-5) at Golden State (8-13), 10:30 p.m. ET -- STATS reports: The Golden State Warriors let one slip away their last time out after failing to slow down one of the weaker teams in the Western Conference.
Getting back on track could prove all the more difficult with Kevin Durant and the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder coming to town.
Golden State looks to avoid a seventh defeat in nine games versus Oklahoma City as the teams meet Tuesday night.
The Warriors (8-13) failed to carry over any momentum from a 3-1 stretch, suffering a disappointing 114-106 overtime loss at Sacramento on Saturday. Golden State was outrebounded 55-36 and managed just four points in OT... While Durant is obviously at his best when trying to score the basketball, he may want to think about continuing to get his teammates involved. The Thunder are 16-1 when he dishes out at least three assists.
Westbrook had 28 points and 11 rebounds against Portland, finishing two assists shy of a triple-double.
