Don’t look now, but the Indiana Pacers might just be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers knocked off their second straight heavyweight and will be in search of a fourth straight win overall when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. Indiana secured wins over Miami and Chicago in the past four days, helping vault them to third in the conference standings, just 3 1/2 games behind the Heat.

The Los Angeles Lakers have developed a habit of jumping out to big leads only to sweat out the final few minutes. They will be looking to keep their defensive intensity up for 48 minutes when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. The Lakers have found some success recently with Kobe Bryant entering more of a distribution mode but have been operating against non-playoff teams over the last four contests. That will change with Brooklyn.

Tayshaun Prince had a nice debut for the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that needed a pick-me-up after losing big in its first game after trading leading scorer Rudy Gay. The Grizzlies will look to make it two straight with Prince in the lineup when they host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Prince, who came in the three-team trade that sent Gay to Toronto, scored 14 points -- including two big late baskets -- in an 85-76 win over Washington on Friday.

Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut are both back in the lineup, and the Golden State Warriors are getting a clearer picture of what the team will look like as it heads toward the playoffs. The Warriors will test themselves with a four-game road trip beginning on Tuesday at the Houston Rockets. The Rockets have picked up their level of play over the last five games and will be a tough test for the Golden State defense.

As Ty Lawson’s performance has picked up, so too have the fortunes of the Denver Nuggets. Lawson’s recent stretch of sparkling play as floor general has helped carry his squad to six straight wins. The Nuggets will attempt to make it seven in a row when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday in the first meeting between the teams this season. Denver has controlled the series of late, winning the past four encounters.