The team with the NBA's best record - the San Antonio Spurs - visit Quicken Loans Arena to take on the team with the NBA's worst record, the Cleveland Cavaliers. A win tonight would give the Spurs their 12th consecutive 50-win season, while the Cavaliers just try and field enough players due to injury.
The Spurs faltered in their first game without star point guard Tony Parker on Tuesday in Memphis, falling to the Grizzlies 109-93.
Memphis forced the normally-precise Spurs into 22 turnovers and held a 62-34 margin in low-post scoring.
Gary Neal was the only San Antonio player to score in double digits, finishing with 14 points, while Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair, Manu Ginobili and Antonio McDyess each added nine points in the loss.
The Spurs won the first game of the home-and-home series 95-88 on Sunday, but have dropped their last two games on the road.
"(The Grizzlies) are a good team and a playoff team," Neal said. "They took us out of our rhythm a bit with their pressure, hopefully we can bounce back tomorrow."
Parker went down with a strained left soleus in Sunday's contest and is expected to miss two to four weeks of action. Parker's replacement, George Hill, had just six points and six turnovers against the Grizz on Tuesday.
The Cavs, meanwhile, have been playing a bit better recently and will be finishing up a lengthy eight-game homestand tonight. Cleveland fell to 3-4 on the residency Sunday when Jodie Meeks scored all of his 14 points in the second half, and Philadelphia held on late to top the Cavaliers, 95-91.
J.J. Hickson posted a game-high 22 points and 16 rebounds and Ramon Sessions added 20 points and 10 assists for Cleveland. Antawn Jamison contributed 16 points but left the game late in the third quarter after breaking his left pinky finger.
"We've been up and down," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "We are trying to learn what it is like to be consistent on a nightly basis."
Jamison, who is averaging 18.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists, underwent surgery Tuesday that could sideline him for the rest of the season. The veteran forward is expected to be out 5-7 weeks and Cleveland's season ends April 13. Rookie Samardo Samuels is expected to start in Jamison's place.
Guard Baron Davis, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers last week, has been out with a sore knee and isn't expected to make his Cavs debut until Friday at the earliest. Forward Luke Harangody, another trade deadline pickup from Boston, is expected to play Wednesday.
San Antonio has won two of the past three meetings in the series, including a 116-92 rout in the Alamo City back in November.