Chris Paul may be back to his old self - and that's bad news for opponents of the Los Angeles Clippers. Paul and the Clippers conclude their marathon eight-game road trip Monday evening with a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Paul struggled in his first game back from a knee injury but flashed his All-Star form two days later, scoring 25 points and adding seven assists in a victory over New York. The 76ers have won four of five.

Losing one of their top players has somehow turned the Boston Celtics into one of the NBA's hottest teams, and they'll try to win their eighth consecutive game without Rajon Rondo when they travel to Charlotte to face the woeful Bobcats on Monday night. The Celtics are undefeated since losing Rondo (torn ACL) for the remainder of the season Jan. 25. The Bobcats have lost seven straight and dropped 34 of 38 games.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were denied in their bid for a season-high fourth consecutive victory, but they will look to start another winning streak when the skidding Minnesota Timberwolves pay a visit Monday night. Cleveland had been on a roll before it was derailed by the league's hottest team, losing at home to the Denver Nuggets 111-103 on Saturday night. Still, it was only the third loss in nine games for the Cavaliers, who will be playing the fifth of a seven-game homestand.

One of the best home teams in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers had a rare slip-up at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday. They will look to make amends in the continuation of a five-game homestand against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. Despite a 100-98 overtime loss against Toronto, Indiana is still 20-4 at home. It had won 15 in a row there before the setback, which also ended a five-game winning streak overall. The Nets limp in losers of six of their last nine.

Jose Calderon appears to fully be settled into his new surroundings with the Detroit Pistons. Fresh off his best performance since a trade from the Toronto Raptors, the Spanish point guard will try to steer the Pistons to a third straight win Monday against the visiting New Orleans Hornets. Despite opening the season with eight consecutive losses, the Pistons have turned things around to climb within 6 ½ games of a playoff spot.

The Chicago Bulls are in the midst of a stretch where they are playing eight of nine games on the road, and the lone home game could be their toughest test when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. The Bulls are coming off a six-game road trip in which they went 3-3 and saw their typical iron-clad defense shredded in back-to-back losses to Central Division rival Indiana and Denver. The Spurs have won 12 of 13.

Losers of five of their last six games, the Milwaukee Bucks hope to have center Larry Sanders back when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday night. Without Sanders for the last two games, the Bucks have continued their struggles, especially on the interior, getting outrebounded 96-79 and outscored in the paint by a 108-73 margin. The Wizards, meanwhile, are seeking their fourth straight win after sweeping a homestand against three quality opponents.

Are Josh Smith’s days with the Atlanta Hawks numbered? That seems to be the question no one has an answer for just yet. While multiple reports say the Hawks are exploring trade options for the soon-to-be free agent forward, Smith remains unfazed by the rumors. He’s more focused on helping Atlanta, which has dropped three of four games, get back on track. The Hawks open a two-game road trip before the All-Star break against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.