Caron Butler missed Washington's 108-104 overtime victory at home against the Raptors on Tuesday with what the team is calling a hip flexor injury and then did not travel with the team to Toronto, the Associated Press is reporting.

Butler, who again is having an All-Star type season, was hurt when he fell to the floor during an overtime loss against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

A sore back has kept Memphis forward Pau Gasol from playing against the Washington Wizards, the Associated Press is reporting.

Gasol warmed up with the team but was ruled out about 30 minutes before the game.

On tonight's RealGM Hoops Show (airing at 9:00 PM EST), Sacha, Brendon, and Aaron will react to the All-Star game rosters. Who got snubbed, and who didn't deserve to make it?

Kevin Broom from RealGM talks about his article that questions whether the Wizards are better without Gilbert Arenas. Do teams with shoot-first point guards succeed in the NBA?

Jerome Williams will join the show for his "Make it Hot" segment to talk about Stephon Marbury's surgery, the chances of Jason Kidd (and others) getting traded before the deadline, and to determine whether the Raptors are for real after their road victory over the dominant Boston Celtics.

According to the Associated Press, Washington center Etan Thomas is making strides towards his return to the court for the Wizards.

Thomas, who had open-heart surgery just three months ago, said, "It's good to be back. It was a long process, but it definitely feels great just to be back with my teammates, to be back on the road to coming back to playing."

Thomas showed up at Washington's practice on Saturday to check in with his teammates, but he is still waiting for approval to return to the court.

Wizards' forward Etan Thomas, who had heart surgery this offseason and was expected to miss the entire regular season, has said that he is close to returning to practice and definitely wants to return before the year is out.

"I definitely plan on returning this year," Thomas said on "The John Thompson Show" on WTEM.

"My recovery is going well," Thomas said. "I'm able to do more and more. I'm looking forward to getting cleared to be able to practice here soon."

About 90 minutes before the Wizards played the Knicks on Tuesday, Antonio Daniels was in uniform. At tip-off, he was on the bench in a suit.

The Wizards' point guard has soreness in the same knee that caused him to miss seven games in December. He had seven points and nine assists in the Wizards' win against the Celtics on Monday.

"He played very hard on it," Coach Eddie Jordan said. "It's good we're going to have two days before we play on Friday and then we'll have three days after that. So it's a good time to rest him."

Daniels was injured in Miami on Dec. 13 ,and the Wizards went 3-4 in his absence. He returned this month, and the Wizards went 5-2 as he averaged 11 points and 5.7 assists. The Wizards are 14-7 with Daniels in the starting lineup.

- Charlotte 119, Denver 116

Gerald Wallace led the Bobcats to a surprising victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Charlotte. Wallace tallied 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, as Denver wasted a terrific effort by Marcus Camby, who notched 20 points, 23 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 blocks. The Bobcats were outrebounded 52-43 by the Nuggets but overcame that with some decent three-point shooting (10-for-26). The victory was Charlotte?s third in five games while the loss was just the second for Denver this month.

Game FIC Scores
Marcus Camby, DEN ? 34*
Gerald Wallace, CHA ? 26.63
Carmelo Anthony, DEN ? 18.63
Emeka Okafor, CHA ? 18.63

- Washington 88, Boston 83

The Washington Wizards used a strong fourth quarter to upset the Boston Celtics for the second time in as many games. Boston led by four points entering the final period, but Washington outscored the Celtics 29-20 to steal the victory. Antawn Jamison led the Wizards, who handed Boston back-to-back losses for the first time this season, with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Garnett starred for the Celtics, putting up 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Washington was hot from the foul line, going 27-for-30, gaining an eleven-point advantage over Boston. The Wizards have won five of their last six games.

Game FIC Scores
Kevin Garnett, BOS ? 17.5
Caron Butler, WSH ? 11.63
Ray Allen, BOS ? 10.5
Antawn Jamison, WSH ? 9.88

- Portland 99, New Jersey 73

The Portland Trail Blazers rebounded from an overtime loss to the Raptors over the weekend, bouncing back to thump the New Jersey Nets 99-73 on Monday night. LaMarcus Aldridge paced the Blazers, tallying 20 points and 7 rebounds. Portland shot 52% from the field while holding the Nets to a dismal 33% shooting performance. New Jersey scored just 12 points in the first quarter and were never able to get back in the game. Malik Allen posted 17 points and 8 rebounds for the Nets in defeat. The Trail Blazers will do battle with the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics on Wednesday.

Game FIC Scores
LaMarcus Aldridge, POR ? 13
Malik Allen, NJN ? 12.25
Joel Przybilla, POR ? 12
Jason Kidd, NJN ? 10

- San Antonio 89, Philadelphia 82

The San Antonio Spurs narrowly defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night, 89-82. Tim Duncan starred for the Spurs with 18 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. Salem Dalembert countered for the 76ers with 12 points, 20 rebounds, and 2 blocks. The victory was the Spurs' second straight after suffering back-to-back losses. San Antonio edged Philadelphia by six rebounds (48-42) and enjoyed a 22-10 advantage in the assist category. Manu Ginobili was the leading scorer for the Spurs, netting 20 points to go along with 5 assists and 3 rebounds.

Game FIC Scores
Tim Duncan, SAS ? 23.88
Salem Dalembert, PHI ? 18.5
Manu Ginobili, SAS ? 12.75
Andre Iguodala, PHI ? 11.75

- Utah 98, Milwaukee 87

The Utah Jazz earned a come-from-behind victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Monday night, notching their fourth straight win in the process. Deron Williams led the Jazz with 37 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals, and Carlos Boozer posted a double-double of his own in Utah?s triumph. Andrew Bogut starred for the Bucks, notching 23 points and 11 boards. The Jazz shot fifty-percent from the field, allowing them to break away from the Bucks in the fourth quarter. Milwaukee, who has lost three straight, will face Atlanta on Wednesday.

Game FIC Scores
Deron Williams, UTA ? 32
Andrew Bogut, MIL 16.5
Carlos Boozer, UTA ? 13.88
Michael Redd, MIL - 9

- Sacramento 122, Dallas 120

John Salmons made a layup with five seconds left against the Dallas Mavericks to give the Sacramento Kings a two-point victory on Monday night. Salmons finished with 21 points, 4 rebound,s and 3 assists for the Kings while Kevin Martin poured in 38 points on 14-for-16 shooting from the field. Both teams shot very well. Dallas hit 57% of their shots, besting Sacramento?s mark of 50%. However, the Mavericks? nineteen turnovers allowed the Kings to overcome their shooting advantage. Devin Harris and Jason Terry led the Mavericks with 25 points apiece in defeat.

Game FIC Scores
Kevin Martin, SAC ? 23.38
Devin Harris, DAL ? 17.38
Jason Terry, DAL ? 15.75
John Salmons, SAC ? 11.5

- L.A. Lakers 123, Seattle 121 (OT)

With Andrew Bynum lost to injury Kobe Bryant picked up the Los Angeles Lakers and put them on his back against the Seattle Supersonics. Bryant scored 48 points on 44 shots in an overtime win in Seattle last night. Kwame Brown added a double-double, and Lamar Odom filled the stat sheet for Los Angeles, who were victorious on a Kobe jumper with four seconds left in the extra period. Nick Collison starred for the Sonics, scoring 24 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. Seattle outrebounded Los Angeles by ten but couldn?t overcome Kobe?s magic.

Game FIC Scores
Nick Collison, SEA ? 24.5
Kurt Thomas, SEA - 16
Kobe Bryant, LAL ? 14.38
Lamar Odom, LAL ? 13

? 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)

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

Wizards' center Etan Thomas has been cleared to participate in non-contact drills such as shooting and running. Thomas hasn't played this season after having surgery to repair a leak in his heart.

Thomas underwent aortic valve replacement surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on Oct. 11. It had been speculated that the six-year veteran wouldn't return this season, but a team spokesman said that no timetable has been set.

After a successful sweep of the league-leading Celtics, the Wizards are starting to think big even without a healthy Gilbert Arenas.

Caron Butler scored 2,1 and Washington beat Boston 88-83 on Monday night for the Wizards' second victory over the Celtics in three days.

Gilbert Arenas said Sunday that he plans on opting out of his contract after this season. He said the Wizards are his top option but he is willing to go elsewhere.

"I want a new contract for the longevity of it and get another six years at the end of this deal," said Arenas, who is making $11.9 million this season. "I don't know what's going to happen. I could have signed an extension this year, but it wasn't going to make sense for me. If my own team doesn't take me, I'll go somewhere for a lot less to win a championship."

Arenas said his contract situation wouldn't deter him from returning this season, but he said he won't play until he's 100 percent.