Indiana point guard T.J. Ford is expected to miss his third straight game on Tuesday night when the team faces off against Atlanta.

He missed practice on Monday because of a sore lower back.

"We're just trying to figure out what I can tolerate," said Ford. "You know going into the season and throughout the season you're not going to be 100 percent. You want to get to a level you know you're still capable of producing. . . . We'll continue to do a lot of treatment so I can get back on the court."

Pacers' swingman Mike Dunleavy has increased his practice participation up to 20 minutes, but he is also battling a virus.

He is suffering from the same virus that cost teammates Danny Granger, Marquis Daniels, and Troy Murphy time last week.

"We hope it doesn't set him back," Pacers' Coach Jim O'Brien said.

Dunleavy, who is out with bone spurs in his right knee, is continuing to make progress toward his season debut.

"What we did is we played five on five in the halfcourt, transitioned one time and then stopped," O'Brien said. "Not because I was told to do that. It's what I wanted to do."

Larry Bird is still trying to trade is point guard Jamaal Tinsley.

There remains no interest in Tinsley around the NBA.

Bird still will not buy out the remaining three years of Tinsley's $21.5 million contract, and teams are leery of acquiring him because of the third year of his deal and his history of injury problems.

"We're going to try to do something," Bird said. "We've talked to just about every team in the league. There were a lot of teams that were interested in him. You never know, they can say that all they want, but until something happens you never know if something is really going to happen."

Pacers' forward Troy Murphy has missed the team's last four games with a viral infection that has caused him to lose 20 pounds.

He showed up for practice on Tuesday morning, but Indiana coach Jim O'Brien reportedly sent him home.

Danny Granger returned to the team on Tuesday night after missing two games and losing seven pounds to the illness.

Marquis Daniels, the third Pacer come down with the infection, missed his third game on Tuesday night.

Pacers' guard Mike Dunleavy practiced with the team on Monday for the first time since training camp in October.

He participated in 10 minutes of live scrimmaging but still doesn't know when he'll make his regular season debut.

Dunleavy injured his right knee during the summer.

Rockets' forward Ron Artest compared two of his old teammates recently and decided that Kings' guard Kevin Martin is better than retired Pacers' guard Reggie Miller.

"When he (Kevin Martin) was there (in Sacramento), he was always working hard," Artest said. "When Reggie Miller left (Indiana when Artest played there), nobody really did the things that Reggie Miller did. I see a lot of Reggie Miller (in Martin). He's actually better than Reggie Miller, but the only thing Reggie had on him was he was a better team defender than Kevin."

Mike Dunleavy credited his solid season last year to getting away from the Warriors, the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting.

"That wasn't possible out there," said Dunleavy, referring to Oakland. "It's no coincidence so many guys who come from Golden State go elsewhere and succeed. The proof is in the pudding. I take responsibility for certain things. You look at guys who went elsewhere after leaving Golden State, they found a way. Whatever that means or says, you could read it through."

Click here to read RealGM's commentary on these remarks.

Kevin Garnett scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Celtics past on the Hawks in Wednesday night's marquee game.

- Boston 88, Atlanta 85

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +8.7, Hawks -8.7

The Celtics (24-2) outscored the Hawks (15-10) by six points in the fourth quarter to steal a win at Philips Arena. Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 8 rebounds; Paul Pierce posted 18 points and 7 boards; and Rajon Rondo added 15 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in the victory. Boston held Atlanta to 36% shooting and outrebounded them by four. Joe Johnson led with 20 points; Marvin Williams tallied 16 points and 8 rebounds; and Al Horford contributed 8 points and 11 boards in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 17.3

Kevin Garnett, Boston ? 14.9

Joe Johnson, Atlanta ? 14.8

Marvin Williams, Atlanta ? 14.4

- Indiana 127, Golden State 120

Team FIC Differential: Pacers +12.5, Warriors -12.5

Danny Granger led the Pacers (9-16) to their second consecutive win on Wednesday night against the Warriors (7-19). Marquis Daniels had 23 points and 8 rebounds; Brandon Rush posted 10 points and 11 boards; and Granger turned in 41 points, 11 rebounds ,and 6 assists. Both teams shot 44%, but Indiana outrebounded Golden State by eight at Conseco Fieldhouse. Jamal Crawford starred with 29 points and 9 rebounds; Marco Belinelli scored 21 points; and Andris Biedrins added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors.

Game FIC Scores

Danny Granger, Indiana ? 28.4

Marquis Daniels, Indiana ? 21.0

Jamal Crawford, Golden State ? 17.0

Stephen Jackson, Golden State ? 15.9

- Philadelphia 93, Milwaukee 88

Team FIC Differential: 76ers +5.2, Bucks -5.2

The 76ers (11-14) lost Elton Brand to a shoulder injury but still rallied in the fourth and knocked off the Bucks (11-16). Louis Williams scored 25 points; Marreese Speights tallied 12 points and 7 rebounds; and Andre Miller turned in 19 points and 3 assists. Philadelphia shot 46% and outrebounded Milwaukee by four. Luke Ridnour scored 14 points; Charlie Villanueva posted 11 points and 8 rebounds; and Michael Redd added 6 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Louis Williams, Philadelphia ? 11.9

Andre Miller, Philadelphia ? 11.4

Charlie Bell, Milwaukee ? 10.1

Luc Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee ? 9.5

- Dallas 96, Toronto 86

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +14.4, Raptors -14.4

The Mavericks (14-10) used a big third quarter to defeat the Raptors (10-15) at Air Canada Centre. Dirk Nowitzki had 27 points and 10 rebounds; Jason Terry turned in 27 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds; and Josh Howard scored 20 points in just 22 minutes. Dallas shot 50% from the field and outrebounded Toronto by ten. Jermaine O?Neal led with 19 points and 7 rebounds; Jose Calderon posted 11 points and 10 assist; and Chris Bosh added 12 points and 9 boards for the Raptors.

Game FIC Scores

Jason Terry, Dallas ? 26.3

Jamario Moon, Toronto ? 18.3

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas ? 18.0

Jermaine O?Neal, Toronto ? 15.9

- Detroit 88, Washington 74

Team FIC Differential: Pistons +33.7, Wizards -33.7

The Pistons (14-9) used a 27-16 edge in the fourth quarter to hold off the Wizards (4-19) on Wednesday night. Allen Iverson had 28 points and 6 rebounds; Rodney Stuckey tallied 18 points and 11 assists; and Tayshaun Prince added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Detroit shot 47%, while limiting Washington to 33% shooting. Mike James scored 16 points; Antawn Jamison posted 14 points and 11 rebounds; and Andray Blatche added 12 points and 11 boards off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Allen Iverson, Detroit ? 17.6

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit ? 16.8

Andray Blatche, Washington ? 13.5

Mike James, Washington ? 9.0

- Utah 103, New Jersey 92

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +34.3, Nets -34.3

The Nets (12-12) led 27-7 after one quarter, but the Jazz (16-11) dominated in the second and fourth en route to a victory. Mehmet Okur had 23 points and 9 rebounds; Paul Millsap posted 18 points and 12 boards; and Deron Williams turned in 17 points and 11 assists. Utah outrebounded New Jersey by seventeen and attempted thirteen more foul shots. Vince Carter scored 32 points; Devin Harris tallied 21 points and 11 assists; and rookie Brook Lopez contributed 15 points and 7 rebounds in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Deron Williams, Utah ? 20.0

Devin Harris, New Jersey ? 18.6

Kyle Korver, Utah ? 18.0

Vince Carter, New Jersey ? 11.9

- Cleveland 93, Minnesota 70

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +34.9, Timberwolves -34.9

The Cavaliers (21-4) outscored the Timberwolves (4-21) in each of the game?s four quarters on Wednesday night in yet another win. LeBron James had 32 points and 6 rebounds; Anderson Varejao posted 13 points and 11 rebounds; and Delonte West scored 21 points. Cleveland shot 53% from the floor and outrebounded Minnesota by eight at Target Center. Al Jefferson led with 20 points and 11 rebounds; Mike Miller tallied 14 points and 7 boards; and Kevin Ollie scored 21 points off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 26.5

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 15.6

Delonte West, Cleveland ? 14.9

Kevin Ollie, Minnesota ? 8.9

- Chicago 115, L.A. Clippers 109 (OT)

Team FIC Differential: Bulls +3.4, Clippers -3.4

The Bulls (12-13) dominated in overtime to defeat the Clippers (7-18) at United Center. Ben Gordon scored 22 points; Drew Gooden tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds; and Andres Nocioni added 22 points off the bench. Los Angeles outrebounded Chicago by sixteen but shot just 41% on the night. Zach Randolph led with 30 points and 8 rebounds; Baron Davis posted 16 points and 12 assists; and Marcus Camby dominated the paint with 19 points and 27 boards for the Clips.

Game FIC Scores

Marcus Camby, L.A. Clippers ? 32.5

Andres Nocioni, Chicago ? 15.9

Zach Randolph, L.A. Clippers ? 15.8

Drew Gooden, Chicago ? 12.9

- New Orleans 90, San Antonio 83

Team FIC Differential: Hornets +15.9, Spurs -15.9

The Hornets (15-7) outscored the Spurs (15-9) by fourteen over the final twelve minutes to steal a win at New Orleans Arena. David West had 21 points and 9 rebounds; Chris Paul posted 19 points and 12 assists; and Tyson Chandler added 10 points, 11 boards, and 5 blocks. New Orleans outrebounded San Antonio by nine and limited them to just 38% shooting. Tony Parker led with 20 points; Tim Duncan tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds; and Manu Ginobili contributed 17 points, 9 boards, and 5 assists in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 22.9

Manu Ginobili, San Antonio ? 15.5

Tony Parker, San Antonio ? 14.1

David West, New Orleans ? 12.8

? 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

Pacers' coach Jim O'Brien said on his weekly radio show on Tuesday that the earliest Mike Dunleavy will return to the team is some time in January.

Dunleavy has not played this season because of bone spurs in his right knee.

Marquis Daniels has been a pleasant surprise in Indiana this season, which has helped lessen the blow delivered by Mike Dunleavy's lingering knee injury.

Daniels, who arrived via trade from Dallas in the summer of 2006 with lofty expectations, is averaging a career-high 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists through the team's first 24 games.

Even more surprising than his production is his physical presence in the lineup. He missed a combined 45 games in the previous two seasons, largely because of a knee injury that limited his explosiveness last year.

"The trainers did a great job of getting me ready, and I did a lot of rehabbing this summer," Daniels said recently of his knee issues. "Thank God that everything is back right with me health-wise."

If Daniels wasn't playing so well, the Pacers would likely be even worse than their current 8-16 record. Behind him on the team's depth chart is rookie Brandon Rush, who momentarily fell out of coach Jim O'Brien's rotation at the beginning of December.

Rush, the thirteenth overall pick from June's NBA Draft, has struggled to adjust the NBA game. He's averaging 7.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest on just 42.1% shooting. He consistently shot above 44% from the field at Kansas, while hitting roughly 42.4% from three-point land.

As surprising and appreciated as Daniels' production has been this season, the Pacers are still missing Dunleavy mightily. The former Duke standout enjoyed a career year in his first full season with Indiana, posting 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds on 47.6% shooting.

He also helped take pressure off Danny Granger on offense, while playing much better defense than his critics often gave him credit for in Golden State.

Dunleavy was also the picture of stability for the Pacers during a rocky season in 2007-08, playing (and starting) in every one of the team's 82 games. Daniels has stepped in and started every contest this season, but he's aware that a demotion is likely on the horizon.

Indiana has been rather vague regarding Dunleavy's status, other than saying that his knee injury is something that few doctors have ever seen, but the team still anticipates that he'll take the court this season.

When he does, Daniels will be ready to adjust.

"I just have to be professional about it," Daniels said earlier this month. "I'll continue to go out there and do what I'm doing right now. Hopefully my time won?t change that much, but I'll continue to play well."

It's as good a time as ever for Daniels to turn in the best season of his six-year NBA career. The Pacers have a $7.4 million team option on the contract of the 6'6" guard. His performance will either earn him another year in Indiana while earning a pretty penny, or a ticket out of town for even more cash should the Pacers desire cap room.

He has scored 20 or more points on seven occasions, including a dominating offense performance in the first half of Indiana's 122-117 overtime loss to the defending-champion Celtics on Dec. 7.

Daniels brings a unique offensive style to the Pacers, who have lacked a slashing swingman. Stephen Jackson and Jalen Rose were decent at creating their own shot when getting to the basket, but I'd rate Daniels a tad better than both.

Both T.J. Ford and Jarrett Jack have a tendency to drive to the hoop as well, but neither has Daniels' size. Granger is getting better at creating his own offense, but Marquis always appears more in control.

It remains to be seen just how long O'Brien will lean on Daniels to be the team's second option on offense, but he's shown through the first quarter of the season that he's capable of handling the load.

Assuming Dunleavy does return, the Pacers will have a strong punch off the bench to create mismatches against the opposing team's second unit.

That would be a pleasant surprise in and of itself.