Hawks forward Joe Smith is ready to return after missing eight games with a dislocated left thumb.

Smith expects to play in Tuesday night's game against the Cavaliers, one of his many former clubs.

"I went through some contact stuff today, got it beat up a little bit a couple times, but it bounced back pretty good," Smith said of Monday's practice. "I think I'll be ready."

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points as the Lakers outlasted the Thunder on Tuesday night.

- Washington 105, Philadelphia 98

Team FIC Differential: Wizards -0.3, 76ers +0.3

The Washington Wizards (9-17) outscored the Philadelphia 76ers (7-21) by 14 points in the fourth quarter to record a win on Tuesday night. Gilbert Arenas starred with 31 points and eight rebounds, Caron Butler posted 14 points and four assists and Earl Boykins scored 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Philadelphia shot 50% from the field, but Washington turned the ball over just nine times. Elton Brand had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Willie Green tallied 16 points and six assists and Andre Iguodala contributed 10 points, seven boards and seven dimes.

Game FIC Scores

Gilbert Arenas, Washington - 18.5

Elton Brand, Philadelphia - 17.3

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia - 12.8

Caron Butler, Washington - 12.0

- Charlotte 88, Detroit 76

Team FIC Differential: Bobcats +26.8, Pistons -26.8

The Charlotte Bobcats (11-16) built a lead in the second quarter that they would never relinquish against the Detroit Pistons (11-17) at the Time Warner Cable Arena. Gerald Wallace starred with 29 points and 12 rebounds, Nazr Mohammed tallied 12 points and nine boards and Stephen Jackson put up 13 points and eight rebounds. Charlotte committed 20 turnovers, but Detroit shot just 37% on the night. Rodney Stuckey scored 20 points, Ben Wallace posted six points and eight rebounds and Will Bynum went 4-for-9 off the bench for 12 points in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte - 27.0

Nazr Mohammed, Charlotte - 13.9

Ben Wallace, Detroit - 11.3

Chris Wilcox, Detroit - 9.5

- Boston 103, Indiana 94

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +18.2, Pacers -18.2

The Boston Celtics (22-5) overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat the Indiana Pacers (9-18) soundly. Ray Allen led with 23 points and seven rebounds, Kendrick Perkins posted 19 points and eight boards and Paul Pierce scored 21 points despite 4-for-15 shooting. Boston shot just 37%, but Indiana turned the ball over 22 times. Troy Murphy had 24 points and 18 rebounds, Brandon Rush scored 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting and Earl Watson totaled 18 points, seven boards and six assists on the road.

Game FIC Scores

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 24.5

Ray Allen, Boston ? 17.4

Rasheed Wallace, Boston - 17.3

Earl Watson, Indiana ? 12.8

- New York 88, Chicago 81

Team FIC Differential: Knicks +31.2, Bulls -31.2

The New York Knicks (11-17) withstood a late rally to knock off the Chicago Bulls (10-17) at Madison Square Garden. David Lee starred with 18 points, 21 rebounds and five assists, Danilo Gallinari tallied 11 points and seven boards and Al Harrington scored 20 points. Both teams shot 40% from the floor, but New York attempted eight more foul shots and took good care of the basketball. Derrick Rose had 26 points and six rebounds, Joakim Noah posted 10 points and 21 boards and Luol Deng added 23 points and eight rebounds for the struggling Bulls.

Game FIC Scores

David Lee, New York - 27.5

Derrick Rose, Chicago - 15.9

Luol Deng, Chicago - 15.4

Joakim Noah, Chicago - 14.4

- Atlanta 112, Minnesota 87

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +38.1, Timberwolves -38.1

The Atlanta Hawks (20-7) streaked to their twentieth win over the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves (5-24) on Tuesday night. Jamal Crawford had 26 points, Joe Johnson tallied 21 points and six rebounds and Al Horford chipped in 16 points and 11 boards. Atlanta hit 48% of their shots and forced 22 turnovers. Kevin Love had 15 points and 19 rebounds, Al Jefferson posted 17 points and 10 boards and Jonny Flynn scored 16 points on 5-for-12 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

Kevin Love, Minnesota ? 18.6

Al Horford, Atlanta ? 17.6

Mike Bibby, Atlanta ? 16.4

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 10.8

- Memphis 121, Golden State 108

Team FIC Differential: Grizzlies +27.2, Warriors -27.2

The Memphis Grizzlies (13-15) used a huge second quarter to beat the Golden State Warriors (7-20) at the FedEx Forum. Zach Randolph led with 33 points and 18 rebounds, Marc Gasol posted 22 points and eight boards and O.J. Mayo contributed 22 points and seven rebounds. Memphis hit 54% of their shots and outrebounded Golden State by ten. Corey Maggette had 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Monta Ellis tallied 23 points and six boards and Stephen Curry put up 14 points, six rebounds and five dimes in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Zach Randolph, Memphis ? 28.9

Marc Gasol, Memphis ? 21.8

Chris Hunter, Golden State ? 16.5

Corey Maggette, Golden State ? 15.4

- Portland 85, Dallas 81

Team FIC Differential: Trail Blazers +7.9, Mavericks -7.9

The Portland Trail Blazers (18-12) used a 27-16 edge over the final 12 minutes to record a comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks (20-9) on Tuesday night. Brandon Roy had 23 points and six assists, LaMarcus Aldridge tallied 19 points and 12 rebounds and Juwan Howard put up 10 points and 10 boards. Dallas shot just 38% and went 12-for-22 from the foul line. Dirk Nowitzki led with 27 points and nine rebounds, Erick Dampier posted nine points and 14 boards and Jose Juan Barea scored 22 points on 9-for-16 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 18.1

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas ? 18.1

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 16.8

Erick Dampier, Dallas ? 13.5

- Houston 108, L.A. Clippers 99

Team FIC Differential: Rockets +7.9, Clippers -7.9

The Houston Rockets (17-11) outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers (12-16) at the Toyota Center. Carl Landry starred with 27 points and four rebounds, Luis Scola posted 19 points and seven boards and Kyle Lowry totaled 16 points, six rebounds and six assists. Both teams shot 50% from the field, but Houston attempted 17 more free throws than Los Angeles. Chris Kaman had 29 points and five rebounds, Baron Davis tallied 18 points and nine assists and Marcus Camby chipped in 12 points and 19 boards for the Clippers.

Game FIC Scores

Marcus Camby, Los Angeles ? 24.3

Carl Landry, Houston ? 17.6

Luis Scola, Houston ? 16.0

Baron Davis, Los Angeles ? 14.8

- L.A. Lakers 111, Oklahoma City 108

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +11.1, Thunder -11.1

The Los Angeles Lakers (23-4) used a strong third quarter to handle the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder (13-14) on Tuesday night. Kobe Bryant excelled with 40 points, eight rebounds and six assists, Pau Gasol tallied 15 points and 11 boards and Lamar Odom contributed 12 points and nine rebounds. Los Angeles outrebounded Oklahoma City by seven and had a 34-21 advantage in the third. Kevin Durant scored 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting, Jeff Green posted 12 points and seven rebounds and Russell Westbrook stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, 13 assists and seven boards.

Game FIC Scores

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles ? 22.0

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City ? 20.0

Pau Gasol, Los Angeles ? 17.3

Thabo Sefolosha, Oklahoma City ? 16.3

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

The Hawks beat the Timberwolves on Tuesday night to equal the best start in the team's history.

Atlanta's 112-87 win over Minnesota pushed their record to 20-7 this season.

"We started with a bunch of babies six years ago, 18, 19, 20-year-old kids, and they've grown," coach Mike Woodson said. "The ownership has given me the latitude to continue to coach this team and our core guys have been together now four years and that makes a big difference."

The Hawks tied the 1986-87 team's start. That team featured Dominique Wilkins.

Follow RealGM's Brian Reynolds tonight as he tweets live from Philips Arena where the Utah Jazz are in town to face off against the Atlanta Hawks - a matchup between two teams bound for the playoffs.

At 18-6, the Hawks are currently tied for second in the Eastern Conference.  They bring a five-game winning streak to the court against Utah.

The Jazz are in the midst of a five-game eastern road trip.  They defeated New Jersey 108-92 on Wednesday and currently sit in the 5th spot in the Western Conference.

Follow Brian on his Twitter Page at Breynolds404 or following this link:

http://twitter.com/BReynolds404

Atlanta head coach Mike Woodson touts himself as someone that doesn't necessarily trust advanced statistics.

"I look at defensive field goal (percentage), I look at offensive field goal (percentage)," he said. "Are they a terrible free-throw shooting team? Do they turn it over? Are they a good rebounding team?"

He looks with some skepticism at statistics like plus/minus, which rates a player based on the number of points scored for and against his team while he is on the floor.

"Sometimes, the guy that's getting the bad marks is the guy that's making plays to help them win," he said. "It can go against you sometimes. I don't feed into that."

Denver coach George Karl joked that he doesn't understand the information that the Nuggets' director of quantitative analysis gives him.

"I'm going, ?Somebody interpret this for me,' " Karl said. "I don't know what it says."

The Hawks have gotten off to one of the best starts in team history but there has been no talk of an extension for coach Mike Woodson.

Woodson is in the second year of the two-year deal he signed in June 2008 shortly after general manager Rick Sund was hired.

"I have no choice," the coach said when asked if he was comfortable with his contract status.

The Hawks don't plan to discuss a new deal with Woodson until after the season.

"Am I happy about it? No," Woodson said Tuesday. "But it is what it is. But I'm not going to sit here and complain about it by any means. I have this year on my contract and then I'm a free agent. They have not approached me, so obviously we're going to play it out."

Woodson is the longest-tenured coach in the Eastern Conference and Atlanta is 17-6 entering Wednesday's action.

"It's been a good situation for Woody as ownership and the organization stood by him and supported him in the rebuilding years," Sund said. "When I suggested a new contract for Woody, the owners embraced the recommendation and I told Woody's camp that after two years, we'll evaluate it at that time and it seems to be working well."

There were a few close games in the NBA on Wednesday night, including Detroit and New Orleans coming out on top over Philadelphia and Minnesota.

Late game FIC scores will be added once they become available.

- Atlanta 118, Chicago 83

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +62.4, Bulls -62.4

The Atlanta Hawks (15-6) pulled away from the Chicago Bulls (7-13) in the second quarter on Wednesday night and never looked back. Jamal Crawford starred with 29 points, Maurice Williams posted 12 points and eight rebounds and Joe Johnson added 18 points, seven boards and four assists. Atlanta shot 50% from the field while holding Chicago to 36% shooting and forcing 19 turnovers. Derrick Rose had 19 points and seven assists, Luol Deng tallied 10 points and seven rebounds and rookie James Johnson contributed 17 points off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Jamal Crawford, Atlanta ? 19.4

Josh Smith, Atlanta ? 16.4

Maurice Evans, Atlanta ? 15.0

James Johnson, Chicago ? 12.8

- Portland 102, Indiana 91

Team FIC Differential: Trail Blazers +20.2, Pacers -20.2

The Portland Trail Blazers (14-9) used strong efforts in the first and fourth quarters to down the Indiana Pacers (6-13) at Conseco Fieldhouse. Brandon Roy led with 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists, LaMarcus Aldridge tallied 20 points and eight boards and Joel Przybilla put up 12 points and eight rebounds. Portland attempted ten more foul shots than Indiana and held the home team to 41% shooting. Dahntay Jones scored 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting, Tyler Hansbrough posted 13 points and 11 rebounds and Troy Murphy totaled 10 points and seven boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 18.0

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 17.8

Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana ? 13.4

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 10.3

- Detroit 90, Philadelphia 86

Team FIC Differential: Pistons +9.4, 76ers -9.4

Allen Iverson turned in his second-straight 11-point performance as the Philadelphia 76ers (5-17) fell to the Detroit Pistons (9-12). Rodney Stuckey led with 25 points, eight assists and five rebounds, Jonas Jerebko posted 17 points and 10 boards and Ben Wallace grabbed 12 rebounds in the victory. Detroit outrebounded Philadelphia by 13 and went 1-for-8 from three-point land. Andre Iguodala had 18 points, nine assists and six rebounds, Samuel Dalembert tallied 17 points and 11 boards and Elton Brand chipped in 11 points and six rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit ? 20.1

Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia ? 20.1

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 16.6

Jonas Jerebko, Detroit ? 13.3

- Golden State 105, New Jersey 89

Team FIC Differential: Warriors +38.8, Nets -38.8

The Golden State Warriors (7-14) outscored the New Jersey Nets (2-20) by 17 points in the second quarter en route to a dominant victory. Monta Ellis led with 18 points and eight assists, Mikki Moore tallied 16 points and seven boards and Corey Maggette added 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Golden State shot 49% and forced 22 turnovers. Brook Lopez had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Courtney Lee posted 15 points and eight boards and Devin Harris scored 19 points on 4-for-11 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

Anthony Randolph, Golden State ? 19.1

Courtney Lee, Orlando ? 14.8

Mikki Moore, Golden State ? 14.0

Corey Maggette, Golden State ? 13.8

- Milwaukee 117, Toronto 95

Team FIC Differential: Bucks +34.4, Raptors -34.4

Seven players reached double figures in scoring for the Milwaukee Bucks (10-11) as they defeated the Toronto Raptors (10-14) at the Bradley Center. Brandon Jennings had 22 points and six assists, Ersan Ilyasova posted 17 points and nine rebounds and Carlos Delfino chipped in 14 points and eight boards. Milwaukee drilled 52% of their shots and turned the ball over just nine times. Chris Bosh led with 26 points and 10 rebounds, Jarrett Jack tallied 12 points and seven assists and Sonny Weems scored 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee ? 20.3

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 16.5

Luke Ridnour, Milwaukee ? 14.3

Roko Ukic, Milwaukee ? 12.5

- New Orleans 97, Minnesota 96

Team FIC Differential: Hornets -8.0, Timberwolves +8.0

Chris Paul made a layup in the final seconds to push the New Orleans Hornets (10-11) past the Minnesota Timberwolves (3-19). Peja Stojakovic scored 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting, Paul tallied 15 points and 14 assists and Marcus Thornton added 20 points in the win. New Orleans went 13-for-25 from beyond the arc and Minnesota won the rebounds battle by a whopping twenty. Al Jefferson had 17 points and 16 rebounds, Kevin Love posted 12 points and 11 boards and Ryan Games contributed 21 points and six rebounds in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 24.5

Peja Stojakovic, New Orleans ? 15.9

Kevin Love, Minnesota ? 15.8

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 13.5

- Houston 95, Cleveland 85

Team FIC Differential:

The Houston Rockets (12-9) jumped out to an early lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers (15-7) on Thursday night and a never really looked back. Aaron Brooks led with 27 points and six assists, Carl Landry posted 14 points and six rebounds and Trevor Ariza put up 26 points and five boards. Cleveland outrebounded Houston by 10, but turned the ball over 20 times. LeBron James starred with 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds, Shaquille O?Neal tallied seven points and 10 boards and Anderson Varejao totaled 10 points and six rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

- San Antonio 118, Sacramento 106

Team FIC Differential:

The San Antonio Spurs (10-9) got a much-needed win against the Sacramento Kings (9-12) at the AT&T Center. Richard Jefferson had 23 points and eight rebounds, Tony Parker tallied 18 points and 11 assists and Manu Ginobili scored 20 points on 5-for-11 shooting off the bench. San Antonio shot 55% and outrebounded Sacramento by three. Omri Casspi had 20 points and seven rebounds, Jason Thompson posted 19 points and nine boards and Tyreke Evans added 19 points and five assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

- L.A. Lakers 101, Utah 77

Team FIC Differential:

The Los Angeles Lakers (17-3) thumped the Utah Jazz (12-9) by holding them to just six points in the fourth quarter. Kobe Bryant led with 27 points, eight assists and six rebounds, Pau Gasol posted 19 points and 12 boards and Lamar Odom contributed seven points and 10 rebounds. Los Angeles turned the ball over just nine times and held Utah to 33% shooting. Deron Williams had 17 points and eight assists, Carlos Boozer tallied 11 points and 12 rebounds and Mehmet Okur chipped in 14 points and eight boards for the Jazz.

Game FIC Scores

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Hawks forward Marvin Williams is frustrated by his lack of consistency this season.

He is averaging 10.6 points through the season's first 20 games. Williams has scored four or fewer points four times and has one 29-point game.

"There's been no balance," Williams said. "I've either been way up here or way down here."

"I've been so inconsistent. It's tough," he added. However, "the one thing about me is that I can affect the game [in ways] other than just scoring."

The Hawks have built in a slow and steady way and are now enjoying a great deal of success.

"It's another year with the same group," said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. "They seem to just get better. It's a blueprint that could actually be followed more in the NBA because it took them a long time to get to this point."

"[Woodson] has been able to develop a team that can beat anybody at any time," Houston coach Rick Adelman said. "You don't always get that nowadays in the world of sports. You get one or two chances and you'd better do it."

Sam Mitchell sat courtside to watch his former team take on the Hawks in Atlanta.

"Those guys mean something to me because those guys helped me get to where I was and I helped them," Mitchell said.

The Raptors gave up 146 points in the Wednesday night loss.