Minnesota at Golden State (10:30 p.m. EST). The Timberwolves have the NBA's best road record (16-7), while the Warriors are 13-7 at home.

STARS

Tuesday

_ Shawn Marion, Suns, scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and Phoenix beat Atlanta 89-85.

_ Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks, scored a career-high 43 points, and Dallas won its ninth straight with a 118-116 victory over Seattle.

_ Elton Brand, Clippers, had 20 points and 11 rebounds in Los Angeles' 102-92 win over Chicago.

OUT WITH THE OLD

Jim O'Brien quit as coach of the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, after half a season under new boss Danny Ainge. Ainge said O'Brien told him he wanted to resign at a meeting Tuesday morning, one of their regularly scheduled sit-downs to discuss ``philosophical differences'' on running the team. Assistant coach John Carroll will take over for the rest of the season.

LATE DEBUT

All-Star forward Jamal Mashburn was activated from the injured list by the New Orleans Hornets and will play his first game of the season Wednesday night. Mashburn led the team last season with 21.6 points per game and was one of only five NBA players who averaged at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists.

GOOD START

Lawrence Frank's first game as interim coach of New Jersey was a success as Richard Jefferson scored 30 points to lead the Nets to a 94-76 victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday night. Frank, the 33-year-old former assistant, was promoted after Byron Scott was fired Monday.

UNWELCOME HOME

Charlie Ward returned to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night for the first time since leaving the Knicks. He put the Spurs ahead for good on a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, and San Antonio held on for a 77-67 victory over New York.

BUZZER BEATER

Antoine Walker made a 20-footer at the horn, lifting the Dallas Mavericks to their ninth straight win, 118-116 over Seattle on Tuesday night.

SPEAKING

``Jim did not see that long-term vision that I saw.'' _ Boston director of basketball operations Danny Ainge after Jim O'Brien resigned as coach of the Celtics on Tuesday.