NBA SCHEDULE

DENVER NUGGETS (27-23) AT TORONTO RAPTORS (16-34), 7 P.M.

The playoff-hopeful Denver Nuggets will resume their seven-
game road trip tonight against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.

The Nuggets are 1-2 on the trek following Monday's 108-91 win over the Chicago
Bulls, as Ty Lawson scored 27 points and Arron Afflalo had 22. Afflalo
returned from a one-game suspension and Al Harrington scored 17 points off the
bench for the Nuggets, who are 12-11 away from the Rockies this season.

The Raptors could be without guard DeMar DeRozan again because of a sore left
ankle. DeRozan has missed back-to-back games and is averaging 16.5 ppg this
season. Toronto is just 8-16 up north this season and will also welcome the
Heat, Wizards and Bobcats to town on the homestand.

DETROIT PISTONS (17-32) AT CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (17-30), 7 P.M.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to continue their
dominance over the Detroit Pistons when the two Central Division foes collide
tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Pistons are last in the division -- one game behind the Cavs -- and have
lost the first two meetings between the teams this season. Detroit has lost
four straight and 11 of the past 13 matchups between the teams. The Pistons
have lost 10 of their previous 15 games at the Q.

The Cavaliers are coming off last night's 103-85 loss at Philadelphia, as
Anthony Parker scored a team-high 14 points, Alonzo Gee and Antawn Jamison
tallied 13 points apiece and rookie Kyrie Irving added 12 points and seven
assists for the Cavaliers, who have dropped four straight and seven of eight
games.


MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (24-27) AT CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (7-40), 7 P.M.

Time is running out on the Minnesota Timberwolves in their
hunt for a postseason berth and they'll try and get back on track tonight
against the lowly Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Minnesota is 3 1/2 games behind Denver for the eighth and final playoff berth
in the Western Conference and has lost eight of the past 11 games. The
Timberwolves suffered a 93-86 loss at Memphis on Tuesday, as Kevin Love had 28
points and 11 rebounds in a losing effort.

Charlotte is playing out the string and opened a three-game homestand with
Monday's 102-95 loss to the Boston Celtics.

Gerald Henderson led the Bobcats with 21 points, Byron Mullens scored 18 and
Derrick Brown had 16 in defeat.


ORLANDO MAGIC (32-18) AT NEW YORK KNICKS (25-25), 7:30 P.M.

The playoff-hopeful New York Knicks will close out a three-
game homestand tonight versus the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks are two games ahead of Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff
spot in the Eastern Conference and have won seven of their last eight games,
including Monday's 89-80 triumph over the Bucks. Carmelo Anthony scored 28
points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Tyson Chandler and Baron Davis netted 13
points apiece for New York, which won despite shooting 35.1 percent and
committing 23 turnovers.

Orlando is seeded third in the Eastern Conference and has won three straight
since losing three of four games.

In a 117-101 win at Toronto on Monday, Ryan Anderson connected on 8-of-13
three-point attempts en route to a game-high 28 points.

CHICAGO BULLS (40-11) AT ATLANTA HAWKS (30-21), 7:30 P.M.

The Chicago Bulls have yet to lose back-to-back games this
season and will try to keep it that way when they pay a visit to the Atlanta
Hawks tonight at Philips Arena.

The Bulls have been without reigning MVP Derrick Rose for the past seven games
(5-2) because of a groin injury and he's not expected to compete tonight in
order to rest up for the playoffs. Rose has missed 17 games this season with
toe, back and groin issues. The top-seeded Bulls had a four-game winning
streak stopped with Monday's 108-91 setback versus Denver, as C.J. Watson
continued to fill in nicely for Rose and led the team with 17 points.

Atlanta is seeded sixth in the Eastern Conference and is coming off Tuesday's
108-101 loss at Milwaukee in which Josh Smith scored a team-best 30 points and
pulled down 18 rebounds. Ivan Johnson added a career-high 17 points off the
bench for the Hawks, who had won four in a row and six of seven games.


INDIANA PACERS (29-19) AT NEW JERSEY NETS (16-35), 7:30 P.M.

Indiana will continue its push to the postseason in the
Garden State on Wednesday when the Pacers pay a visit to the lowly New Jersey
Nets.

Indiana has dominated the Nets recently and will be shooting for a four-game
season sweep tonight as well as its 11th consecutive win overall in the
series.

The Nets, meanwhile, weren't able to take advantage of a fatigued Utah team on
Monday, falling to the Jazz 105-84 at the Prudential Center. In fact, Utah
didn't look tired in the least after a four-overtime loss in Atlanta the day
before.

Playing against his former club for the first time in New Jersey, Deron
Williams netted 17 points, but was just 7-of-21 from the floor. He also dished
out 11 assists.

Gerald Green scored 20 points to lead New Jersey, which has dropped six of its
last seven contests overall.


UTAH JAZZ (27-23) AT BOSTON CELTICS (27-22), 7:30 P.M.

The Boston Celtics hope to keep the pressure on
Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division when they square off with the Utah Jazz
tonight at TD Garden.

Paul Pierce scored a season-high 36 points with 10 rebounds on Monday as the
Celtics moved into a tie for first place in the Atlantic  with a 102-95 win
over the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday night.

The Jazz, meanwhile, showed no fatigue after a four-overtime loss in Atlanta
on Sunday when they finished a four games in five days stretch with a
resounding 105-84 win over the New Jersey Nets on Monday.


SAN ANTONIO SPURS (34-14) AT SACRAMENTO KINGS (17-32), 10 P.M.

Gregg Popovich has been a bit of a mad scientist this
season, dealing with age and injuries by juggling his lineup from night to
night in this truncated campaign.

For the most part it's worked and the San Antonio Spurs will shoot for a sixth
straight win Wednesday night when they finish a brief two-game road trip in
Sacramento.

The Kings, meanwhile, are playing out the string and have lost three straight,
the latest of which was a 113-106 setback in Houston on Monday.

DeMarcus Cousins netted a career-high 38 points to go with 14 boards and
Marcus Thornton donated 27 points for Sacramento.


PHOENIX SUNS (25-25) AT LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (28-21), 10:30 P.M.

The Suns' playoff hopes took a blow in the desert on
Tuesday night.

Things don't figure to get any easier in Hollywood tonight as Phoenix visits a
Clippers team shooting for its fifth straight home win.

Tim Duncan dropped in 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds
on Tuesday as the San Antonio Spurs topped the Suns, 107-100, at US Airways
Center.

The Clippers, meanwhile, are currently the fourth seed out West and 2 1/2
games behind the Lakers for the Pacific Division lead after a 97-85 win over
New Orleans on Monday.


NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (12-37) AT GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (20-28), 10:30 P.M.

Golden State will shoot for its second win over the New
Orleans Hornets in a week's time when the two teams tangle in Oakland.

The Warriors topped the Hornets in the Big Easy last Wednesday, 101-92, behind
rookie Klay Thompson, who amassed a career-high 27 points on 11-of-24
shooting.

Golden State hasn't been able to follow up on that, however, and has lost
three of four since, including Tuesday's 104-101 setback to the Lakers in
Oakland.

The Hornets, meanwhile, are coming off a loss to their former superstar, Chris
Paul, and the LA Clippers on Monday.