LeBron James vs. Chris Bosh and Steve Nash vs. Kobe Bryant are just two of the matchups that take center stage this week. Key games to watch in the the NBA this week:
• San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks (Tuesday): Two streaking Southwest Division rivals meet after sputtering starts. The Spurs are 9-3 since Nov. 14; the Mavericks have won nine of the last 10. Dallas won the first meeting 98-81, but the Spurs didn't have injured guard Manu Ginobili, who is back.

• Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers (Tuesday): The Cavaliers have won eight in a row and by 12 points or more to tie an NBA record, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Cleveland's LeBron James (26.5) and Toronto's Chris Bosh (25.7) are second and third, respectively, in scoring.

• Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers (Wednesday): Features two of the last three MVPs in Suns point guard Steve Nash and Lakers shooting ace Kobe Bryant. Nash is fifth in the NBA in assists (8.2); Bryant, entering Sunday, fifth in scoring (24.9).

• Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz (Thursday): A pair of the NBA's premier backcourt stars, Portland's Brandon Roy and Utah's Deron Williams, collide in a Northwest battle.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Minnesota | Toronto | Portland | Los Angeles Lakers | Phoenix Suns | Detroit Pistons | Kobe Bryant | Shaquille O'Neal | San Antonio Spurs | Northwest | Dallas Mavericks | Boston Celtics | Cleveland Cavaliers | Denver Nuggets | Orlando Magic | Elias Sports Bureau | Utah Jazz | Steve Nash | Sacramento Kings | Memphis Grizzlies | Hornets | Manu Ginobili | Dwight Howard | Chris Paul | Deron Williams | Chris Bosh | Magic Johnson | Timberwolves | Antonio McDyess | Brandon Roy | Dwane Casey | MVPs | Randy Wittman | Reggie Theus | Southwest Division | Brevin Knight | Oklahoma City Thunder | Goran Dragic | Features | Houston Rockets..
• New Orleans Hornets at Boston Celtics (Friday): Two of the hottest teams match defensive intensity. The Celtics allow a league-low 89.7 points per game; the Hornets, 92.5. New Orleans star Chris Paul is the only player on either team in the top 20 in scoring (20th, at 20.6).

Kings in trouble:

The Sacramento Kings shot 29.3% in Saturday's 118-85 home loss to the Denver Nuggets. Sacramento has lost 11 of 12 and a franchise-tying eight in a row at home and next play Tuesday — at home against the Lakers.

"There is no excuse for being physically handled," Kings coach Reggie Theus said. "Every time we play a team that is physical and has went after us, we have backed off or backed up."

T'wolves flounder:

Another coach with huge headaches is Minnesota's Randy Wittman, whose Timberwolves scored just 84 points twice this weekend in blowout losses. Saturday it was to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who won for only the second time. Wittman is 38-105 since taking over for Dwane Casey in January 2007.

"When you get hired, you're bound to get fired. You don't worry about it. I'm not," Wittman said. "You've got to prepare each day. That's what I've got to continue to do."

Around the hardwood:

Cillar O'Neal, 92, the great-grandmother who helped raise Suns center Shaquille O'Neal, has died. ... Jazz guard Brevin Knight was hospitalized Saturday night with swelling in the throat after colliding with the Suns' Goran Dragic in Utah's loss. ... Guard O.J. Mayo, the Memphis Grizzlies' leading scorer at 21.1 points a game, can tie Magic Johnson's NBA record of scoring in double figures in 21 consecutive games to start a career tonight against the Houston Rockets. ... The Detroit Pistons expect to have forward Antonio McDyess back with the team this week. McDyess had to wait 30 days to rejoin the Pistons after they traded him to the Nuggets, who let him go. ... Happy 23rd birthday to Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who posted a career-first double-double by the end of a first quarter, in Friday's win against Oklahoma City.

Contributing: Wire reports