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*The Bobcats might finally be getting power forward Tyrus Thomas back, who has been out since Dec. 19 with a sprained left ankle. Coach Paul Silas said Thomas might be activated for Friday's game versus the Hawks. Don't assume Thomas will jump straight back into the starting lineup. D.J. White has played well, and Silas has indicated Thomas will have to earn back his spot.

*Coach Paul Silas said he needs rookie point guard Kemba Walker to become a better finisher on drives, because teams are crowding him defensively to take away Walker's jump shot.

*The Pacers tied with Portland for the most players on the NBA All-Star ballot with six. Danny Granger, David West, Darren Collison, Paul George, Tyler Hansbrough and Roy Hibbert are on the ballot. George Hill, a starter on a lot of teams, was not on the ballot. "George (Hill) has a chance to be an All-Star, too," coach Frank Vogel said. "We've got seven starters on this team. It's a strength of ours. We want to take advantage of our depth and our versatility."

*The Pacers had never played one possession of zone defense under former coach Jim O'Brien or current coach Frank Vogel, who was an assistant under O'Brien, since they arrived in 2007. They tried it against the Heat and it backfired on them. Miami was 6-of-11 on three-pointers when they led by 23 points at halftime. "I'm a risk-taker," coach Frank Vogel said. "I looked at what Dallas did in the Finals, and Atlanta was effective the other night. They're a great offense team, number one in the league. I wanted to take a chance. It didn't work out for us.

NBA.com has a reporter in every arena, scouring the locker rooms and hitting press row for all the latest news, notes and anecdotes leading up to tipoff. Ten Before Tip is your source for lineup scratches, injury updates and all last-minute info that could affect the outcome of the game. Every night, before every game, NBA.com’s writers will be filing short TBT blog posts directly from the arena, covering the latest storylines to keep you fully informed.