It has become something of a rarity when an NBA team isn't playing consecutive games, and that makes Tuesday's slate of games very unusual. Twelve of the 14 teams in action will have enjoyed a day off on Monday, and only six of the 14 will be back on the floor come Wednesday evening.
One team, however, isn't going to get any rest on either side of its Tuesday matchup. In the midst of a very forgettable campaign, the Detroit Pistons will play all three nights to begin the week, the middle game of their back-to-back-to-back in New York against the Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET).
The Pistons are 7-7½ point underdogs Monday night in Milwaukee where they entered the contest vs. the Bucks with the league's second-worst record (4-17). Their lone win away from Motown was against the only team with a worse record, the 3-18 Charlotte Bobcats, and they'll follow Tuesday's game opposite the Knicks with a short trek from Manhattan to Newark to meet the New Jersey Nets.
Compounding their overall struggles, the Pistons have been playing without Ben Gordon the past five games while the shooting guard tries to heal a shoulder injury. Detroit scored an upset in the contest immediately following Gordon's injury, a 94-91 home triumph over the Trail Blazers who were laying 6½ on the NBA odds, but have since dropped four straight.
As poorly as the Pistons have played, the Knicks have been equally disappointing at 7-13 on the season. New York took Monday off after a stretch of four road games in five days, the only win at the lowly Bobcats while going 2-2 against the spread in the stretch. That victory in Charlotte is the only dubya for the Knicks in their last 10 trips to the floor, and New York has lost its last four at home where the club is just 3-6 on the season (1-8 ATS).
This will be the second time the two clubs have squared off this season, New York pasting a 103-80 rout in Detroit on Jan. 7 as 4-point road chalk. The Pistons' last win at Madison Square Garden came near the end of the 2008-09 season, the three matchups in the Big Apple since then all going to the Knicks.
The Memphis Grizzlies are the only other team that will be playing a back-to-back on Tuesday. Their 8:00 p.m. tip at FedExForum against the Denver Nuggets qualifies as the marquee game of the night since it's the only one that pits two clubs with at least .500 records. Memphis stood 10-9 entering play Monday when the San Antonio Spurs were in Bluff City as 5½-point 'dogs to meet the Grizzlies.
The Grizz had dropped three straight prior to the Monday contest with San Antonio, failing to cover any of the spreads in road defeats to the Blazers, Clippers and Suns. Memphis opened that road trip with a win and cover at Golden State, and all four games went 'under' the total.
Denver had Monday off after falling to the Clippers as 5½-point home chalk on Sunday, 109-105. The Nuggets remain one of the better road teams in the Association, winning seven of their 10 away from Mile High City. They've won their last five roadies (7-3 on season) and have covered eight of their 10 away from home. Ty Lawson (ankle) has missed the last two Denver tilts since being injured in the Jan. 25 win at Sacramento. He's officially questionable for Tuesday's game.
The three teams currently in second place of their respective Eastern Conference divisions will also be in action on Tuesday, each rested and ready for battle in their 7:00 p.m. clashes.
Boston will look to climb back to the .500 mark in the second half of a home-&-home at the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics were one of the hottest teams going before seeing their second 4-game win streak this season snapped at home vs. the Cavs on Sunday. Laying 6½ at home, Boston blew an 11-point lead late in the fourth quarter as Cleveland closed on a 12-0 run for the 88-87 triumph.
Indiana will be home to meet the New Jersey Nets, the Pacers getting a little break in what had been a tough span of games on the schedule. The previous five contests found Indiana on the road against the Lakers, Bulls, Celtics and Magic, the only home game in the run also coming against Orlando. The Pacers were 6½-point favorites in New Jersey on Jan. 2 when they scored a 108-94 victory and never trailed against the Nets.
Depending on the outcome of Monday's Hornets-Heat battle in Miami, the Atlanta Hawks could be tied for the Southeast Division lead when they trek across the border to meet the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. Atlanta trailed Miami by just a half-game heading into the week, and will be completing a 5-game road trip that started with the Hawks winning three of the first four (2-2 ATS).
The evening comes to a close with a couple of 10:30 p.m. matchups. The dregs of the Pacific Division collide in Oakland where the Golden State Warriors host the Sacramento Kings. Down the coast in Los Angeles, the Lakers will welcome the Charlotte Bobcats to Staples Center. Charlotte is dragging an 8-game losing skid to LA and has just one victory in its last 15.