Richard Jefferson, Nets
112-108 win at Hornets
26 pts, 9-12 FG

Sasha Pavlovic, Cavaliers
124-100 win vs. Kings
25 pts, 8-13 FG, 3-4 3-pt FG, 6-6 FT

Chris Wilcox, Sonics
101-97 loss vs. Pistons
21 pts, 10-12 FG

Two weeks ago, Josh Smith dished out a career-high nine assists. Three days ago, he scored a career-high 32 points. On Tuesday, Smith snatched a career-high 17 rebounds. The 21-year-old also had 26 points on 11-for-20 shooting, five dimes, four steals and three blocks to help his Hawks snap the 76ers' seven-game winning streak with a 104-92 home victory. What can J-Smoove possibly do for an encore?

Ricky Davis, Timberwolves
86-81 win vs. Pacers
1-11 FG, 0-2 3-pt FG, 3 pts

Willie Green, 76ers
104-92 loss at Hawks
1-8 FG, 0-2 3-pt FG, 3 pts

Corliss Williamson, Kings
124-100 loss at Cavaliers
2-10 FG, 8 pts

It takes more than long-range bombing to win an NBA game, and two unconventional perimeter marksmen found that out the hard way on Tuesday. Utah's Mehmet Okur, standing 6-foot-11, sank two treys, giving him a team-record 109 on the season. He finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, but the Jazz were outscored by 16 in the fourth quarter by Miami in an 88-86 road loss. A few hours later and a few thousand miles away, 6-foot-10 Rashard Lewis passed Gary Payton to become the Sonics' all-time leader in career threes with a first-quarter trifecta, but scored only 13 points as Seattle fell to the visiting Pistons, 101-97.

Early in the game, Minnesota's broadcast team described the Pacers' current point guard situation as "the worst east of the Mississippi." Whether Jamaal Tinsley heard the remark or not is unclear, but his play blew the argument away. Tinsley erupted for a career-high 37 points, but the Wolves shifted Kevin Garnett over to the lead guard spot in the fourth quarter and promptly ran off 16 straight points to deal Indiana its 10th straight loss. In a matchup of more traditional points, Chris Paul's 25 points and 12 assists outshined Jason Kidd's 18 and 12, but N.J. won to move into a seventh-place tie with the Pacers and idle Knicks.

Tuesday was a big night for NBA rookies. Rodney Carney had 15 points in 18 minutes for the 76ers and Randy Foye scored nine of his 16 in the fourth quarter for Minnesota. Rookie of the Year frontrunner Brandon Roy had 16 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals, and Portland teammate LaMarcus Aldridge scored 24 and added personal bests in rebounds (17) and blocks (four). But perhaps the best rookie performer was the Bulls' Tyrus Thomas, who had an array of nifty dunks on his way to a season-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a 95-87 home victory over Boston.

Video: Thomas' huge one-handed jam

The link between San Antonio's 13 consecutive wins has been defense; all 13 opponents failed to score 100 points. That trend continued in an unusual way in a 93-84 win over the visiting Clippers on Tuesday. The Spurs failed to block a shot for the first time this season, forced only 13 turnovers, and allowed Los Angeles to shoot 39-for-79 (.494) from the floor. So how, then, did San Antonio hold the Clips to 84 points? By committing only 11 personal fouls and sending L.A. to the charity stripe just seven times. An 18-3 advantage in free throws was the reason for win No. 13.

You would think that the potent outside-inside combination of Clay Tucker and Alexander Johnson would be enough to give the RimRockers a win. Tucker nailed six treys en route to 36 points and added 10 assists, while Johnson, on assignment from Memphis, tallied 20 points and 19 rebounds. But seven Wizards scored in double figures, led by 26 from Renaldo Major, and Dakota outlasted Arkansas, 126-123 at home on Tuesday.